Around the weathered old cabin a prophetic wind throbbed like a muted trumpet. It whispered of winter and of snow. It drifted through a crack under the door and eddied about the ankles of the old woman siting before the fire.
Nancy Rathbone, the flickering flames red on her graying hair and her Madonna-like face, stared a moment at the blazing hickory knots in the great stone fireplace.
Her rough old hands, hands that have an affinity for the hoe and the axe, lay in her lap like a cat napping.
“The wind,” she said, as if speaking to the fire, “is gettin’ up. It won’t be long now until the woods is all quilted down and the snow comes driftin’ into the hollow.”
She shifted her tired old bones in the split-bottomed chair. For a moment she cocked her head to one side, like she had heard the whisper of a voice at the door and was waiting for it to speak out again.
“You know,” she said “when the first good snow comes, a snow that’s about shoe-mouth deep, I get out in it and wade about in it barefooted. Been doin’ it since I was big enough to toddle about. And I’m nigh on to 73.”
She paused and grinned, then uttered a little cackle.
‘Reckon you think I’m a mite tetched in the head,” she said. “Well, it could be that I am. But I’ll tell you one thing. And it’s a fact as true as Scripture. I’m one that never has a cold in the winter. Never have had one and don’t expect to get one as long as I’m able to walk. If you contrary what I tell you, just try it when the first good ground-coverin’ snow comes. Get out in it barefooted and walk about for ten minutes or so. You do that and you’ll never have a cold.”
—She Walks Barefooted in the Snow written by John Parris
I had forgotten the old folklore of walking in the snow to prevent colds until someone asked if I scampered about barefooted in our recent snow.
I’ve heard of folks like Nancy walking barefooted in the snow to improve their health. Sort of like people who swim in icy waters for the same reason.
When I was a girl I went barefooted all summer long. The only time we wore shoes was for church and to go to town. But when winter rolled around we wore shoes.
One of my cousins was known to go barefooted even in the winter. After Pap saw him walking in the snow barefooted he renamed him caveman 🙂
I’ve been amazed by the photos of heavy snow in the deep south from the recent storm. We didn’t get any additional snow, but our cold temperatures are still hanging on with the lows being in the single digits and the snow we had is still hanging on in the backyard.
Last night’s video: Katie Helped Me Cook Supper.
Tipper
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I was always told to go barefoot outside in the grass a little on the first day of spring so as not to catch a “cold” during the year. Once, I was bored at home, no school and no one around to play with while there was a big snow on back in the 60s. I kept saying I wanted to run around the house barefooted. Grandpa warned me it was too bad outside, I might get sick, etc. I kept on whining and aggravating him about it so he finally told me, “Go ahead and go!” And I did and felt invigorated! However, I also felt the stinging cold as the deep snow slowed my trip. I NEVER asked to do it again. It did not stop me from at times taking a short wade in the icy spring branch when snow was melting. It was the deepest the spring ever got. I enjoyed it but got out pretty quickly.
My 98 yr old Mom has always told me that they were not allowed to take their Long Johns off or go barefoot until the dogwood trees bloomed. My Mom & her siblings always went barefoot in the Spring, Summer & Fall. My Dad never let me & my siblings go barefoot outside or inside the house. He said if we did that our feet would look as broad as Lil Abners & he would point to Mom’s broad feet. At 73 yrs old I still have slender feet. I still never go barefoot inside or outside & don’t walk around in socks in the house. I put on a pair of slip on Sketchers or Bob’s shoes to walk in the house. Still programmed by Dad plus I am very OCD like my Dad concerning germs. I’m just like Howie Mandel
I got 3” of snow at my house about 25 miles SW of Macon, GA. My garden ponds are still frozen. The larger one lightly, the smaller one hard enough I can’t break it. The snow is beautiful but I’m ready for it to go. I want some warm weather.
Tipper – This reminded me of stories I had long forgotten – of hearing my parents talk about walking in the snow – and pretty much all types of weather – but often it was because they had no other options for foot wear! ‘Tetched in the head’ was also a common phrase I heard growing up.
