January 13, 2010

Bloody Mary


The former Queen of England was bound to show up at our house sooner or later. I had been hoping for later.

She arrived yesterday afternoon in the middle of a play date.

"MOM!" my daughter yelled from the top of the stairs. "Come up here now!"

Thinking that someone either was hurt or had discovered a large stash of gold coins hidden in the floorboards, I ran from the kitchen to the upstairs bathroom.

"Listen up," my daughter told me upon my arrival. "If you turn off all the lights and say 'Bloody Mary' three times at the same time that you're looking into a mirror...you'll see a bloody face!"

"That's fantastic," I said flatly and glared at my daughter's friend, who has an older sister in fifth grade.

"Do you want to see Bloody Mary?" asked my daughter hopefully.

"No thanks," I replied, but it was too late. I had already been pulled into the bathroom against my will. Someone closed the door fast behind me.

After being properly summoned, Bloody Mary did in fact appear. The cranky queen had a noticeably slimy shoulder (her baby has a runny nose) and was holding a soup ladle dripping with, appropriately enough, spaghetti sauce.

****
I am compelled by nerdiness to point out that the connection between Mary I of England and the super fun "Bloody Mary" bathroom mirror game is rooted in folklore and urban legend, not fact.

****
Has Bloody Mary paid you a visit yet? When? How?

50 comments

The Fat Chick said...

Those games always scared the crap outta me when I was in school. To this day at night if I go to the bathroom or pass a mirror or even a highly reflective glass (such as a large photograph) I close my eyes and turn on all lights asap. I'm a big ol chicken. I hope my girls aren't into those kind of innocent but horrific child games. I'll just die . . . of fear... LOL

The Queen said...

Haha. I remember playing that and Stiff as a Board when I was a kid. Good times. It always scared the crap outta me. :)

Telley said...

I'm with Buzzy's Mama - I LOATHE that game. Thinking about it now is making me avoid the mirrors in my bedroom. And I'm hoping my 6 year-old's friends don't introduce her to the queen anytime soon. My children are easily frightened - I read them some Halloween books that to me seemed harmless and fun and they still whisper and shriek about "the witch under the stairs".

LisaDuvall said...

Is it wrong that for a second I thought it would be funny to teach this to my 7 year old twins - just for the laugh *I'd* get out of it??

Mommymel said...

I'm with Buzzy's Mama and Telley... this game scared me so when I was a child that just thinking of it makes me feel sick. Of course its all Hooey, but it reeks of making light of evil things. Ick.

Mike and Heather said...

Second grade was the magic year in our house. Both of my kids (5 years apart) were introduced to Bloody Mary during that year at school. Sheesh!

becca said...

hahahaha....

Unknown said...

I saw something to that effect on Supernatural one time and I refused to look in the mirror for days!! And it didn't have anything to do with the fact that I needed to visit my beautician!!!

The Four Week Vegan said...

I don't recall my kids ever playing that, but I did as a kid and to be honest sometimes I think about it when I go into a dark bathroom. Yes, I'm pretty sure it messed me up for life.

Amber said...

When I heard about that game in 2nd grade I didn't look in the mirror for a year. How do kids learn about those?

Carrie Stuart said...

How did I miss this as a kid? I've heard several references to it as an adult...in a way that make me think I should have been in on it...but this one passed me by somehow.

Amy M in Indiana said...

Crazy!! I totally missed this when I was a kid (but I did do the "stiff as a board" game) But my 8 year old just started talking about this within the past 2 weeks --what is up with that? It must be traveling the elementary school circuits like wildfire! Ha!

That Kind of Girl said...

Oh man, that game still terrifies me! I'm 23 years old, allegedly a semi-adult, and yet I cannot stand alone in a dark bathroom without being utterly terrified that I'll accidentally think "Bloody Mary" and she'll appear.

kim said...

I have heard of that game too. never played it myself I would have been too terrified.

I have friends that swear that something appeared to them in the mirror.

There is also some game about holding cards up in the mirror and seeing something scary too...not sure of all the details.

Sara.L.Carter said...

I agree with Too Many Hats, scared me as a kid and I still get creeped out in dark bathrooms!

Working Mommy said...

Alas...I must admit that I remember running into the bathroom as a kid and trying to get Bloody Mary to appear...but to no avail!

~WM

Mama Skates said...

ugh. bloody mary had my girls up for 3 nights! well, the older girls at their after-school daycare were actually the culprits...i knew it was coming, just didn't realize so soon! (my girls are in Kindergarten & 1st grade)

Robin said...

Oh my goodness....when I first started reading this, I thought you were going to tell us your daughter started her period (waaaay too early for that though)....shows you what being a GYN nurse does to your train of thought...lol!

I think I remember something like that when I was a kid, but I was always such a fraidy-cat, they couldn't ever even get me in the bathroom! LOL

Becki Varney said...

I'm actually reading this in a dark bathroom, facing the mirror (had to escape my kid for a few minutes and the only way is to hide in the bathroom with the lights off) and I turned to this post. How funny. I admit I never actually tried that game because it would freak me out but I think about it sometimes when I go into a dark bathroom (like when I came in this morning). Even though I should be way too old to be bothered about it.

Anonymous said...

My kids have heard of it but have never done it. Chickens. LOL. That game scared the crap out of me as a kid. I'm with several others here, I'm 34 and I am terrified of being in the dark anywhere near a mirror. I recall the kids I had been around took it a step further. They claimed if you had a second mirror or anything remotely reflective in the room, she would come OUT of the mirror and get you. My mom never understood why I put duct tape on my door knobs, LMAO.

Cit

Jenn & Jake said...

