On March 21 brooms will stand unattended in the middle of the floor.

Dot Harrison of Brundidge was not one bit superstitious like her mother was.  However, she had an overactive curiosity and that’s what prompted her to test the belief that during the fall and spring equinox the broom will stand alone.

She took out her kitchen broom and, in no time, the broom was standing in the middle of the floor, unattended. Company came and the broom was still standing.  People walked all around the standing broom. If it got knocked over, Dot stood it back up and it stayed on its own.

Dot once had two brooms standing due to the spring equinox – something about the sun crossing the celestial equinox, something about the sun and moon.

Dot said she read up on it and what she learned was that two times a year – on Sept. 22 and March 21 — the center of the sun crosses the celestial equator and day and night are of equal length and that will make it possible for a broom to stand alone.

Dot said she doesn’t understand how the boom stands. But it does Dot didn’t know how the broom keeps standing or how long it will stand. At one time, she had two brooms standing.

Dot’s mother was superstitious and she got being superstitious from her mom. Her mom would sweep the floor at night, however, she wouldn’t sweep it out the door because that was a bad sign. Dot kept a close eye on the standing broom on the outside chance it might decide to sweep out the door.

(In memory of Dot Harrison, a friend and neighbor.)