White Rabbits = First of the Month

We all know the well-known sayings ‘pinch punch first day of the month’ and ‘white rabbits, white rabbits’ – or do we?

They are said to bring people luck if you say them on the first day of the month before midday, but where did they come from? The theories: It originates from Medieval times when people believed in witches. So says google.com’s “experimental Generative AI”. The tradition of saying “white rabbits” on the first of the month is a superstition that is said to bring good luck for the rest of the month. The tradition is thought to have originated from a 1909 book called Notes and Queries which reported that children would say “rabbits” as the first word they spoke aloud on the first of the month.

Other theories about the tradition include:

Protection from “pinch, punch, first of the month”
The saying may have evolved as a way to protect the speaker from the consequences of the traditional “pinch, punch, first of the month” slogan.

Medieval Britain
In medieval Britain, salt was thought to weaken witches, so the saying may have been intended to weaken evil beings.

RAF bomber aircrews
During World War II, RAF bomber aircrews would say “white rabbits” when they woke up to protect themselves from harm.

The White Rabbit also appears in other contexts, including:
Alice in Wonderland: In Lewis Carroll’s novel, the White Rabbit leads Alice down a strange world that blurs the line between reality and insanity.

The Matrix: In The Matrix, Neo is instructed to “follow the White Rabbit”.

Aladdin and the King of Thieves: In the film, Genie briefly transforms into the White Rabbit.
Traditional Chinese culture: In traditional Chinese culture, rabbits, especially white rabbits, symbolize longevity.