Author Archives: Brandon Marcus

Ritual – American

Informant listens to music before every game

Before playing any sport it is important to get into a “zone” so one is ready to play a full game.  One way to get into a “zone” is to listen to music.  Listening to music causes one to ignore all outside distractions and focus on one thing: the game.  It is common for many players to listen to music before a game, whether it is basketball, baseball, football, soccer, or any other sport.  My informant has played basketball ever since middle school and has listened to music before every game ever since his first basketball game.  The reason why my informant started this ritual is because he realized he had a connection with music which helped before games.

The reason why this ritual is so important in my informant’s world today is because he loves basketball.  Whether it is going outside on a warm day to play a pick-up game or just watching a game on ESPN, my informant just loves being a part of the game of basketball.  He grew up as a huge fan of the NBA, so it makes complete sense that basketball means so much to his life.  Since his favorite hobby is listening to music, this ritual is a way to incorporate both basketball and music into one idea.  My informant stated that music pumps him up and gets him ready, and music is very important in his life so it is a way to “reflect and examine myself before every game to get me ready.”

When I interviewed my informant, I asked him what he thought of this basketball ritual and he said “it is a good way to get motivated and is a way to get ready for a game.  Before a game you feel a lot of adrenaline and the music feels it.”

My view on this ritual is that it is an extremely good idea, because basketball is such a complicated sport that one needs a certain ritual to stay focused.  If one doesn’t have a set ritual to get focused, then it could lead a player to have a lot on their mind during a game which could affect his or her play.

Contemporary Legend – San Diego, California

“In Old Town San Diego a whole family was murdered in a certain house and no one has lived there since.  There are tours that go through the house and they are extremely creepy.  Also, it has been documented a few times.  People have stayed there over night and have encountered odd things, such as voices, sightings (reflections of people not there), and sounds (screaming, creeks)”

My informant first heard this legend at the age of five (cerca 1992) when he and his family were driving by the haunted house and his parents told him the story.  However, he was a little too young to understand the extent of the scariness and creepiness that goes along with such a situation, but a few years later he fully understood the story.  My informant’s first reaction upon seeing and hearing about the haunted house was that he believed it and was “weirded out.”  Now at the age of nineteen, my informant lives about fifteen minutes away from the house, so he has gone a few times to take the tour.  During my interview with the informant he was emphatic when telling me that the legend is true, not just because of other accounts, but because he believes in ghosts.

These legends are meant to be told between teenagers who like to tell each other entertaining stories to either scare each other or tell each other something interesting.  The reaction of most teenagers is usually “REALLY, WOW!”  In our culture today it is common to see that girls are more afraid of these sorts of legends than men because men have some sort of desire for scariness.  While this is the case for most of our culture, I personally do not like scary movies or stories, because it makes me worried whenever I think about them.

The reason why this legend is important in my informant’s life is because of the location of the legend.  The location of the legend is in Old Town San Diego and my informant lives in the San Diego area.  Therefore, this legend affects my informant more than it affects me, since I live in Los Angeles.

When I asked my informant his reaction to the legend, he said that he initially thought the legend was unbelievable and scary, but ever since he has taken a tour of the house, the concept of the legend and its validity has been “set in stone.”

When I first heard this legend I thought it was incredibly believable.  When my informant was telling me the legend he seemed very serious, so it made me believe it that much more.  I think it is a very scary legend and I would be incredibly freaked out if there was ever a house like that near my house.  This is why legends are so interesting; they provide you with a story that you thought you would only see or hear in a movie.

Festival/Celebration – Mexico

The Quinceanera – Party when a woman turns 15 years old

My informant is a first-generation American, so obviously there will be Mexican festivals carried over into his generation from the generation of his parents.  My informant’s mother is Mexican, while his father is Panamanian and Danish.  Therefore, the family carries over the mother’s roots when it comes to women.  My informant has a sister so it is tradition in the Mexican culture for the 15-year-old woman to have a Quinceanera.

This festival occurs when the woman turns fifteen and is similar to the Bar/Bat Mitzvah from the Jewish culture or the “Sweet 16” from the American culture.  The festival is meant to include all of the girl’s family and friends.  Most Quinceaneras include more than 100 people according to my informant.  At my informant’s sister’s Quinceanera all of her family came to San Diego for the party, including her family from Mexico and all of her friends.  It is proper for the lady to get a very nice gift from her parents, which my informant’s sister got in the form of a car.  My informant got his sister a sweatshirt.  This tradition of a Quinceanera is one that my informant hopes will be carried on through future generations.