Oh my goodness, it is so wonderful to know I'm not the only chicken and not the only who has a mental freak out in dark bathrooms! Hahaha, I'm just glad I read today's post this early in the morning. All the games and things along those lines were/are too much for me.

Crystal said...

Ha ha...I guess I have always liked being scared. We tried all that stuff. We also lived down the street from a graveyard and tried all kinds of stuff there too (even Beetlejuice) LOL. I guess I was kind of a twisted kid. Ha ha

Heidi said...

Awwwwe. Brings back such fond memories of my childhood.

Emmy said...

I remember doing that when I was little. Never saw her, but it made me never want to look in a mirror in those middle of the night bathroom trips.

mykideatsdirt said...

My cousin and I would play this game and she'd always freak me out! One time I got so scared I had to leave the room, but stayed outside to make sure she was ok. She knew this and started rattling the door and screaming! Scarred me for life! Not only am I still afraid to walk past a mirror in the dark, it's also any other reflective surface, thanks to the movies "The Ring" and "Candyman". I watched those as an adult and they still scared the crap out of me! Oh, and don't even bring up Freddy Kroegar (sp?)!!!

mintifresh said...

SHe just showed up here, too! I was hoping for a little later but there you go! There must be an epidemic going on! Is there a vaccine for that??

Chelsea said...

The kids at my day camp did this one summer. They got really into it, and one of the older girls dressed up and would come out of the bathroom stall at the appropriate time.
One little girl was entirely freaked out, and I remember telling her mom about it at the end of the day. The mom smiled and brushed me off. But she wasn't as cheery the next morning when her daughter hadn't been able to sleep by herself that night.

Christine said...

I forgot about her!! Ha ha!! She hasn't visited my house but I was always secretly afraid of her every time I went to the bathroom in elementary school!

Kristen and Co. said...

No way! That's still going around? Remarkable! I'll own up to hearing that in the 2nd grade girl's bathroom. 1979! Any earlier dates? Anyone?

Unknown said...

my dear nieces have imparted that wisdom on my 4 year old. I was less than grateful, my daughter has night terrors every other night and I knew this would NOT help!

Kristina said...

I still have nightmares of bloody mary. I loath the day that my children come home and try that in my house, I will get a priest to come bless my home. I'm one of those that has to close all closet doors before I sleep (because of the monsters), and I just know there is something under my bed. Yes I am 26, but I'm scared to death of things that go bump in the night.

Malea said...

Ah, yes. It was at my neighbors home, while I was there chatting with her. Our kids were playing with a little girl that was visiting the neighbor. Both my neighbor's son and my son came running in where we were and told us about the phenomenon. I was really happy that it happened at that moment with both moms who have a similar belief system. We explained where the game came from, what type of energy is really being invited in, and said a little prayer of gratitude, that the boys were sufficiently convinced that those games were never a good idea.

Pam said...

Oh, this game caused me such agony. Only we said, "I don't believe in witches" three times. I couldn't walk into a dark bathroom for years, it scared me so badly. We also played "Light as a Feather".

Liz Beer said...

The only bloody mary that has shown up at my house in the last 10 years has been on my breakfast table. I find I like her much better than I did as a child, spinning around on the tire swing and chanting her name.

LemonyRenee' said...

I forgot all about that! I was always too scared to do it.

Candi said...

Wow! I remember being at a sleepover in 1st grade and the older sister told us about this game. I was told that if you have two mirrors in the room she would come out and give you a paper cut on your thumb. I scared me to my core. Like the many others that have commented, I am STILL afraid of dark bathrooms and I will NOT look into a mirror in a dark room (I am 38!).

My oldest, now 9, was told about this game about two years ago (2nd grade) and it made me physically sick. He thought I was just pretending to be so scared of it, but when he turned off the bathroom lights on me and I started freaking out and crying, he finally believed me that I was terrified of the game. He passed along the game to his little sister, but they both know not to even mention the name around me.

Anonymous said...

I remember being at a slumber party in 3rd grade playing that and stiff as a board. I was so terrified of bloody mary!!

Margaret said...

No she hasn't and I am just fine with that.

Lisa G said...

Omg-- my 7 yr old daughter started talking about this around the Holiday's. I had no idea what she was talking about -she asked me if I knew who "bloddy Mary" was and I of course, told her it was a mixed drink-duh! She has yet to sleep in her bed by herself since and is now back into counseling--not something to take lightly!

qandlequeen said...

bloody mary shows up in my bathroom all the damn time, but I doubt that's what you're talking about. Sure as hell isn't a fun game in my book!

Anonymous said...

Some dim witted PRESCHOOL TEACHER played with her 5 year old charges (mine included). Heard about it at bath time, in front of the alarmist 3 year old sister.

Perfect.

Teacher Lady Ma'am said...

My second graders were talking about this YESTERDAY!

Angie said...

Wow, I haven't thought of Bloody Mary in years! It was a big hit when I was in junior high but I'm a complete ninny so it always terrified me.

Anonymous said...

I didn't learn Bloody Mary as a child, but it seems like it comes up with every child or youth group I work with. They'll all disappear from the craft activity or whatever, and I'll find them in the bathroom making the new kid cry with a demo of Bloody Mary.

Christina said...

We did not have this version when I grew up, but rather the "Candyman" version--spin 3 times and the Candyman will appear. It terrified me for awhile. Thanks for reminding me why I'm glad we're having a boy!

Seth and Natalie said...

I tried it at my friend's house when we were in 4th grade. Sadly, nothing happened, although we both pretended we saw a face. I didn't ever tell my mom, though, because I thought I'd get in trouble for worshipping satan or something.

sarahandmatt said...

My daughter hasn't gone to bed before 11pm for two weeks now--she's too scared from that stupid story! I hate those 5th grade older sisters!

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