Red Wrist Bands/threads

[bobg]

(I'm surprised that this hasn't been discussed before but my search turned up nada.)

What's the significance of the red wrist bands? (Actually the ones I've seen are more threads than bands.) I was given this written explanation but I do not understand it: "Es paras contra la envidia." (I'm not sure if that second word is paras or parar.) I understand the individual words and my translation agrees with Google Translate's - but still I do not understand.

Thanks, Bob

 

[Crema Americana]

It's a superstitious thing... to ward off envy.

Before, it was customary to put a red string or an amulet on a baby to prevent the evil eye. It's supposed to attract attention to the string instead of allowing a person to give the evil eye (which can be given even without wanting to.)

Some Argentines are still pretty superstitious. And others I think wear the string more out of ego...

http://en.wikipedia....ring_(Kabbalah)
That article links it to Judaism... the tradition is very old. Even the word 'cabala' is used in Spanish as a "ritual for luck" (wearing a lucky shirt, or doing something at a certain time, a certain way, are cabalas.)

 

[Girino]

Red is for the Gauchito Gil.

 

[Montauk_Project]

It is big in the jewish community but has spread to many parts of Argentine society, and I`ve also seen in the US. Serafina is right, Gauchito Gil`s color is red and some people use the same tradition to honor him,

 

[EricLovesBA]

Ok cool, red is for envy. What color would I wear to ward off my wife's jealousy?

 

[thorsten]

A rainbow colored one might work

 

[Crema Americana]

El Gauchito Gil is associated with thieves and an Argentine thing.


The whole amulet/evil eye thing is ancient.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil_eye#Spain_and_Latin_America

It's also customary that when you buy a new car, you put a red string in the back to protect against jealousy.

 

[mmoon]

I am amazed how many adults I know in Argentina who wear one. Ratty red thread next to the nice watch.
Sometimes you also see the red strings hanging off of cars but I swear they are always the junkiest ones!

 

[Silvie]

I remember having read that Madonna used to wear a red bracelet when she was into kabbalah.

 

[Napoleon]

I remember having read that Madonna used to wear a red bracelet when she was into kabbalah.

I don't think that this is "past tense".

I have an amiga in LA who is very into Kabbalah. (She posted photos from the Purim party she attended Wednesday night... and she's a Midwestern W.A.S.P.) And she totally wears the red bracelet thing.

I went to a wedding in Brazil 11 years ago and I think that most of the people tied a red bracelet to their wrist (I missed the whole thing and didn't find out about this until brunch the day after the wedding) and were supposed to wear them until the knock came undone. Then again, the bride was Jewish and her parents were from "The Old Country"... so maybe it was not so much of a Brazilian thing as it was the bride's family's tradition.

Qué sé yo?