Monthly Archives: January 2011

Material Culture – Hispanic

“My dad is of Hispanic background and it was traditional at all birthday parties when he was growing up to have a piñata. It was the highlight of the birthday party for him and his seven brothers and sisters. Although my mom knew nothing about piñatas as her parents were British and American it still become a real family tradition and was carried on to myself and my sister. Since I have had my own three children and many grandchildren it has continued to be a must at every event. Not only do we have a piñata at every birthday celebration but we now have it at almost all family celebrations. At Christmas time we always get a piñata of a tree or a Santa and most recently at a pre wedding dinner for my daughter located in Rosarito beach we had one of a bride and groom. The local children in Rosarito beach heard the fun and commotion that was going on and waited for it to be broken so they could get some of the candy. I always make sure that a small gift is put amongst the candy so that the person who finally gets it can enjoy the excitement of getting the gift. Having a piñata at every get together has become the highlight of every event. Even selecting the right piñata generates excitement and enjoyment”. (Jane Munce)

Although having a piñata at every event has become a unique family tradition for the Munce family, piñatas originated many years ago by the Aztecs. They celebrated the god Huitzilopochtli’s birthday by bringing a clay pot to his temple. The pot was heavily decorated with colorful adornments and inside it was filled with little treasures. To break the pot it was hit with a stock and the treasures that spilled out where a tribute to the god. Many cultures strike the piñata with their eyes covered with a blindfold. This is meant to be a representation of one’s willpower and “blind faith” in overcoming the temptations that are thrown at one. (Menzies).

The piñata embodies so much more then just hitting an object and making items fall from it. It encompasses the ideas of the unexpected and the unknown. Blindfolding forces one to undertake a degree of trust in the people that are surrounding him or her. A person is unaware of what the people are doing around him/her as he cannot see but still participates in the event and take a chance at hitting an object uncertain of its position. Additionally one has been spun around many times in order to make one dizzy and this makes hitting the piñata even more difficult than it initially was.

This concept frequently takes place in life itself. Often the situation or circumstance is unclear and one has to use faith that whatever the experience or outcome holds there were will be some positive element that will emanate from it.

Annotation:

For more information on this see (particularly the entire chapter on the Aztecs):

Menzies, Gavin. 1421 the Year China Discovered the World. London: Bantam P, 2007.

Family Tradition

Estela Flores had a family tradition where a handkerchief was passed down as a good luck symbol for the women of her family to carry when they walked down the aisle. It was a handkerchief that her great great grandmother embroidered and it was white and lacey and had embellishments in the corner. Since there were several daughters in the family it was passed back to the mother to keep for the next wedding. It served as a security blanket for her family.

When Estela’s own wedding approached she was given the handkerchief. She carried it down the aisle with her but was not able to recall how she managed to lose it between the church and the reception. She felt an immense amount of guilt at the time but as she reflected back on the situation, she realized the loss of the handkerchief was mostly likely a bad omen, as her marriage ended thereafter.

As a result her younger sister who married after her never got to carry the special handkerchief but her mom found something similar that she had from her youth and so the tradition has carried on although not with the original item. The family wanted to ensure that this family tradition carries throughout the generations are so were willing to sacrifice the real handkerchief in order to keep the ritual alive.

This tradition is specific to the Flores family but in many circumstances people possess items that they believe to be lucky or unlucky. Some people have certain “good luck” items they have with them before important exams or others have specific game day preparations that need to occur in order for them to succeed.

I don’t know that one specific item can cause good or bad luck but I do think it affects the way one views a situation. If one had the initial outset that an object will affect their performance than it is more likely they will actually perform better. It is not the object that causes the change in performance but rather one’s mental preparation.

Weddings have a lot of superstition involved with them. There is the standard, “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue” concept associated with weddings, where the bride is “required” to collect all these items before the marriage ceremony.

Committing to marriage is a large step in all people’s lives and in many cases there is insecurity as to whether one is making the right choice. As a result, people rely on superstitions to ease this uncertainty. By making sure to bring along good luck charms or doing little rituals to rid any bad luck people feel more comfortable with their weddings. For example it is rumored to be bad luck for the bride to see her groom right before the ceremony. This seems ridiculous as this one meeting does not seem to correlate with luck in the future and whether the couple will succeed. Yet people are certain to keep the bride and groom separate in order to increase chances of a good future.

Some people believe that the future is predetermined and that man does not have the freewill to affect his future. However, others do believe that through certain practices or customs they can bring prosperity and good fortune.

Saying – South Africa

’N boer maak ‘n plan”

A boor mark a plun

A farmer makes a plan

This is a common saying in South Africa amongst the Afrikaans speaking population. A Boer is a term used to describe a farmer in Afrikaans. It was utilized in the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries in reference to white South African colonists of French Huguenot, German, and Dutch origins. (South Africa).

