The tooth fairy that you and I know today didn’t really come around until the early 1900’s and was just lumped into a generalization of the “good fairy”.
In Spanish and Hispanic American culture they have “The Raton Perez” who is similar to the tooth fairy originated in Madrid in 1894. When a child loses a tooth it is customary for him or her to place it under the pillow in exchange for a gift from “The Raton Perez.”
The Vikings used to pay their children for the use of their teeth – or paid a “fee.” The children’s teeth were used in creating jewelry, due to their belief that the power of the teeth would help them during battle.
There is also a story that teeth were buried to hide them from witches and evil spirits who would use the “power of the lost tooth” to place a curse. They technically were “planting” the teeth to assist in the growth of a new adult tooth.
The Egyptians would throw the teeth they lost at the sun because they believed that the sun made teeth strong.
In Asian countries, depending on which tooth is lost, they throw the tooth onto the roof or place it beneath the floor. This tradition is in line with how mice teeth grow for the life of the mouse.
In 2011 a study found that the average child received $2.60 per tooth – how much does the tooth fairy leave at your house?
