Monthly Archives: May 2018

Thanksgiving Mac’ n’ Cheese Recipe

Nationality: American
Age: 50
Occupation: Medical Assistant
Residence: Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Performance Date: 4/12/18
Primary Language: English

Collection: Family Mac’ n’ Cheese Recipe

Context: This recipe was passed onto the informant from her husband’s aunt. The recipe outlines how to make the aunt’s traditional Thanksgiving mac’ n’ cheese.While this meal is not solely an African American tradition, it is commonly found in African American Thanksgiving meals. The informant is caucasian and was introduced to this recipe through marriage. As a result, this recipe ties her to black thanksgiving culture.

Interpretation: Folklore can link individuals to completely different people, customs, beliefs, and more. This linkage has become increasingly apparent with the rise of the internet and easy access to people around the world. In this case, the recipe links the informant to a different culture within the United States.

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Red in Indian Weddings

Nationality: Indian
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Performance Date: 3/23/18
Primary Language: Hindi (urdu)
Language: English

Collection:  Indian wedding – significance of red

A: “What is the significance of red in Indian weddings?”

B: “ Well red symbolizes a married woman, so the groom spreads red tika called Sindoor on the bride’s hairline…Oh! And the bride wear red.”

A: “A red dress?”

B: “It can be a saree, salwar suit, or whatever she wants.”

Context/Interpretation: While different colors take on different meanings and degrees of significance around the world, red is almost universally used in the development of womanhood. Marriage is a defining moment of adulthood, specifically womanhood, in many cultures. Therefore, the red in Indian weddings stays consistent with the red symbolism.

Annotated Bibliography:

SmarterTravel. “So THAT’S Why You Shouldn’t Wear A Green Hat In China.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 26 Jan. 2017.

According to the article, “Red is the most powerful of all colors in Indian culture and holds many important meanings.” In fact, red can convey fear, power, fertility, love, beauty, and more. More significantly, red is known to symbolize an Indian woman’s marriage through red henna, red sindoor, and her outfit.

 

That Haldi Glow

Nationality: Indian
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Performance Date: 3/23/18
Primary Language: Hindi (urdu)
Language: English

Collection: Indian wedding substance – folk object

After a prior discussion about Indian weddings, the informant continued to describe the second day of the celebration.  In the morning of the second day, the couple is physically painted with haldi by the families. Haldi is also known as turmeric which contains cleansing qualities and produces a glowing effect on the skin.

Context/Interpretation:  The couple’s cleansing is both literal and symbolic. According to the informant, it is important for the couple to be cleansed by their families prior to the unification. The yellow haldi represents blessings, purification, and it is supposed to ward of evil beings.

 

The Groom’s Shoes

Nationality: Indian
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Performance Date: 3/23/18
Primary Language: Hindi (urdu)
Language: English

Collection: Indian wedding prank

During a discussion about Indian wedding customs, the informant described a common practical joke. There is a tradition in which the bride’s siblings steal the groom’s shoes. Consequently, the siblings set a price that the groom must pay in order to get his shoes back.

Context: This tradition is considered a practical joke as it is implemented at the expense of the groom. Practical jokes are especially apparent in weddings because the ceremony is a rite of passage.

 

Ghost Twins

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Kalama, WA
Performance Date: 4/22/18
Primary Language: English

Collection: two figures – Legend (ghost)

A: “Have you had anything weird happen to you in your house?”

B: “In the same house as the oven story which was down the road from the cemetery, my bedroom was on the third floor and looked over the driveway. And so two of my windows looked out over the entire driveway. And my best friend, Lloyd, would always tell me that he saw a white figure walking up and down the driveway, but I would never look. I would just say “Shut up. Go to hell.” *laughs* And he would always say one white figure. He always said one, but this one night, he said that he could see two figures. And he didn’t say it as jokingly as he had before, but I still just said “Shut up.” But he was really persistent, so we just closed the curtains.”

A: “But you didn’t look?”

B: “No I never looked. And the next morning, I was like talking to my mom about what happened because we always talked about it, and she told me that there was a funeral for two stillborn twins on the day that Lloyd saw the two figures. The funeral was at the cemetery down the road from my house, and the people who had the twins were our family friends. And they had just buried their stillborn twins on that very day.”

Context/Interpretation:  This cemetery background information adds to the narrative’s performance aspect. Also, the informant’ friend is vernacular authority because the story appears more credible when others can support the main claim.