THE TOOTH FAIRY GOES INTERNATIONAL
Toothy Traditions Around the World
EL RATÓN DE LOS DIENTES One of the most beloved myths in many Spanish- speaking countries involves a magical mouse. This mouse goes by Ratón Perez or El Ratón de Los Dientes, and he is exactly what his name suggests: a mouse who collects teeth. Like the tooth fairy, Perez gets the teeth only after they’ve been lost and put under
Every night, children in houses all over the U.S. crawl into their beds with anticipation, their recently lost baby teeth stashed carefully under their pillows. Why? They await the arrival of the tooth fairy, of course! Nearly everyone has at least one memory of falling asleep with a tooth under their pillow and waking up a dollar or two richer. While the tooth fairy we know and love didn’t flutter her way into the American social consciousness until the 1920s, other countries around the world have their own tooth-centric traditions dating back several centuries.
children’s pillows. In Argentina, a lost tooth is placed in a glass of water before bed. When Perez shows up, he’ll drink up the water, grab the tooth, and leave his gift in the empty glass.
MY DOG ATE MY … TOOTH? Rather than sliding the tooth under your pillow, throughout Central Asia, it’s
TOSS THOSE TEETH In countries like China, India, and Japan, kids will toss their teeth rather than hide them under their pillows. Teeth lost from the lower jaw are usually thrown up onto a roof, while teeth from the upper jaw are tossed onto the floor or ground. The logic behind this practice is that the strategic placement of the old tooth will help the new tooth grow in strong.
traditional to put the tooth into a delicious fatty snack and feed it to a dog. Children take part in this tradition to ensure that their adult teeth grow in to be as strong as the dog’s teeth. No dog? No problem! The next best practice is to bury the tooth by a tree so that the new tooth has strong roots.
Have a Laugh!
Holiday Roast Prime Rib
Inspired by Food Network
Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 bone-in prime rib (6–7 pounds) • 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 cups red wine • 4 cups beef stock
Directions
5. To make au jus, place roasting pan with drippings from roast over 2 burners on high. Add wine and scrape pan as liquid reduces. Add beef stock and cook until reduced by half. Finally, sprinkle in thyme. 6. Slice roast and serve topped with au jus.
1. 30 minutes before cooking, remove roast from fridge and let sit until it reaches room temperature.
2. Heat oven to 350 F.
3. Make small slits in prime rib and stuff with slices of garlic. Liberally season with salt and pepper. 4. Place a rack inside a roasting pan and roast prime rib for 2 hours, until medium-rare.
(336) 342-0889 • 3
Providing quality dental care for you and your family
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog