Author Archives: emmorris@usc.edu

Día de los Reyes Traditions

Transcription: “A bigger holiday we celebrate is Three Kings Day on January 6. On Three Kings day, we buy a special type of bread. There’s, like, dried strawberry jelly. We invite a lot of people over and split the bread into pieces. Each person takes a slice of bread and whoever finds a toy baby Jesus baked into their slice of bread has to make a meal, usually tamales before el dia de la candelaria (Feb 2), which is also a religious day.”

Interestingly, my informant’s lack of traditions on Día de los Muertos caused her to draw a connection between the traditions of Día de los Muertos and Three Kings Day. When my informant mentioned bread in Dia de los Muertos, she ended up telling me about bread on Three Kings Day. Three Kings Day takes place on January 6, which is called Epiphany in Christian religions. Epiphany refers to the day on which three kings visited the baby Jesus in the manger. Just as the three kings brought gifts to Jesus, those celebrating Epiphany are expected to exchange gifts.

In addition to gifts, families gather on Three Kings Day, the family gathers to share a circle shaped bread. A toy baby Jesus is baked into a random section of the bread as a sort of hidden surprise, and the bread is topped with a strawberry jelly. Each member of the party is cut a slice of the bread and whoever finds the toy baby Jesus baked into their piece has to make a meal by the next religious holiday. In my informant’s family, the meal is usually tamales. Since tamales are a traditional meal in Mexican culture, especially around Christmas time, it is not surprising that they would be associated with Three Kings Day.

Tamales require a substantial time commitment due to the amount of time it takes to prepare and cook them. Therefore, the baby Jesus toy becomes a game. If the rules of the game are followed, the loser must dedicate time to cooking the tamales. The baby Jesus in the bread becomes an elaborate variation of drawing of straws that nominates one member of the family to cook tamales.

 

Webb Tower: No 13th Floor

In the United States, the lack of a thirteenth floor is common to many tall buildings. This photo was taken in the elevator of Webb Tower. Built in the 1980s, Webb Tower is unique among USC’s dorms. Not only does it have the greatest number of floors of any on-campus residential building, fourteen, it does not include a thirteenth floor. The labels in the elevator run from twelve to fourteen to fifteen.

The belief in an unlucky number thirteen can be traced far back in Anglo folklore. The number twelve represents a wholesome number as it matches the number of months in a year. If twelve signifies an ideal number, then it follows that thirteen offsets its perfection. The bad sign of thirteen likewise relates to the Bible since Jesus is said to have thirteen disciples, Judas being the thirteenth. The superstition continues today with the stigma surrounding Friday the thirteenth, which is traditionally marked by the release of horror movies.

I find the renaming of floors to avoid the unlucky number thirteen to be silly superstition. The number assigned to the floor might not be “thirteen,” but the floor is nonetheless the thirteenth floor. I lived in Webb Tower for two years and refused to live above the “fourteenth” floor. Not because of a belief in an unlucky thirteen, but as a sort of whimsical protest to the superstition. Therefore, I have re-adapted the folklore of the nonexistent thirteenth floor into my own variation.

Elevator folklore

 

Spanish Tortilla Recipe

Transcription (translation below): “Corta las patatas y la cebolla en trozos pequeños y fríelos en aceite de oliva. Revuelve los huevos y mézclalos con las patatas y la cebolla. Aquí está la parte más difícil: revuelve la tortilla usando un plato encima de la sartén.”

One of the most traditional meals in Spanish culture is the tortilla. When most Americans hear the word “tortilla,” they think of the flour or corn tortillas of Latin and South America. However, a Spanish tortilla is made from potatoes, eggs, and onion (optional). The recipe is simple and passed on from grandmothers or mothers to the younger generation. I was taught to cook tortilla by my friend and have translated a more detailed version of the process below.

The ratio of the ingredients depends on the number of people eating the tortilla and the size of the frying pan used to cook it. For a medium size tortilla that serves two people, use two medium or one large tortilla, one medium yellow onion, and three eggs. Cut the potatoes and onion into small cubes, then place then in a frying pan. Fill the frying pan with enough olive oil that the onions and potatoes are completely covered. Fry the potatoes and onions on high heat until the potatoes are soft and break apart easily and the onions are tender. Move the fried potatoes and onions into a separate bowl. Transfer the excess oil into a separate jar. Scramble the eggs and mix them with the potatoes and onions. Place the mixture back in the frying pan and cook until slightly golden brown on one side. The most complicated part of the recipe involves placing a large plate on the top of the frying pan, then flipping the tortilla onto the plate. Once the tortilla is on the plate, add more olive oil to the frying pan and slide the tortilla onto the pan.

