Category Archives: Rituals, festivals, holidays

Sana Sana Colita de Rana

Context: The folklore gathered is a saying that is popular throughout Latin America, usually when young child gets hurt, in order to help them feel better.

Explanation of Folklore: I interviewed A about a saying that I have heard a lot in the Latino community. This saying is “Sana sane colita de Rana, is no sane hoy, saner mañana”. Originally in Spanish, this saying literally translates to “healthy healthy frog tail if it doesn’t heal today it will heal tomorrow”. The context for when this is said is typically for injured young children. When they get hurt, someone, usually a mother or a guardian will repeat this saying, while helping them with their injuries.

A told me that this is a very popular saying in El Salvador, her home country, but that it is also extremely common throughout Latin America as a whole. It is a saying that is almost universal in the Latino experience, and even has made its way alongside the Latin American diaspora.

Analysis: A mentioned that this saying has been in her vocabulary for as long as she can remember. When A was younger, they were told this by their parents as a way of calming them from crying. The witty rhyme is silly in its literal meaning, and has no connection to healing whatsoever. As a result, the intention was to make the child laugh and forget their pain. A personally thinks it is a colonial era saying, based on the fact that it is not exclusive to a certain part of Latin America. It is widespread across the Latin American countries as a common saying.

Personal Analysis: This is a form of oral folklore that is reflected in the form of a saying. Based on my interview with A, and my own personal experience, this form of Folk speech seems to be pretty familiar. The only variation of the saying that I found to be used is switching “colita” with “culito” a more vulgar adaptation of the saying. I definitely think that this is a colonial era saying, the traces its roots to a colonial Latin America. Given that the saying is in Spanish, it is very safe to assume that it was not until the Spanish reached Latin America that the saying gained popularity. This is a clear example of the Transmission of folklore, and how it is passed on from generation to generation. A fascinating part of this folklore is that its is tremendously widespread. because it is popular throughout an entire continent, it could be difficult to pinpoint the exact origin point. There do not seem to be very strong regional differences that would indicate any sort of regional variety. The common consensus is that it is a pretty standard saying.

When analyzing the meaning of the saying itself , it is difficult to find any sort of logical meaning. The frog tail might be an ode to the pre hispanic wildlife that may have been observed during the colonial species. Upon doing some research, I came across a species of frogs that are able to grow back their limbs when they are cut off, so perhaps there is a correlation between that observation of nature and the saying. In the end, the saying is told to children to make them feel better, and distract them from any pain they might be going through. It is a way to boost morale, and inspire a calmness for the child. Growing up, I was told this saying numerous times, and it really did do its job in distracting me. I would laugh at the use of “culito” a vulgar slang for one’s behind. It is interesting to see how saying that are so close to one’s life can be so widespread, and is a shared experience on a continental level.

Cat’s cradle

My informant was a Japanese-American college student at USC who grew up in California. Below is a transcript of our conversation talking about the cat’s cradle, a playground game she played as an elementary schooler.

“A cat’s cradle is a string that you can manipulate into different shapes with your hands by making a series of movements with your fingers. It was taught by my friends in elementary school and requires other people to help out to work since the patterns are easily forgettable; I had to ask people all the time how to do it. If you could make a shape out of a string people thought you were cool because you’re making a new shape out of a simple string. It felt mysterious and skillful, like a cool trick you can do to impress other kids on the playground.

I remember I also tried to teach my mom it, who said that she knew how to do it when she was younger but she forgot how to do it as she grew older. I didn’t play cat’s cradle after elementary school. There was no particular reason why; new trends just came up and I forgot how to make it.”

Cat’s cradle seems to invoke a similar sense of fascination and mystery as performing magic tricks, but this sensation seems to be quite ephemeral. It’s reminiscent of how children grow out of pretend play because they feel childish pretending like they’re something else and they want to feel more “grown-up” (this is reflected in how “too old to play pretend” is a common saying.) Because cat’s cradle was a social activity and needed other people to learn it from, the informant probably felt social pressure to stop doing something no longer regarded as “cool” anymore. The fact that the informant’s mother also knew how to do it but forgot as she grew older suggests that this is a common pattern among young children and occurs with every generation.

