A Newcastle reader told Hone of a custom he called very common and very pleasant. Whoever in a company first caught sight of the new moon kissed one of the others and claimed a pair of new gloves as the forfeit. He listed other new moon customs too, such as looking at the moon through a new silk handkerchief to learn how many lovers you would have. He thought the gloves game did much for good humour, and for courtship.
A pair of gloves for the new moon
Every new moon · Newcastle upon Tyne
Lore and belief
Aha! Jane, (or as the name may be,) there's a pair of gloves for me!
From Hone's Every-Day Book, vol. 1, cols. 1509-1510. Read the original
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