The closest approximation in America to a Spanish tortilla would be an omelet, but tortillas are eaten for lunch or dinner as opposed to breakfast. Tortillas are cooked throughout the year and eaten as a main entree or as a side dish. The most common way to eat tortilla is as a tapa, or small dish, with jamón (ham). Many of the Spanish houses that I have visited have a jar of tortilla oil next to the stove since tortillas are a staple to many Spaniards.

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Roosevelt Hotel Ghost Story

Transcription: “I once was attacked by a ghost…I was staying at a haunted hotel with my girlfriend. I was asleep and something grabbed my arm. I think it was the Roosevelt in L.A. around midnight.”

This collection is a ghost story, which falls under the category of a legend since the story takes place in a real world setting. When I asked my informant if he had any folk stories to share, he quickly responded that he “was attacked by a ghost.” The setting is important to this story since my informant and his girlfriend chose to spend the night in a supposedly haunted hotel. The Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California is known for its ghost sightings.

The time that the event took place is also a key part of the story. Most people, I would argue, feel less comfortable at night than during the day time. Moreover, the night is supposed to be the time most ghost activity takes place. The timing of my informants “ghost attack” at midnight follows with the traditional ghost legend.

My informant started his story dramatically by saying he was “attacked by a ghost.” His wording was intended to intrigue the listener and pique their curiosity in the story. Ironically, the meaning behind “attacked” was really “grabbed.” He likely exaggerated the violence of the situation to communicate the surprise he felt at the time.

The Roosevelt Hotel’s reputation as a haunted hotel could have contributed to my informant creating a preconceived idea of what would happen during his visit. Since he knew of the hotel’s history, he could have interpreted any unexpected movement or sound as a ghost. For example, his girlfriend could have bumped his arm while he was sleeping, but his fear could have translated the movement into a ghost sighting.

 

Urraca Mesa

Transcription: “New Mexico is probably the most haunted state in America, especially Colfax County. I went camping at a ranch in Colfax County. The ranch and forest had a weird, eerie feeling. I felt like I was being watched at all times, like something was not right. When we were leaving, we passed this place called Urraca Mesa, which has the most lightning strikes in New Mexico. According to Navajo legend, Urraca Mesa has a gate to Hell. The Navajo also claimed the forest felt eerie…their shaman felt something was wrong and sent out warriors to investigate. They ended up at the Mesa and found a short, glowing being who claimed to be the last of the  Anasazi who mysteriously disappeared in 1500 BC. The Navajo brought the glowing creature back to their shaman. The last Anasazi told the Navajo that the Anasazi were fighting back the forces of evil at the gate of Hell. All the Anasazi went into Hell to stop the demons and save the rest of the world. The last Anasazi stayed behind to seal the gate and guard the entrance. He created cat totems to scare away magpies, which were prophesied to re-open the gate. The campsite was eventually closed because of all the sightings. People who go exploring the area claim to see a blue light that chases them if they get too close to the Mesa.”

This collection is noteworthy since my informant combined his own personal narrative experience with existing folklore. The story has various components and spans multiple timelines. The speaker began the story in present time, traced the narrative back to the Navajo, jumped even further back with the Anasazi plotline, then returned to present.

I doubt that the Navajo referred to the Mesa as the gate to “Hell.” Therefore, the speaker’s use of “Hell” to describe the portal to the underworld signifies his projection of his own Christian beliefs onto the story. In other words, he translated one element of the story into religious terms he understood. Despite his adaptation of the terminology, the speaker established the setting using elements that are familiar. For example, an “eerie feeling” is a common term associated with the supernatural, and lightning strikes identify the land as unnatural and filled with powerful energy.

This story can be classified as a legend since the it takes place in a real location, includes the legendary figure of the Anasazi, and relates to Native American religious legends. Both the Native American and Anasazi legends live on today as people visit the Mesa in search of a blue light.