Tag Archives: relatives

Grandma’s Singing Teeth

Age: 23

Story: “Growing up, I had this insane birthday tradition that my grandma would do every single year, for all of my siblings. And brace yourself, cause honestly it’s extremely weird. But growing up, I think honestly, for as long as I can remember, after we sang “Happy Birthday” my grandma, who wore fake dentures, would take out her teeth and make them sing “Happy Birthday” AGAIN. It wasn’t until after she was done singing with her fake teeth that we were allowed to eat cake and celebrate. It was honestly really embarrassing anytime I had a birthday party, because I was afraid my friends would think my family was weird … and honestly we are. But since my grandma has passed, I miss the days she would make me laugh and she would sing with her dentures. For a few years, my mom bought those fake chattering teeth and we sang with those. I would like to start doing that again.”

Analysis: This story is the epitome of how even the most unconventional and wackiest rituals can have such significant meaning. This person’s account of their grandmother’s quirky birthday tradition demonstrates how humor and repetition can turn an ordinary moment into a memorable rite of passage. While the tradition may have felt embarrassing in childhood, it has since taken on a lot of weight as a symbol of familial ties and connection to the past. From a folkloric perspective, this tradition blends oral performance with material culture, showing how objects can become vessels of meaning and memory. The story also touches on the intergenerational passing on of rituals, how the narrator’s family adapted the tradition after the grandmother’s passing, keeping her spirit alive through the toy chattering teeth. I interpret this to be such a sweet tradition, and coming from experience, I know how important and special it is to have a fun-loving memory of family members that have passed, so I love how this tradition has grown for this person. Ultimately, this tradition reveals how homegrown rituals can function as intimate forms of cultural expression, bringing together families, and showing the strength of a tradition.

Si Dios nos de licencia: Proverb

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 2/16/23
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

Text: “Si Dios nos da licencia” “If God gives us permission”

Context: EC’s relationship to this proverb stems from her Mexican culture which has allowed her to have many experiences growing up with this proverb within her childhood and Mexican home. EC would hear her mom and older relatives/adults say it a lot when referencing to the future. She also grew up hearing this phrase within her Mexican Catholic culture as many religious individuals in her life would say it. Within her household, she would often hear her relatives using it as they would casually speak in Spanish. They often use it to express hope for a future opportunity or after confirming to attend future plans. Within her life, EC interprets this proverb as a way of saying that if God permits it, things will happen or become accomplished. Overall, EC thinks of this proverb as more of a reminder that not every day is promised and to always be grateful for every opportunity.  

Analysis: The overall cultural value within this proverb stems from Mexican Catholic households considering Mexicans tend to be more religion orientated. Based on religion, this proverb expresses personal values given the fact that the person who says this statement is most likely affiliated with religion, God, and in this case, the Catholic Church. I see this proverb as an overall expression of hope and trust. Given that this statement is said for future reference, I consider this proverb as a quality of trust that brings you closer to God given the fact that you are aware that a certain opportunity or event will only come true if God truly wants it or if he really intends it to happen. Coming from a Mexican household myself, I can relate to many similar experiences surrounding this proverb as it has been rooted in my mind as a hopeful manifestation to always put your faith in God.

Oh, Hell

Nationality: American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: April 28, 2013
Primary Language: English

My informant told me about a special card game that is unique to her family. This is her explanation of the rules of the game and the context it is played in:

“Okay, so this family tradition is  a card game that we play, and my grandparents brought it to the family. It was my grandmother’s grandma who taught it to her, and then my grandma taught my grandpa, and now it’s a big part of that side of the family. So whenever we get together for family traditions or for weddings—even if it’s not for everybody, even if it’s just my parents getting together with my grandparents—we always play this game. It’s called ‘Oh, Hell’. Everybody starts with ten cards, and you work your way down. The first round is ten, then nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and you go back up to ten. And so every time you have your cards and there’s a card that’s trump, so that suit is trump, and you bid on how many cards or how many tricks you will take. It’s kind of like you’re bidding on how many you will get, and you want to get that many tricks. But then, sometimes you’ll get too many or too little, and there’s a point system that goes along with that. And we made our own score sheets for it. And it’s very much so a family thing, because it’s not a common card game that many people know of. We have taught other people, but nobody knows it right off the bat. Um, and… yeah. So I just went to wedding in Arkansas for a cousin on my mom’s side of the family, and all our relatives were there, so of course we played ‘Oh, Hell’. And we had—like we always do—we had multiple tables playing the game. And then, I guess we had two tables going, and then the top winners at each table created a winners table, and the losers at each table created a losers table. Um, and it went form there. So we had the big winner, and then the winner of the losers, and all that stuff. So it is a big thing, definitely on just my mom’s side of the family. We don’t play it on my dad’s side; it’s just a [name redacted] family tradition.”

My informant’s description of ‘Oh, Hell’ indicates how important this card game is to her family. It signals to them that they are all members of this family, because the people that immediately know how to play are all related. This is one activity that unites all the relatives, and as my informant said, it is especially meaningful when played at large family reunions or weddings. It brings all of the extended family together. My informant’s relatives live all around the country, so I can see that traditions like this are quite valuable in the way that they unify everyone. My informant is extremely close to her parents and to her brother; she is used to growing up in a very tight-knit family. ‘Oh, Hell’ allows her to grow closer to all of the people she is related to on her mother’s side. It is evident that one of the reasons her family stays so close is because of games like these that they can bond over. Thus, it is evident that one of the many functions of folklore is that it can be used to strengthen family bonds and build connections between relatives.