Kids in Mississippi are having a blast playing in the snow barefoot with their swimsuits on..I told their mom old folklore tale is kids will never have cold..since the mom is a nurse I doubt if she believes me!!!
Tipper I’m sending you a picture! As for me I’m staying grounded with shoes on my feet inside and outside!
That was a great story. I was sunk in at the very beginning. If I had know of this I would have tried it when we had our couple inches last week. I sure don’t want to get sick, I’m sure no one does. Some might think it’s an ole wise tale but you never know. My mom walked so far down our dirt Rd one time when we had a big snow. She didn’t have no shoes on. We she came back her feet were so cold and red. She sat in a chair and put her feet up next to the woodstove to thaw out.
I have heard about going barefoot in the snow, but it’s been many years ago. If it snowed at my house I had to dress like an Eskimo. We didn’t have snow much but if we wanted to go outside and play in it, we had to put on gloves, hats, scarfs, boots. Mama was afraid we’d get frostbite. Maybe walking through a little snow would help kill some of these nasty viruses that are going around. I’ve also heard daddy say “tetched in the head” many times.
Walking in the snow barefooted is about as crazy as jumping in a tub of ice water after an infrared sauna bath or taking a polar plunge in the Ohio River in January. Most people I know who participate in these silly things are UPS employees, young, healthy, and tetched in the head. Mom never let us go barefooted until May 1st. If there had been snow on the ground that day, she would have still let us pull off the shoes. Going barefooted on April 30th or before was guaranteed to cause a bad case of pneumony.
Barefoot ≠ Barefooted
Good morning everyone. I have never and will never walk bare foot in the snow. I am too cold now. I haven’t heard about it either. My mom did swear that when it rains you put your bundled up baby outside, under a roof of course, to take a nap. I suppose it is similar to sleep with a window cracked in winter. I think it is because of the wood stove heat being so dry. My 2 boys did grow up healthy. My windows are so old that they rattle and aren’t air tight. So no need to crack them, they crack on their own. Can’t wait for the 50 and 60 degree temps. Stay warm everyone. Anna from Arkansas.
We got down to 11degrees last night. Woke to a frozen water pipe. Got it thawed, didn’t bust, Thank God!!!
We did get snow night before last, it was beautiful.
Don’t think I’m gonna be walking barefoot in snow. I’ll just have to get a cold.
We weren’t allowed to go barefooted until May Day and had to put shoes back on when Labor Day (school time) rolled around. I was like you, Tipper, no shoes unless I was at church or in town!
Never heard that one about barefoot in the snow. Don’t think I ever did that, though it is a wonder. I did catch Debbie’s word “grounding”. Never heard that idea either, but I like the sound of it. Is it ‘grounding’ to work in the dirt with bare hands? And does it even apply to being outdoors in all weathers year-round, with or without shoes? Got my thoughts going today. Come to think of it, “grounded” is also a word in scripture. I think, Tipper, that however it happens, you are grounded in your mountains .
I liked this story a lot and could almost see and hear granny talking and her bare feet in the snow crunching about giggling like a little child.When I was little, I’d walk barefoot in gravel alleys with hard soles and in the snow every chance I got! I remember mommy hollering “get in here right now! What on earth are you doing barefoot out there? You’ll catch your death of a cold! Are you crazy?” How could I tell her MAYBE YOU WOULD CAUSE YOURE OLD, BUT IM YOUNG AND HEALTHY! I never uttered a word cause she’d have popped my mouth with her hand (and I would come back in after fiddling around as long as I could.) Imagine being in your 70’s raising 3 grandkids nobody wanted. Well she and paw paw did just that and to this day besides my children, they’re the greatest blessings I ever had or ever will!!! I’m just a 57 year old inside an old woman’s head and at least 60 years behind the social norms of these times. I’m a fish outa water in this new Jezebel world!
