{
  "id": 7128618,
  "title": "Red threads, witches and upside-down tortillas: Mexican folk wisdom from our grandparents",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/red-threads-witches-and-upside-down-tortillas-mexican-folk-wisdom",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-13T16:00:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mexico News Daily",
    "slug": "mexico-news-daily",
    "url": "https://mexiconewsdaily.com/culture/wisdom-abuelos-traditional-mexican-lessons-beliefs-grandparents/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On August 28, Mexico observed Grandparents’ Day, a tradition since 1983 that celebrates grandparents’ love, experience, and wisdom. In a nation where many parents work, grandparents frequently care for children, picking them up from school, preparing meals, and supervising them. According to El Comentario, 30% of Mexican children are raised by their grandparents. Grandparents often preserve traditional wisdom in Mexico. Stories from diverse parts of the country reveal amusing, quirky, and confounding lessons passed down through generations.\n\nDuring pregnancy, certain customs are believed to protect unborn babies. Wearing a safety pin on the belly during an eclipse shields the child. Cravings must be satisfied; otherwise, the baby may be born with the face of the avoided food. Newborns should wear a red bracelet to deter witches from drinking their breast milk. Hypnotic snakes called alicantes are said to steal breast milk from recently delivered mothers. Droopy cheeks in infants may result from early sitting, while shaving a baby’s head and rubbing tomato on it can make the hair grow back curly. If a pregnant woman’s belly is egg-shaped, she’s carrying a boy; a round belly indicates a girl. Pregnant women at the beach may give birth to children with blue eyes.\n\nFood customs also hold significance. Watermelon should not be eaten at night, as it bloats the stomach and is difficult to digest. Cravings should be met to avoid a sore tongue or developing bile. If a craving isn’t satisfied, bile may form. Planting with enthusiasm ensures a good harvest, and saving the best corn ears attracts abundance. Cucumber bitterness can be removed by rubbing the ends, and plain water on an empty stomach after a hangover is harmful. Tortillas should not be eaten upside down, as it supposedly reverses one’s insides. Pozole should be consumed with soda or tea, not fruit-flavored water. To improve sleep, warm milk before bedtime is recommended.\n\nWitchcraft is also part of Mexican folklore. Red lights in the night sky are often perceived as witches. If red balls appear, they’re likely distant witches; close balls mean they’re nearby. Rubbing an egg over one’s body can dispel negative energy. La Llorona, a heart-wrenching legend about a mother who drowned her children and weeps for them nightly near rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, is associated with La Llorona's wails.",
  "summary": "In Mexico, grandparents are often the source of traditional folk wisdom, writes María Ruiz, who has collected some of her favorite stories and sayings. The post Red threads, witches and upside-down tortillas: Mexican folk wisdom from our grandparents appeared first on Mexico News Daily",
  "key_points": [
    "30% of Mexican children are raised by grandparents",
    "Wearing red bracelet deters witches from breast milk",
    "Upside-down tortillas reverse one’s insides"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}