Pinch! Punch! First of the Month – No Returns to Me!

On the first of every month here in the UK a silly superstitious tradition is still practiced which purportedly hails back to Ye Olde England times, the tradition goes thus:-

One party hails another with –

Pinch! Punch! First Day of the Month! No Returns to me!

Whilst reciting this little phrase the first party gets to both pinch and punch the second party and then exclaim they can’t be pinched or punched in return…

…how utterly charming. 

And it’s all because of WITCHES, it’s so obvious really. I’m surprised I never knew this until now!

Here it is explained by this source:

“Originating from old England times when people thought that witches existed. People thought that salt would make a witch weak, so the pinch part is pinching of the salt, and the punch part was to banish the witch. The witch would be weak from the salt so the punch was to banish her.” 

Of course we don’t actually go out on the streets battering each other. 
We are British, after all. That just wouldn’t be cricket. 

We simply ‘pretend’ pinch and punch each other in private. We’re not beasts, you know.  I expect on the playground things aren’t quite so gentile.

We have a Pinch and Punch Ninja Queen in our house. Gia thinks up some ingenious and surprising ways to ensure she gets to do the act before it is done unto her. 

This morning it was waking up at the crack of dawn, creeping into our bedroom, lifting the covers a little, and pinching our toes. I’m just glad I was awake, or else I may have accidentally kicked her in the face. By accident. Not on purpose. No. I love being woken up in the early hours of a Sunday morning to have my foot tickled. 

Really. Love it. 

At least I now know I’m not a witch. 

😉

Jude.