The saying written above is used to encourage a person who encounters a problem to find a solution. What it is saying in essence is that a solution is always available if one goes about it in the right manner. The literal context uses a farmer as indicative of someone’s whose livelihood frequently encounters problems. Thus, urgent solutions are often required to salvage crisis situations. Hence the saying that a solution is always available if a problem should emerge. It is well known and frequently used by anyone that knows the Afrikaans language.

Derek’s parents used to often say it to him when he was frustrated that he could not solve something. An example of this was when he was not sure how he could manage balancing his homework, sports practices, and spending time with friends so his parents announced the saying, to tell him to make a plan. Even though the language of this saying is Afrikaans it was very commonly used in English speaking households. This was because many South Africans knew Afrikaans as it was an official language of the country until apartheid ended.

I liked this saying and will often use it with my family members as I find it to be useful in many regards. Yet I have to monitor the company with which I use it as most Americans will not know Afrikaans. Although I know very few words in Afrikaans I will still recite this often and the saying seems to hold a greater significance to me if said in Afrikaans. Additionally somehow the Afrikaans saying sounds endearing while simply saying it English seems a little more harsh.

Many varying occurrences have taken place that my mother has used this saying with me. A recent example was when I was helping her put all the food for dinner back in the refrigerator. There were many large containers and there did not seem to be a way to get them all in. I told my mother the dilemma and she replied “’N boer maak ‘n plan”. So after that comment and I took at all the containers, formed a strategy to fit everything, and low and behold they all managed to fit. The saying in not offering any advice that is out of the ordinary but instead challenging someone to rethink the situation as in more cases than not, a solution is existent. One just needs to rearrange the issue in order to find a resolution.

It makes sense that a farmer was the profession chosen to “make a plan”. Regardless of the obstacles that are thrown their way, farmers have to make sure that their crops grow. Even with obstacles such as terrible weather conditions or substandard land/soil, they have to make sure that they can harvest crops to create a livelihood and to provide food. They have to take the circumstances bestowed upon them, even if they are not satisfied with them, and manage to succeed in the task that they initially set out to complete.

I believe that this quote is very significant as holds a lot of meaning, even to people who are not fluent in Afrikaans. The idea of taking what one is given and making a plan to deal with the situation is relevant to all. We are not all given the exact circumstances or conditions that we desire and often certain events cannot be changed. As a result one needs to learn to find a method to improve upon the situation. Regardless of one’s culture, geographic location, or language spoken, every person can understand this concept.

“South Africa.” The World Factbook (2008). Central Intelligence Agency. 27 Apr. 2008 <http://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html>.

Annotation:

For more information on this see:

Martin, Meredith. Diamonds, Gold, and War : the British, the Boers, and the Making of South Africa. New York: PublicAffairs, 2007.

Legend

“In 1920, one of the personal habits and customs of most Americans suddenly came to a halt. The Eighteenth Amendment was put into effect, which effectively put the end to the importing, exporting, transporting, selling, and manufacturing of liquor and alcohol. This was the dawning of bootlegging, which rapidly swept across America in the early 20th century.

Paddy Murphy, according to SAE legend, was a bootlegger who was doing deals with Al Capone. During one of the arrangements, Elliot Ness and his company of crime fighters stormed in on the affair to apprehend Murphy. However, when Ness signaled for Murphy to surrender, he instead reached for a gun, and Ness shot him down.
As Murphy fell to the ground, dying of a wound inflicted by Ness, he gave Ness the secret handshake that only the brothers of SAE know. Ness, an SAE himself, realized that he had killed a brother of his fraternity. Ness ordered that Paddy Murphy have an honorary burial, in recognition of his fallen brother.” (Adam Block).
I was told this story on two different occasions from two Sigma Alpha Epsilon members. However they are from different universities and as a result there was discrepancies in there versions. Both informants were uncertain of the exact details of their stories, but there were still distinct differences in their versions. Although the story began about one man, over time as the story has been retold it has been slightly altered and a result the same story takes on many varying versions.

They both believed to some extent that they story had a basis of validity but had been exaggerated over time.

The story sounds logical in some regards to me as historical facts are incorporated in the story. The beginning of the story sounds reasonable yet the ending where the man does the Sigma Alpha Epsilon secret handshake sounds a little but suspicious. It did not seem clear how Paddy Murphy knew that Ness was a member of his fraternity in order to give the secret handshake.

