There is always a little bit of magic when it comes to youths losing teeth. Whether that magic is measured in money or myth heavily depends on the cultures and customs that surround any given child and the loss of their baby teeth. In the United States and other primarily English-speaking countries, the automatic expectation for kids with a freshly fallen baby tooth is a visit from no one other than the Tooth Fairy.
With a first recorded reference dating back to a 1908 Chicago Daily Tribune column advising how “many a refractory child will allow a loose tooth to be removed if he knows about the tooth fairy,” and the according exchanges that follow for lost teeth, the imaginative tale laid the groundwork for the dental-dealing fairy for more than a century to come.
The magic went mainstream in 1927 when Esther Watkin Arnold’s play “The Tooth Fairy” replaced anxiety with excitement for a generation of kids whose lost teeth now became the symbol for an incentivized visit from the mythical creature. After placing it under their pillow and falling asleep, traditional trades were made with small gifts or sums of money for the tooth in question.
Parents have taken the tradition to conveniently encourage healthier teeth habits, issuing more cash or rewards for strong dental hygiene. Today, Delta Dental’s Tooth Fairy Index appraises the cost of a child’s tooth in North America at $4.03, although it varies by region.
The majority of what makes up modern Tooth Fairy routine can be traced back to 17th century France and a certain fairy-turned-mouse. The tradition first rose to prominence when children’s lost teeth began being placed in their slipper or shoe before going to sleep and waking up with a coin or gift from la petite souris (the little mouse) in its place – a tradition that still stands today.
The origin of the mythical mouse is most likely derived from a story of the same name that details a fairy turning herself into a mouse to defeat an evil queen, introducing the elements of magic that would permeate the tradition down the road.
In largely Hispanic-speaking countries like Spain, Mexico, Peru and Chile, children place their teeth under their pillow for the overnight visiting of El Ratoncito Pérez, or Ratón Pérez, a mouse who takes the tooth and leaves a gift behind in gratitude.
In Argentina, a variation of the tradition has children putting their teeth in a cup of water for El Ratoncito to drink in exchange for gifts. The small-statured and often-parched mouse was inspired by someone of equal form – then 8-year-old Spanish king Alfonso VIII.
After the boy king grew upset because of a lost tooth, Queen Maria Cristina commissioned author Luis Coloma to write a tale to help replace some of that frustration with imagination for the young ruler. The legacy of El Ratoncito endures today in both enduring tradition and a full-fledged museum in Madrid.
Middle Eastern traditions about baby teeth stretch back as far as the 13th century when Islamic writer and scholar Ibn Abi el-Hadid reinforced the idea of tossing lost teeth into the sky and praying in exchange for stronger teeth to take their place. This practice also proved popular in Greece, Turkey and Mexico.
A variation of this tradition is found across Asia, where lost teeth from the upper jaw are thrown on the roof and teeth from the lower jaw are tossed on the ground to encourage the new teeth to grow in the same direction as the old.
Japan, India, China, Korea and Vietnam all exercise this specific tradition. In the Philippines, however, children get to make a wish and then hide their newly lost tooth. If the children can find the original tooth a year after its original hiding, they get to make a second wish.
In Turkey, lost teeth serve as forecasters for children’s future professions. Baby teeth are typically buried nearby a place where the child or their parents envision them working in the future.
While not necessarily a custom that is continued as endearingly today, Scandinavian Vikings often committed a deal of their signature plundering wearing necklaces composed of their children’s lost teeth for protective purposes toward the end of their noted history.
Be sure to check out the Further Review on Page 2 for more about the Tooth Fairy, whose national day is Saturday.
FAQs
But the closest parallel to the American Tooth Fairy may be an 18th century French fairy tale called La Bonne Petite Souris. In the story, a good queen is imprisoned by a bad king and enlists a mouse for help out of her predicament. The mouse turns out to be a fairy who frees the queen and knocks out the king's teeth.
Why is the tooth fairy a mouse in France? ›
The 17th-century French fairy tale "La Bonne Petite Souris" (the good little mouse) is thought to have been the inspiration for at least part of the tooth fairy myth. The violent story centers around a queen who avenges her husband's death by targeting the evil king of a rival kingdom.