Haven’t heard of folks walking barefoot in the snow. But I do have a friend that likes to walk barefoot in the grass on a dewy morning. For grounding she says.
We were barefoot all summer and I don’t wear shoes in house. I have wood floors now so I do wear socks but shoes just don’t feel right. I tried wearing house shoes or slippers after my mother in law (a city girl), was appalled that I went barefoot, but I find them confining. I still go out to the mailbox barefoot.
When I first moved to Canada I heard people say something I’d never heard before. My youngest hated wearing shoes and people told me if she didn’t wear socks and shoes in the cold that she’d get cold in her kidneys.
She never did, but they all said it up here.
I remember running barefooted to the toilet in the snow. I thought to write that natures call was too intense to allow me time to put on my shoes, but that would have been a lie. I was just too lazy!
Ed, wouldn’t it have been bad to have to use an outhouse this week on these very cold mornings and have to sit down on that frosty cold seat. I think I would be looking for a slop jar! Slop buckets are different at least in my neck of the woods.
Even if I’d never read that piece by John Parris, “Ida Knowed” it was him by the end of that first sentence. John Parris may not be the most reliable source when it comes to the facts of whatever the subject at hand is, but that old Jackson County boy could flat out pick ’em up and lay ’em down when it came to wordsmithing. He was mountain gold.
I remember my daddy walking barefoot in the snow to fetch the morning newspaper. The house was set back from the road a short piece so it was probably a 2-3 minute round trip walk. I don’t remember him ever saying it was to prevent colds– I saw it as a “feat of strength” manly-man thing to do. My father caught cold once in a great while and was pretty healthy until the day he died at almost- 87 years old so maybe it did serve that purpose.
We got several inches of snow mixed with sleet here along the coast in Beaufort, S. C . It’s so beautiful! I have gone for walks and even made a snow angel but it doesn’t stay together to make a snowman man. Still it’s glorious and our temperature is 24 this morning so not too bad compared to most folks but cold enough to keep the snow around! It hasn’t snowed here at all since 2018 so it’s special!!!
Lauren-so glad you got some snow 🙂
Reading that sent cold shivers up my legs. I have heard of people walking in the snow and being healthy. As with anything, moderation. And I agree that people aren’t exposed to natural air, dirt, dust, etc., as they once were which contributes to people getting sick easier.
Heat wave here today, we go to 36 or maybe even higher. Brrrrrr.
I have never tried walking barefoot in the snow. No way to prove this, but I wonder if nowadays we don’t try to keep our homes too air tight, no fresh air gets in. I remember in my grandparents home you could feed the chickens through the cracks in floor and the old windows would rattle in a strong wind. I also remember Daddy telling about some of the old sharecropper homes they lived in and waking up with a trace of snow on the bed covers. Floors in these old homes were planks and after the wood dried there would be cracks between the planks. I don’t remember my grandparents ever having colds or the crud’s during the winter. I had a neighbor that would go barefoot year round ( inside or outside) when he was at home. I never wear shoes in my home even now during this cold weather we have been having this January. I have never owned a pair of “bedroom slippers” in my life. Two more days and nights of this cold weather before a heat wave next week, 30 degree nights and daytime temperatures in the 50’s, might even be 60 one day. I am going to put my Speedo on and sunbathe on my deck. I caused a disturbance at Myrtle Beach the last time I did this, some of the ones that saw me thought a white whale had washed up on the beach! Hope an airplane don’t fly over, it might crash!
This reminded me of walking barefoot in the snow. I ran into a lady we used to go to church with back last fall. Her memory was of me was walking in the snow when I was 9 months pregnant. I haven’t walked in the snow in years. I still go out when it’s quite cold in the spring for grounding. I love it during the warm months and the ground is cool on your feet in the mornings.
Tipper, our momma used ‘tetched in the head’. It’s on my list of words and phrases our family uses. I love hearing that phrase as it reminds me of Momma.
It is still stinging cold, but we are supposed to warm up. I’m ready as it has been bitter cold.
God bless all