Star light, star bright, First star I see tonight. I wish I may,
I wish I might Have the wish I wish tonight. With its gently
cantering rhythm and alliteration, ‘Star Light, Star Bright’,
commemorates and propagates the ancient tradition of wishing to
the stars. The tradition takes many forms, variously invoking
the power of the first star; nine stars; a shooting star. The
most enduring myth is that shooting stars are caused by the
Roman gods peering over the clouds into the mortal realm, and
they will hear you (and perhaps heed you) when you speak your
wish aloud. Theshootingstar notes the same tradition in other
cultures: Even contemporary culture is abound with superstitions
related to shooting stars. In Chile, for instance, when you spot
a shooting star, you must pick up a stone in the same moment,
while making a wish. (Quick thinking, I must say.) If you’re in
the Philippines, you must tie a knot in your handkerchief
instead. (Too bad if you don’t carry one around.) The tradition
is recalled in The Ladie