Where did the tradition of the tooth fairy come from? ›
The first resemblances of the Tooth Fairy date back to the 17th century in Europe. During that time, parents believed that burying their child's baby tooth under a tree would prompt the growth of their adult tooth.
What is the French version of the tooth fairy? ›
There is no tooth fairy in France. Instead, it is a small mouse (la petite souris) that sneaks into children's bedrooms when they lose their baby teeth. Eck! A small mouse is believed to quietly enter your house while you sleep, rolling a coin (or perhaps carries a bill for extra lucky children) as she goes.
Where does the tooth mouse originate from? ›
Although he first appeared in oral tradition folktales such as The Vain Little Mouse, it was Luis Coloma who in 1894 turned him into a tooth dealer in a tale written for an eight-year-old King Alfonso XIII. The tradition is almost universal in Spanish cultures, with some slight differences.
Is the tooth fairy a mouse? ›
You probably know the tooth fairy as a mythical fairy who brings children money in exchange for their lost baby tooth that she collects from under their pillow. However, you probably didn't know that the tooth fairy is a mouse in Latin American and Spanish culture!
What fairytale has a mouse in it? ›
The Little Good Mouse is a French literary fairy tale written by Madame d'Aulnoy. Andrew Lang included it in The Red Fairy Book.
What is the dark history of the tooth fairy? ›
During the Middle Ages, the importance of ejected baby teeth was darker than the legends of today. Common belief held that witches could use items that people held close, such as clothes, hair, finger/toe nails, and teeth, to create potions and place curses.
Does the tooth fairy have pagan origins? ›
The Early Origins of the Tooth Fairy
But while the origins of the first two can clearly be traced back to a combination of Christian and pagan traditions, with some recent tweaks from the marketing departments at Coca-Cola and Cadbury, respectively — far less is known about the third.
What are the foreign tooth fairy traditions? ›
In many countries around the world, children still believe in the Tooth Mouse. Spain, Guatemala, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Mexico put lost teeth under pillows, expecting money or gifts left by “El Ratoncito Perez” or several variations that translate to “mouse who collects teeth.”
But in Spain, there is no fairy or a magic castle, instead, it's a little mouse called Ratoncito Pérez who comes to collect it instead. Similarly, the mouse will leave a reward for the tooth such as a few coins, some sweets or small gifts.
What is the European version of the tooth fairy? ›
France and French-speaking countries have a fairy known as Le Petite Souris. In Germany, the Tooth Fairy is a mouse named Zahnfee, often depicted as a tiny, white mouse with a blue dress. In Italy, the Tooth Fairy is Fatina dei denti, a small, blonde fairy with a pink dress.
What are French fairies called? ›
Dames Blanches, type of female spirit. European dragon. Fae - aka Fae, Fée, the origin of the word Fairy.
When did tooth fairy originate? ›
It's possible that the tooth fairy tradition traces its roots back nearly a millennium to the 10th century Norse peoples of Europe. In the “Eddas,” the earliest recorded writings of Norse and Northern European traditions, a tradition called the “tand-fe” (translated to the “tooth fee”) is noted.
What is the tooth mouse tradition? ›
1. A Visit from the Tooth Mouse. France, Spain, and a number of Latin American countries have a story not all that different from the tooth fairy. Often referred to as El Ratoncito Pérez, La Petite Souris, or other variations, this tradition tells of children being visited, not by a fairy, but by a little mouse.
Do French kids believe in the tooth fairy? ›
France. There seems to be a theme with mice, teeth, and leaving gifts. France, like many of the Spanish-speaking countries, has their very own mouse: “La Bonne Petite Souris.” With the tooth tucked away with Petite Souris, he leaves behind a token of his appreciation in candy or cash.
What is the Little Mouse in France? ›
Many interpretations of the Little Mouse or La Petite Souris have appeared in French popular culture. The mouse is often used to make children less frightened, particularly regarding concerns they may have about losing their baby teeth.
What do France Spain and Russia have instead of the tooth fairy? ›
This led to the tradition of idolizing not a fairy, but a mouse. In Spain, the tooth-mouse is called, Ratóncito Pérez, and in France referred to as, La Petite Souris.
