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| PIG TROUGH OLD WASHINGTON, MASON COUNTY, KENTUCKY |
I found this old pig, or sometimes refered to as a hog trough in Old Washington, Kentucky. It was on display with some old log buildings that were built in the town in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
I knew that it was a trough to prepare pigs or hogs for winter food needed on the farm.The trough was part of the process that involved the slaughtering of the hogs or pigs. But I am not going to go into this aspect of the hog trough. I am going to talk about a tradition that somehow evolved from it.
The tradition is a dance that is performed at weddings. Folklore stories about the dance mention that it came from various ethnic and geographic areas --Cajun, Mohawk, Appalachian, and New York. No one place could be pinpointed in my findings. It dates back to at least the early 1800s according to folklore.
It is rather a strange tradition. It involves the older sibling of either the bride or the groom. If the older sibling, of the same gender, of either the bride or groom is not married yet -- they have to dance in the trough at the wedding to bring them good luck.
Now you would think that such a strange tradition would die out as time marched into modern times. But no, it is still being done at weddings. Not all weddings mind you just some for unexplainable reasons. Is it an ethnic, Appalachian, Cajun or New York tradition?
Anyway, here is a video of a recent wedding with the older brother dancing in a pig trough. Look for yourself and realize that old folkways don't always die out. It's a fun dance to watch.
But tell me -- what does a pig trough have to do with good luck for the older sibling?
