Thursday, July 27, 2017

Why I love Thursdays.



Every Thursday, my Twitter feed undergoes a transformation.

That’s because on Twitter, Thurdays are Folklore Thursdays.

#Folklorethursday is a hashtag created by British folklore scholars Dee Dee Chaney, Willow C. Winsham and Seline Stevenson.  It first hit Twitter on June 18, 2015.

Throughout the day, Chaney, Winsham and others moderate tweets from writers, folklorists, historians, scholars and bloggers like little ol’ me as they share links, pictures and tweets about folklore.  And I know what you must be thinking, all that scholarly material, it must be kind of dry and boring.  You couldn’t be more wrong.  Though it might be reasonably scholarly material, Folklore Thursday tends to overflow with the exotic and the bizarre.

Every Thursday, my Twitter feed flows over with strange home remedies that require the use of unusual herbs or animal parts, ways to ward off the evil eye or guard oneself from witches, strange customs and superstitions from far away countries and more cryptozoological beasts than you can shake a stick at.

But now, onto the most important questions about Folklore Thursday.

How can I receive Folklore Thursday tweets in my Twitter feed?

Simple enough.  Simply follow the @FolkloreThurs account on Twitter.

 Is there a way I can participate in Folklore Thursday?

Yes!  The first step is to find something folklore related online.  When I started participating in Folklore Thursday, I used my own “The Stuff of Legends” posts.  Then, write up your tweet, include your link and add the hashtag #folklorethursday and send it off.

 Any special tips for taking part in Folklore Thursday?

I have one tip for my fellow American participants: remember that the headquarters for Folklore Thursday is in the UK.  Because of time zones, Britain’s Thursday starts and ends several hours earlier than ours does.  So, Folklore Thursday will likely be underway by the time you start your day.  So, it might be necessary to get your tweet sorted the day before (picking the link, etc) so you can tweet it right when you get the first chance on Thursday.

 If I can’t get enough of Folklore Thursday, where can I get more?

They have a website where many of the more interesting links and articles from Folklore Thursday are showcased.  It’s at folklorethursday.com.

 Are there any folklore based life tips you’d like to give us?

Yes.  Always crush your eggshells when you use eggs in your cooking.  That way, witches can’t use them as little boats to cause trouble at sea.  This is just one of the many tips I’ve picked up from following Folklore Thursday.

So, I hope this post has made you aware of something cool and fun that’s worth checking out.  It can be a little strange, but I find it can be a good weekly pick-me-up with times the way they are now.
Also, I’m not kidding about that eggshell thing.  We can’t let those witches cause trouble at sea, now can we!

1 comment:

  1. Yes, I'm following @folklorethursday. Great fun! I didn't know there was a web site, many thanks for that!

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