Do You Believe in the Tooth Fairy?
When you were a child and lost a tooth, it is typical custom to put it under your pillow, so the Tooth Fairy can come into your room while you sleep to collect the tooth and leave a surprise. It is one of the favorite coming of age events that every kid looks forward to. Not only is it fun to wiggle a loose tooth until it falls out but losing baby teeth makes you feel like a “big kid”.
Have you ever wondered why we believe in the Tooth Fairy? Better yet, what does your Tooth Fairy look like? There are different versions of both stories and it depends on where you are in the world. Since February 28th is National Tooth Fairy Day, let’s take a look at some of the characters we believe enjoy all of your child’s baby teeth.
Now if we go by Western tradition, we picture the Tooth Fairy as a woman with tiny wings and a sparkly wand. There are others that believe their Tooth Fairy is a pudgy man with a cigar. Even still, there are some that believe it’s an animal. In Spanish, Hispanic, Italian, French and Belgium tradition, they believe some variation of a rat is sneaking under the pillow. In Asian & Middle Eastern cultures, they don’t hide the tooth at all – they throw it up into the air. There’s no way to know for sure, but it’s the magic that makes this rite of passage for your little one so special.