interesting minhagim

1. Not to do full kriah at Alenu in Musaf Rosh Hashonoh, only Yom Kippur (from Mateh Efrayim, hilchos yomim noroim, an ancestor of mine)

2. Having one arm out of the kittel under the chuppah (no idea how this one started)

3. Just kiddush before lunch on shmini atzeres in the sukkah, otherwise not in there on S’A at all. (minhag mishpachas Rashi)

Where did you see that it is a Minhag Mishpachas Rashi? It is the Minhag of many Chassidim. It is a Minhag which is seemingly at Odds with the Gemara. Many have tried to defend it, but I never saw what you mention.

I once read a Minhag that a community (I do not recall where) would try to find a woman who just gave birth to make Kiddush for the entire community on Yom Kippur.

Haleivi, I have it as a kaboloh from my father’s family, which is descended from both Yocheved and Miriam. Mnay of the numerous families descended from them (Shapira, Treves, Horowitz by marriage, etc etc) will have passed it on to their descendants, and that is why it is so persistent, and present especially among Chasidim, many of whose dynasties are descended/related to these families.

Is there no hint in Sifrei Rashi one way or the other?

Upsherin is a strange Minhag in its own right. There was a lengthy article in a magazine I read recently (I believe it was Ami) that tried to track down the sources of that Minhag as well as going to Meron on Lag B’Omer. It was quite an interesting read.

I have a few Chumras that I doubt most people keep:

1) You can’t make a mezonos on shabbos

2) You should wait 7 days from rosh chodesh before making kiddush levana

3) You need to have kiddush with bread following (i.e. kiddush bemokom seudah, whereas seudah is defined as pa’as as opposed to mezonos which most people use)

4) Not to fast on any fast day except yom kippur and tisha bi’av (R chaim soloveitchik did it, as he was super machmir on pikuach nefesh

5) to say all the bircas hashacher immideatly after doing the corrosponded action (see rambam hilchot brachot)

6) to wait 1/6th of the day as opposed to 72/34 minuets for shabbos to be over

7) every lunar eclipse you must go out and buy a plum from the market take its seeds and shove it through your neighbors door crack. If he notices then you must spin around three times saying “siman tov umazal tov yehey lonu ul’chol yisroel”. if he does not notice then you rip your clothing and fast for a fortnight. (sefardim do 2 fortnights)

8) (kidding about 7). Not to use any aruvin at all

9) because one doesn’t use eruvin, to be choshesh the ba’al hamor that says techalis is meakev (see menachos daf 38b) and the rashi in eruvin (71a), some don’t wear tzitzus on shabbos (unless they hold of techailes)

Abelleh: 3 is common and even if you won’t use any Eruv some should count (e.g. a gated community).

I have a friend that uses strawberries for Karpas!!!

Has anyone heard of the segula/minhag for putting havdala wine in your pockets for a segula for parnassa?!!

theres also a chassidishe “minhag” that I heard of that there is to be no shtick in the first dance at a wedding!! Cause it’s suposed to be “family dancing time”. this first dance also has to be a slow emotional one with rebbish music!!! How obserd is that??!!

Aonther one..;-some chassidishe blokes don’t cut thier peyos they either burn them/ tie them up!when it gets “a little” long..

to eat cholent on motzie shabbos!!! fech!!!

some have a minhag to put salt in a babies bath!! not so bad as the previous one, but I just wonder where and how these extra halachos came about..

saying shema by a mezuza..

everyone contributing to a 3 year old boys hair cut..

Abelleh: (2) most Chasidim, and many others are makpid to wait a full 7 days from the moilad before saying Kiddush Levonoh

(3)Minhag HaGro (i think) not to rely on pas kisnin for kiddush bemokoim seuda, only pas gomur.

Regarding upsherin Rabbi Bimyomin Shlomo Hamburger has an extensive piece about it in one of his seforim on Minhagei Ashkenaz – I dont remember which volume offhand.

And since we are talking about strange (!) minhagim how about not saying Ledovid Hashem Ori at all; not saying Mizmor Shir Chanukas Habayis; sitting down for Mizmor lesoidah (I think the Be’er Heirev mentions this one); sitting for Hallel Hagadol on Shabbos and Yomtov.

I heard that some Chassidim (Bobeve, for example)don’t say “L’dovid Hashem Ori” beginning from Elul. I also heard that the reason for not saying “L’dovid Hashem Ori” is because there was a suspicion that this Minhag was introduced by the SHAT”Z (Shabsi Tzvi), as it is not mentioned in earlier literature, and is mentioned in “Seforim” of followers of the SHAT”Z.

Could someone shed some light on this?

Abelleh: You do have an interesting collection of minhagim.

1)Why? (Not doubting you, just curious)

2-3) I do those too. To be meikel seems like a bit of a “drei.”

4) R’ Chaim didn’t fast, but AFAIK his own sons did.

5) That is most definitely not the minhag of any bnei ashkenaz. If these are all family minhagim as opposed to personal you have pretty interesting yichus.

6) See 1

7) What?! You do that too?! 😛

8) Chabad has a variation of that. The men don’t use any eruvin, including ones they admit are kosher, but allow their wives and kids to use the kosher ones.

“how about washing before kiddish both fri night and shabbos day

waiting after eatomg fleishig to milchig either 1hr or 3 hrs”

This is Yekkish and my family proudly follows these customs (three hours, not one which is Dutch).

Has anyone heard of the segula/minhag for putting havdala wine in your pockets for a segula for parnassa?!!

While I think it is an American minhag that started as a semi-joke, many Lubavitchers do it. I don’t touch the wine at all – it gets all over everything and it is just a segula for running up dry cleaning bills.

putting havdolah wine in the pockets – all chassidim do it also on ur eye lids

also some take the wine a sprinkle it by the door 3x

The Hebrew edition of Hamodia lists different customs and their source, as well as Yahrzeit of others (besides known gedolim) and where they are buried, especially in Eretz Yisroel.

i know plenty of sephardim including myself who put the havdalah wine in pockets. I always thought it was a sephardic minhag.

OK. so i have some to add (taken from a bunch of diff. People and places, not all to i know a mekor to). Around the Year: Rosh Hashana – My French grandparents eat bananas, because “bon-a-nei” means good year in french. Kedem grapjuice “chadesh yameinu kekedem. square pasta in soup called pletzlech = our enemies should “tziplatst verin” (burst). round challos and honey until simchas torah.

succos – some chassidim sit down for a sec. in middle of kiddush by leyshev basuccah to make it literal. eating both meals shmini a. in the succah.

chanukah – girls light candels until they are married – and we’re not lubavitch.

pesach – not to use tap water all pesach, only bottled and put away before pesach. melt down the sugar to see- through liquid. schamaltz.

shavous- eating milky meal both days.

stam stuff – never say yigdal (nusach ari hakadosh), stand up for elokei neshama, no ldovid hshem in elul. say tehillim every day of elul according to spacific pattern. standing for lecha dodi, not saying “tzeischem leshalom” in zmiros (bobov). saying every passuk of havdala 3X (viznitz). eating sweet carrots and liver friday night. eating fish with hands. standing for kiddush at night and sitting by day. no dessert shabbos day. blessing the children friday night. vimpel. putting newborn in a drawr for first 3 mos. (skvere) . boots on shabbos (skvere). not going to the kosel (satmar). not using electricity on shabbos in israel (brisk).