Acting like a kid? haha no! A lot of people are wishing for something they like and even if you view wishing as a superstitious activity or you wholeheartedly believe in the power of wishing, wish making has been a traditional part of human behavior for centuries. Even some of our annual events include the practice of wish making. Here is a list of the top 5 ways in which we still make wishes today.
1. Wishing Wells and Fountains
Whether you choose a water feature in a park, a fountain in a mall or a well in a country field, the principle of wishing in a well or fountain is essentially the same. You simply stand near the well, look into the water and think of a wish. Then, you throw a coin into the water below. It is thought that it is very bad luck to take money from a fountain or well because you are robbing other people’s wishes.
2. Birthday Candles
An early form of Candle Magick, making a wish on birthday candles is perhaps the most practiced and common form of wishing. Once a year, special candles are placed into the frosting on top of a birthday cake. Some people prefer giant candles shaped in the numerical age of the birthday person. Others use decorative candles or trick candles which relight after being blown out. Then, the candles are lit and the happy birthday song, or some variety of it, is sung. The celebrated person makes a wish to themselves and proceeds to blow out the candles. It is thought that if they can blow out all of the candles out in one single breath, the birthday wish will come true.
3. Shooting Stars
This type of wish making can only occur during night time hours. Viewing the movement of meteors, comets and shooting stars are all thought to bring good luck. If you are fortunate enough to see one of these spectacular cosmic events, you are supposed to make a wish during that one instant in time. Seeing multiple shooting stars in a row is cause for multiple wishes as well. Beware though, for it is thought that if you say your wish out loud, it will not come true.
4. The Wishbone
Found in cooked fowls, the wishbone resembles a small slingshot. This form of wishing requires the effort of two people. Each person holds one end of the wishbone with one hand, makes an internal wish, counts to three and pulls on their end as hard as they can. The wishbone breaks and the person left holding the larger end gets their wish.
5. Eyelash
When you lose an eyelash, it is common for an onlooker to pluck the errant lash off of your face with their index finger and thumb and say “Make a wish.” At this time, you are to close your eyes and make a wish internally, without vocalizing it aloud. Then, you open your eyes and use your breath to blow the eyelash from their grasp.
Honestly, this post just perpetuates childish fantasies. Wishing on stars or blowing out candles? It’s all just nonsense. If only wishes worked as easily as they are described here.
Making wishes on shooting stars is such a romantic notion! However, can we really consider it valid when it depends solely on luck? Still, who doesn’t love dreaming big under the night sky!
I absolutely loved this article! It’s fascinating to see how traditions like wishing have survived over time. Each method mentioned brings back childhood memories for me. I never knew there were so many ways to make a wish!
Totally agree! Wishing wells were always magical to me as a child. It’s incredible how something so simple can hold so much meaning and nostalgia.
*sarcastic tone* Oh sure, because throwing coins into a fountain definitely guarantees your dreams will come true! Next, you’ll tell me that birthday candles can actually grant wishes too!
This article provides a great overview of cultural practices surrounding wishing. The psychological aspects of hope and belief are fascinating and highlight why these traditions endure in society.
*informative tone* Did you know that the tradition of making wishes goes back centuries? Cultures all around the world have their own unique ways of wishing, highlighting our universal desire for hope and dreams.
*comedic tone* If I had a dollar for every time I made a wish while blowing out birthday candles, I’d be rich enough to buy my own wishing well! What if my cake was actually the key to fortune?
While I appreciate the nostalgic angle, it’s important to challenge these ideas. Wishing is not going to solve your problems; action does! Why romanticize something that has no basis in reality?