The reason why this festival is so important in my informant’s world today is because he has a lot of pride in his culture.  Being the first man from his family born in America, my informant feels it is important to carry over the roots of his family’s culture into his American culture.  When I asked my informant what he thought about the festival and the encompassing party, he stated that it is “a great tradition that gets the family together for an event and shows coming of age.”

From talking to my informant, I really feel as though he is extremely dedicated to his culture and family.  He believes that family and tradition are two important values in his life, and without them he would feel empty.  I admire my informant for being so close to his family and keeping the tradition of the Quinceanera alive.

Annotation: This source can be found in an article accessed from Google News on April 25, 2007

– The source comes from the Cadillac News

http://www.cadillacnews.com/articles/2007/04/24/news/news06.txt

Festival – Mexico

Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe

This fiesta is based on the legend of Juan Diego and the Virgin Mary.  Juan Diego was sent up a hill in 1531 to collect roses and during this trip he saw the Virgin Mary.  She gave him a message to give to the friars and he asks what he should do if they don’t believe him and he responded by imprinting a beautiful picture on his cloak.  Ever since then there has been a big festival every year to celebrate the anniversary of the “Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe.”

My informant is a first-generation American, so obviously there will be Mexican festivals carried over into his generation from the generation of his parents.  My informant’s mother is Mexican, while his father is Panamanian and Danish.  Therefore, the family carries over the mother’s roots when it comes to Spanish festivals and traditions.  This festival that occurs every year to remember the Virgin of Guadalupe is one that is celebrated all over Mexico.  My informant heard about this festival from his family since it is an oral tradition.

This festival occurs during the week before Christmas and lasts all the way until “La dia de los Tres Reyes,” which occurs on January 6th.   According to my informant on the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe children go to church. The boys dress like Juan Diego in memory of the man who saw the Virgin of Guadalupe.  There is a huge party that has different booths like a carnival.  There is also a lot of dancing at the festival.

The reason why this festival is so important in my informant’s world today is because he has a lot of pride in his culture.  Being the first man from his family born in America, my informant feels it is important to carry over the roots of his family’s culture into his American culture.  When I asked my informant what he thought about the festival, he stated that it is “a great festival even though I don’t celebrate it because I am not that religious; but my family from Mexico does celebrate it.  I think that is a great festival because it reminds Mexicans of their Catholic beliefs.”

From talking to my informant, I really feel as though he is extremely dedicated to his culture.  He believes that family and tradition are two important values in his life, and without them he would feel empty.  I admire my informant for being so religious and enriched in his culture.

Annotation:  This “Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe” was found at

http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/Byrnes-celebrations/fiesta.html

Holiday – Mexico

“Dia de los Muertos”- Day of the Dead

My informant is a first-generation American, so obviously there will be Mexican holidays that have carried over into his generation from the generation of his parents.  My informant’s mother is Mexican, while his father is Panamanian and Danish.  Therefore, the family carries over the mother’s roots when it comes to Spanish festivals and traditions.  This is a holiday that occurs every year and is celebrated in remembrance of those lives that are deceased.  It is a holiday that celebrates and honors the lives of those who have passed away.  My informant has celebrated this holiday every year of his life.

This holiday is celebrated from October 31st to November 2nd.  The interesting thing about this holiday is that it is begins on the same day as the American date of Halloween.  Both holidays are extremely similar because both have skulls, costumes, and other items relating to the dead.  Although it is mainly a Mexican holiday, it is also celebrated in other parts of the Spanish speaking world, as well as Brazil, a Portuguese speaking country.

The reason why this festival is so important in my informant’s world today is because he has a lot of pride in his culture.  Being the first man from his family born in America, my informant feels it is important to carry over the roots of his family’s culture into his American culture.  When I asked my informant what he thought about the holiday, he stated that he loves “the holiday because it is a time where I get to go to San Diego and celebrate with my family.  Also, I think it is a great way to honor the dead.  It is a good tradition to keep family together, and to come in contact with people outside your family as well because the whole community comes together for it.”

From talking to my informant, I really feel as though he is extremely dedicated to his culture.  He believes that family and tradition are two important values in his life, and without them he would feel empty.  I admire my informant for being so religious and enriched in his culture.

Annotation:

This article can be found in the Greeley Tribune which can be accessed online at:

http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20070409/NEWS/104080141

– This article was accessed on April 25, 2007