![]() For example, one study suggests that Jewish children are less likely to believe in the tooth fairy than Christian children. In the 21st century, the tooth fairy is clearly a mainstay of popular and folk culture, but tooth fairy practices differ greatly. We can only hypothesize about the economic and cultural forces that propelled the tooth fairy’s rise to stardom, but possible causes include changing cultural attitudes toward parenting, postwar affluence and a rising number of literary and film portrayals of fairies. Like candy on Halloween, however, the tooth fairy was not a nationwide custom until the 1950s. A magical rise in popularityįolklorists generally agree that Americans’ tooth-for-money fairy rituals, possibly derived from European variants, arose around the turn of the 20th century. In one widespread European tradition closely related to the 18th-century French fairy tale “ La Bonne Petite Souris,” children leave their shed teeth under a pillow for a mouse who exchanges it for money. Usually taught to children by their parents, these magical acts are often accompanied by traditional sayings calling on the powers that be to bring new, stronger teeth as replacements. Joey McLeister/Star Tribune via Getty Images Losing baby teeth is an important rite of passage in many cultures. And children have long capitalized on the occasion as an opportunity to participate in magical rituals. The shedding of teeth, after all, marks important developmental milestones. ![]() Few folkloric traditions embody the wonder of childhood more clearly than the tooth fairy. The tooth fairy, he said, is not at risk of infection.Īs a professor of folklore who has researched the blurry lines between reality and fantasy in children’s worldviews, I am delighted that our leaders have not mistaken childishness for triviality. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, followed those assurances with a guarantee of his own. In April, the premier of Quebec, François Legault, and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern assured worried children that the tooth fairy is, indeed, an essential worker.ĭr. ![]() In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, adults and children alike have called on political leaders and health experts to address a concern: Is now a bad time to lose a tooth? ![]()
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