The story does show the ideals that a fraternity tries to represent. Although

Paddy Murphy did commit an illegal act because he was a “brother” to Ness he was given a proper burial and was treated with respect after his death. The idea of a fraternity stipulates that each brother needs to support one another. Ness would not have provided a proper burial for the fallen Paddy Murphy had it been a person with whom he had no relation with. Yet as soon as he realized it was one of his brothers the situation changed.

The Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house most likely uses this story to illustrate to its members the strengths of the bonds that exist between fraternity members. It emphasizes the ideas of understanding and respect when it comes to situations involving fraternity brothers.

This story has been adapted over time and most likely if members of this fraternity house from other schools would recite this story there would be minor modifications to it as well. The story is used not for its plot and exact details but more for the ideals that the story represents.

“In 1920, one of the personal habits and customs of most Americans suddenly came to a halt. The Eighteenth Amendment was put into effect, which effectively put the end to the importing, exporting, transporting, selling, and manufacturing of liquor and alcohol. This was the dawning of bootlegging, which rapidly swept across America in the early 20th century.

Paddy Murphy, according to SAE legend, was a bootlegger who was doing deals with Al Capone. During one of the arrangements, Elliot Ness and his company of crime fighters stormed in on the affair to apprehend Murphy. However, when Ness signaled for Murphy to surrender, he instead reached for a gun, and Ness shot him down.
As Murphy fell to the ground, dying of a wound inflicted by Ness, he gave Ness the secret handshake that only the brothers of SAE know. Ness, an SAE himself, realized that he had killed a brother of his fraternity. Ness ordered that Paddy Murphy have an honorary burial, in recognition of his fallen brother.” (Adam Block).
I was told this story on two different occasions from two Sigma Alpha Epsilon members. However they are from different universities and as a result there was discrepancies in there versions. Both informants were uncertain of the exact details of their stories, but there were still distinct differences in their versions. Although the story began about one man, over time as the story has been retold it has been slightly altered and a result the same story takes on many varying versions.

They both believed to some extent that they story had a basis of validity but had been exaggerated over time.

The story sounds logical in some regards to me as historical facts are incorporated in the story. The beginning of the story sounds reasonable yet the ending where the man does the Sigma Alpha Epsilon secret handshake sounds a little but suspicious. It did not seem clear how Paddy Murphy knew that Ness was a member of his fraternity in order to give the secret handshake.

The story does show the ideals that a fraternity tries to represent. Although

Paddy Murphy did commit an illegal act because he was a “brother” to Ness he was given a proper burial and was treated with respect after his death. The idea of a fraternity stipulates that each brother needs to support one another. Ness would not have provided a proper burial for the fallen Paddy Murphy had it been a person with whom he had no relation with. Yet as soon as he realized it was one of his brothers the situation changed.

The Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house most likely uses this story to illustrate to its members the strengths of the bonds that exist between fraternity members. It emphasizes the ideas of understanding and respect when it comes to situations involving fraternity brothers.

This story has been adapted over time and most likely if members of this fraternity house from other schools would recite this story there would be minor modifications to it as well. The story is used not for its plot and exact details but more for the ideals that the story represents.

Rhyme/Game – South Africa

Hello, Hello, Hello Sir

Won’t you come for Tea Sir?

No Sir

Why Sir

Because I’ve got a cold Sir

Where did you catch the cold Sir?

From the Northern Pole Sir

How many polar bears did you catch Sir?

1 Sir

2 Sir

3 Sir….

This is a silly, frivolous little rhyme that girls used to say while they played a game that went as follows. A tennis ball was inserted into a cut off section of a pair of stocking. One would position oneself next to a wall. Then one would hit the ball from one side of the body to the other. Every time the word “sir” would come up in the rhyme that person would lift her leg which turned out to be the left leg and hit the wall with the ball right underneath the lifted leg. The goal was to go faster and faster and not get entangled with the ball when lifting ones leg.

However as an adult reflecting back on the rhyme, my mother, Robyn, still believes that there is no special meaning to this game and to the rhyme said with it. The concept of drinking tea is a common occurrence in South Africa where this particular rhyme was learned so that why it is incorporated as it appeals to the typical South African’s lifestyle.

I agree that to the people that play this game the rhyme holds no significance, yet I do believe that when one fully analyzes it, a meaning can be found. The repetition of the word “sir” that is utilized in every line could be used to show the respect that was impressed upon children to bestow upon others. Although it was meant to be just a game, it is taught to children to incorporate an element of reverence by using the word “sir” so frequently.

Additionally I agree that tea was incorporated as tea drinking is such a common beverage found in South Africa. As opposed to the American culture where people will often meet up with friends of family for lunch or dinner, many South Africans will get together simply for a cup of tea. This poem is quite simplistic and mainly serves as a game that consumes a child for an extended period of time even if company is not present. Yet when further examination occurs a small significance in certain words can be found in this lighthearted game.