In other traditions[edit]
There is another folk tradition that may use a variation of "Rabbit", "Bunny", "I hate/love Grey Rabbits" or "White Rabbit" to ward off smoke that the wind is directing into your face when gathered around a campfire.[16] It is thought that this tradition may be related to the practice of invoking the rabbit on the first of the month. Others conjecture that it may originate with a North American First Nation story about smoke resembling rabbit fur. This tradition may be more of a social tradition in a group setting than a genuine belief that specific words will change the wind direction and may be more of a childhood tradition than an adult one. Children have sometimes adapted from Rabbit to "Pink Elephant" or other comical derivatives.[17] Because of this more mutable usage, the historical record is even more scarce than other more static meanings.
As with most folklore, which is traditionally spread by word of mouth, there are numerous variants of the superstition, sometimes specific to a certain time period or region.