Author Archives: Katie Chorao

Pickle in the Tree

Overview

The informant is Norwegian-American and lives in Long Island, NY. He describes his family’s tradition of hiding a pickle in the christmas tree. He says that when he was young, his parents would bury a pickle ornament deep in the tree and he and his siblings would race to find it. Whomever found it first got to open presents first. 

Analysis

I asked the informant about the history of this custom. He explained that his family has other German relatives and that they adopted this custom from them. When his father and his grandparents were young, they hid actual pickles, but the custom has evolved so that most people just hide pickle ornaments now. I then asked the informant about the significance of the custom, and he shared the story he’d been told: “I heard that for generations, German parents would reward the most observant child with an extra present. So, they found the most observant child by hiding a pickle among the other ornaments.”

Thoughts

What’s interesting to me about this custom is that, upon further research, it doesn’t seem to exist in actual Germany. Instead, it appears to be a custom exclusive to German-Americans (read: https://www.german-way.com/history-and-culture/holidays-and-celebrations/christmas/the-christmas-pickle-ornament/). This reminds me of the Italian-American tradition of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve, which similarly seems to exist mostly in America.

Norwegian Sweaters

Overview

The informant is Norwegian-American and lives in Long Island, NY. He describes the Norwegian custom of special-knit sweaters which are symbolic of, and unique to, each individual family. He says that in Norwegian culture, every family member has a distinguished stitching pattern, so people identify their roots and origins through their sweaters. 

More Details

I questioned the informant further about occasions when he would wear the sweater and about what his family’s stitching pattern looks like. He replied that he would only wear his family’s sweater when he visited the local Norwegian Hall or when he would visit Norwegian family members. He said that the sweaters were special and not something to be worn casually. He said that each stitching pattern would be too intricate to describe verbally, but that they all generally look like the “christmas sweaters” that companies now sell. 

Thoughts

It seems that family name signifiers appear across most cultures, but it’s interesting to witness the different ways that they take form. The Norwegian distinguished stitching pattern reminds me of other forms of family crests– an icon that takes a general shape but is modified to each specific family name. Further, the way that the informant described the occasion of wearing the sweatshirt reminds me of church clothing: it’s special and only to be worn in more formal circumstances. 

7 Fishes on Christmas Eve

Overview

The informant is Italian-American and lives in Staten Island. She describes her family’s Christmas Eve tradition of cooking seven types of fish every Christmas Eve. She says that it doesn’t matter which types of fish are cooked, so long as there are exactly seven different types. Popular choices in her family are squid, lobster, and crab.

Analysis

I asked the informant about the significance of seafood and the number seven in this tradition and, upon checking with her family, she replied, “In ancient times, Roman Catholic custom didn’t allow the consumption of meat or dairy on the eve of important holidays. So we turned to fish. None of us were too sure about the number seven, other than that it is a number that crops up a lot in religious text. If you couldn’t tell, this tradition is heavily steeped in religion.”

Thoughts

Growing up in Long Island, myself, a place full of Italian-Americans, I’ve heard a lot about the tradition of the 7 fishes. I wonder if it is practiced mostly by Italian-Americans or if it is also practiced in Italy. 

Pepper to protect against evil

Overview 

The informant is Italian-American and lives in Staten Island. She describes a folk object of a red pepper which is said to protect against the evil eye. The evil is when someone “looks at you in the wrong way and wishes evil upon you.” The red pepper appears in various contexts and forms. It is common to find as a pendant in Italian jewelry and the informant’s family members have red peppers hanging from the rearview mirror in their cars. 

Analysis

When asked about the significance of the red pepper, the informant answered that “red peppers are known as the devil’s spice.” With this in mind, it makes sense that they would act as a token to ward off evil. Perhaps keeping a piece of evil with you allows it to work in your benefit, almost like a vaccine.

Thoughts

I’ve seen a lot of my other Italian friends wear necklaces with peppers hanging from them. Some of them told me that the pepper necklace was a sign of mob affiliation, which intrigues me. Does this affiliation have more to do with concepts of evil or with direct ties to Italian folklore? 

The Woodland Spirit

Story

Short Version: The informant encountered a malevolent woodland spirit. 

Long version: A few years ago, the informant was out wandering in woodlands a little outside of his property. He was wandering around trying to find a place to relieve himself. He found a clearing that seemed private enough and he did his business. As he was leaving the area, he suddenly felt an energy pick him up and drop him on his shoulder. He’s felt shoulder pain ever since. 

Informant’s View

“I’m certain that it was a woodland spirit. You know, I trespassed onto its property, I disrespected it by going pee, and it punished me. Or maybe not punished– it asserted its power over the land. I make sure I don’t go there anymore.”

Thoughts

This story reminds me of traditional warning tales: someone did something wrong, they were punished, and now they never do that thing again. It is even more interesting than a traditional warning tale, however, in that it weaves in elements of magic, too. There was no human force that hurt the informant, but rather a shapeless magical presence, similar to a ghost. Thus, the informant speaks not only of a warning tale, but also of magic folklore.