The Blonde in the Bathroom
In Brazilian schools, children dare each other to summon a pale blonde woman in the toilets. Flush three times, kick the door, and say the words.
What was reported
The Loira do Banheiro, the Blonde in the Bathroom, is one of Brazil's best-known school legends. She's a pale woman with long blonde hair and cotton in her nose, who is said to appear in school toilets when called. To summon her, children flush the toilet a set number of times, kick the door or say rude words in front of the mirror.
One version links her to a young noblewoman from 19th-century Guaratinguetá, in São Paulo state, whose family's grand old house later became a school.
Explanations offered
The legend is told in schools across Brazil, and folklorists see it as a test of courage, much like Bloody Mary in English-speaking countries or Hanako-san in Japan. School toilets, often away from teachers and slightly spooky, are a favourite setting for such stories around the world.
- When
- Told in schools since the 1970s
- Where
- Guaratinguetá, São Paulo, Brazil
- Witnesses
- Generations of Brazilian schoolchildren
- Status
- Urban legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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