5 Fact About The Tooth Fairy
- Celebration of Lost Tooth as a Longstanding Tradition
- She is not Always a Fairy
- There is a Tooth Fairy Museum
- National Tooth Fairy Day
- Tooth Fairy Helps Promote Healthy Dental Habits
Losing a tooth is a rite of passage that everyone is going to experience at some point in their lives, specifically during childhood. It could be a scary event for the kids so parents throughout the world created rituals to celebrate it with them.
The most popular practice is when children leave their newly lost tooth under their pillow, they expect a nightly visit from the Tooth Fairy who might leave a shiny quarter or even a crisp $10 bill in exchange of the baby tooth. So children become excited whenever they lose a tooth, instead of them being scared.
Here are some of the facts about your kid’s favorite dainty dental dealer:
Celebration of Lost Tooth as a Longstanding Tradition
Even before the concept of the Tooth Fairy has been known, losing a tooth has already been celebrated all over the world. In the 13th Century, Middle Eastern tradition celebrates lost tooth by throwing the tooth in the air or to the sun to pray for a better tooth replacement. In other countries like Turkey, Mexico and Greece, children throw their baby teeth onto the roof of their house.
She is not Always a Fairy
In other countries and traditions, the baby-tooth belief is associated with squirrels, mice or rats. These animals are known to have strong and sturdy teeth and children are offering their baby-teeth to them. Cultural diversity is what makes the Tooth Fairy unique, no matter what tradition or appearance the Tooth Fairy manifest, it is still a very magical creature that children are looking forward to come upon.
There is a Tooth Fairy Museum
Tooth Fairy expert Dr. Wells has gotten so into this tradition that he had his split-level suburban home in Illinois turned into a Tooth Fairy Museum. It showcased art, dolls, books and other memorabilia from across the globe celebrating the images of the Tooth Fairy. Unfortunately, upon the death of Dr. Wells, the museum also closed down.
National Tooth Fairy Day
According to www.toothfairy.org, National Tooth Fairy Day is celebrated annually every February 28th. Some sources and calendars, however, list the holiday on August 22nd. The second week of August is recognized as National Smile Week, so it seems appropriate that the Tooth Fairy celebration should follow.
Tooth Fairy Helps Promote Healthy Dental Habits
It is said that the value of the tooth depends on how healthy it is when it falls off. The Tooth Fairy will pay more for the perfect teeth than the decayed ones. Other parents have been creative with conditional gifts, they would even give some extra dollars if their children brush their teeth two times a day for a month. Of course, they will receive from the Tooth Fairy.
How about you? Does your family have other traditions or habits when it comes to losing your kid’s baby teeth?