Capirotada Cultural Dish

Informant Info:

  • Nationality: Mexican
  • Age: 50
  • Residence: Los Angeles 
  • Primary language: Spanish 
  • Relationship: mother 

Text: 

Capirotada(cultural food) 

Context:

EP explained to me the cultural and religious significance of the traditional Mexican capirotada dish. The capirotada dish is made during a specific season, as EP says, “la temporada de cuaresma.” Cuaresma is basically the Lenten period, in which Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter occur. She views this period of time in which she prepares for the death and the resurrection of Jesus by fasting and making this cultural dish. She learned this traditional dish from her mother who would make it during the Lenten period. EP goes into depth on the ingredients of the Capirotada, “La canela, clavo, y piloncillo se cuece, y así se hace la miel que se pone arriba de todos los ingredientes antes de hornear.” She first makes a sort of sweet juice/syrup to put on top of the ingredients. The ingredients consist of: white bolillo bread, tortillas, bananas, apples, queso fresco, raisins, prunes, viznaga, different types of nuts and dried fruits, etc. She said that you put the syrup that was made prior on top of all the ingredients and then you can bake it. 

Analysis:

Capirotada is made in different ways, and it also depends on the preference of the person making the dish. Not everyone will make it the same; each person has their own touch. I have grown up eating capirotada as well, but when I would ask other people if they had tried or heard of it before, they would say no. It is a dish that is not as commonly made or known. When I was younger, I always thought it wasn’t something I wanted to eat, but as I grew older I learned to appreciate and actually love to eat the dish. While the capirotada might not look as physically appealing as other desserts, it is truly delicious and holds a special place in our Mexican culture.

Arbol Torcido Saying

Informant Info:

  • Nationality: Mexican
  • Age: 50
  • Occupation: N/A
  • Residence: Los Angeles 
  • Primary language: Spanish 
  • Relationship: mother 

Text:

“Arbol que nace torcido, jamas su tronco endereza.”

No literal english translation

 Closest english translation to the phrase above : “tree that is born crooked, its trunk never straightens 

Context:

EP says the saying has different meanings; she states, “Puede ser una persona o cosa que estaba hecho mal desde el principio, jamas va ser derecha o jamas se va corregir.” It can be a person or thing that was made wrong from the beginning, it will never be just. The informant says it’s a “refran” or “dicho,” which in English means it is a proverb, a saying, or a riddle. She first heard the saying from her parents when she was about 5 years old. She said at first she didn’t know the significance or true meaning of it until it was explained to her. However, she told me that it was also one of those things that was common sense because you could put two and two together when it is said in a certain situation. She also remembers hearing the proverb told during specific situations. An example she provided me with was of a son who was always reckless as a child and continues to live a reckless life. 

Analysis:

I had never heard this proverb before, and at first I was confused because of how the words are phrased in Spanish. Once the informant further explained what it meant, I was able to draw my own interpretation of the proverb. I believe the saying refers to a person who is believed to be unable to change due to the way they were raised or grew up. I believe that from a young age, the way we are educated and what we learn from the people surrounding us leave an impact on us. There are various factors that will help shape who you will become when you grow up. A crooked trunk will never straighten because it was born that way. This could be interpreted in the context of a person that holds negative values and attitudes from a young age. This individual will find it more difficult to change these bad characteristics and habits because they have been instilled into their being. Adopting new habits and values is always possible, but it will be more of a challenge to do so. The person must be willing to change and put in the effort to become better and “enderezer”(straighten).

A Saying on the Nature of Life

Informant Info:

  • Nationality: Mexican
  • Age: 50
  • Occupation: N/A
  • Residence: Los Angeles 
  • Primary language: Spanish 
  • Relationship: mother 

Text:

EP provided me with the following folk speech in Spanish, “La vida está llena de lágrimas y ricas.” The literal english translation is, “Life is full of tears and laughs.”

Context:

EP immigrated from Mexico to the united states about 23 years ago. She brought with her all the sayings, folkspeech, and proverbs from her culture. The informant first heard this saying from her mother. She emphasizes that her mother always repeated this to her because she recalls that her mother “sufre mucho.” Sufria mucho means that she suffered a lot. Growing up in her household, EP remembers her mother saying the proverb when there was family problems or when someone would die. EP said, “Ahora te estas riendo con esa persona, y mañana ya esta muerta.” This means that today you can be laughing with a person, and tomorrow that person could be dead. 

Interpretation:

I, myself have grown up hearing this saying as well, and I was first introduced to it by my mom. When she first told me it, I remember being in a crisis and it was her way of telling me it was okay. I interpreted this proverb as meaning life is full of ups and downs. There will be moments of suffering, but also joy. It is a way of accepting that life comes with difficulties, but we must also remember all the good moments. I know that this folk speech is typically said amongst Latin-x communities. The phrase is usually told during moments of hardship, mourning, or sadness.