Folk Belief

“If your friendship bracelet breaks, make a wish.”

Emilie Wong told me about friendship bracelets during a sleepover.  She told our friend, Charlotte, and me how to make these friendship bracelets.  The bracelet is formed from a series of multiple knots.  Emilie learned about friendship bracelets in third grade, when her best friend lived across the street.  She said that they use to make friendship bracelets for fun.  At one point, she had five to seven bracelets on her ankle.  Even when she went swimming or played soccer, Emilie did not take off her bracelets because one is not suppose to.  When one’s friendship bracelet breaks, one has to make a wish.

These bracelets are a symbol of friendship because friends make them at the same time together.  Moreover, the bracelets form a continuous circle, representing a never ending, never broken friendship.  In a sense, it means the friendship will last.  Therefore, I view the breaking of a friendship bracelet as a bad sign, which is maybe the reason why one should make a wish, probably a wish such as to maintain the friendship, when the bracelet breaks.  Following the idea of circle symbolism, a broken friendship bracelet would mean a broken friendship, such as the ending of friendship or tension among the friends.  The bracelet should not be removed because that would signify the end of a friendship.  By wearing the friendship bracelet, one is proclaiming one’s friendship.