Monthly Archives: May 2026

Stan Character Edit Posts

Context: The informant, MV, explains the Phenomenon of online videos depicting characters from different pieces of media in “stan edit posts” that show their admiration for said character.

MV: “Online, there’s a bunch of different videos that basically consist of putting different pictures of a character and adding different transitions in between which makes it an edit. Basically a bunch of different fandoms make stan edits of their favorite characters in said fandom and post it online for others to see. They usually add really popular music to help the edit gain more attraction. I think they first started on twitter where people were making edits of different Kpop idols since stan culture is super popular in that fandom but I think that’s a different topic. They’re pretty much everywhere on social media like if u opened Insta [Instagram] right now, you’d probably find one within like a few scrolls. I honestly wish I could edit like some people can I think it’s a really great way to show your devotion to a specific character. “

Analysis: “stan character” edit videos have become a popular style of short videos through social media, mainly seen on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. These short usually consist of rapid transitions between clips and high uses of effects. The edits are usually accompanied by pop music, usually music that’s recognizable enough to be seen by others. The edits of characters are created in order to show admiration towards the character and express appreciation towards the specific media being depicted. These edits first originated online on the platform Twitter/X, where users online made different edits/compilations of different Kpop idols. This type of editing style has since then dispersed onto other forms of media such as for characters in pop culture such as in TV Shows or video games.

La Llorona

Context/Q: What do you know about La Llorona?
GV: “I heard about it from like different stories that my grandma used to tell me. It was about a lady who drowned her kids in a river and now she haunts different kinds of rivers.”

Q: How did you hear about the story?

GV: “Yeah again, my grandma from my mom’s side would tell the story to me and my brothers. She also used it to like…scare us I guess. If we were being bad, our grandma would tell us that La Llorona would get us in our sleep.”

Q: Have you heard of the story anywhere else?

GV: “I guess basically every form of media. They’re pretty much all retellings of La Llorona but in their own way so like in the form of a book, movie, tv show, and more probably. I’ve also heard that other countries have their own interpretation of La Llorona.”

Q: Are you familiar with those interpretations?

GV: “No I just saw a TikTok explaining the different ways La Llorona is told in different countries. It might actually just be more Latin countries that have their own version of it.”

Q: Why do you think the story is so memorable?

GV: “I feel like it has to do with the story being really creepy and hearing about it super young. Like I think I might have been 8 or 9 when my grandma told me about La Llorona. I guess it just sticks with you I don’t know.”

Analysis: The story of La Llorona is widely known in Latin countries, telling the story of a woman who drowned her own children and now roams different bodies of water in search of them. It’s become widely recognized for its unsettling nature and being a myth passed down through different generations.

Rosca de Reyes/Wreath of the Kings

Context: The Rosca de Reyes/Wreath of the Kings is a sweet bread commonly made/consumed during January 6th, the Day of the Three Kings

“Every year on January 6th, many who are Catholic celebrate the Day of the Three Kings following Christmas. Because of this, we have a yearly tradition where we eat la Rosca de Reyes (Wreath of the Kings), in which it is a sweet bread that’s super good. You usually eat it with either hot chocolate or champurrado. However, the tradition also comes with a fun game. Inside of the bread are a few little white babies that represent Jesus when he was born. If your slice of bread happens to have a little baby Jesus, you usually have to make tamales the month afterwards. I don’t know if it’s the same for everyone though, I think some people make different foods.”

Analysis: La Rosca de Reyes seems to be a common tradition in many Mexican-Catholic Communities where many continue to celebrate the birth of Jesus after Christmas. The Biblical story of the Three Kings explains how the Three Wise Men traveled to see the birth of Jesus in order to deliver him gifts. Because of this, many celebrate this day with different foods, one of the foods being The Wreath of the Kings.

The Phrase “Lock in”

Context: The use of the phrase “lock in” has become widely used by many, especially from the younger generation (Example: gen-z)

MC: “Basically when something gets like super serious, usually someone will say ‘it’s time to lock in’ or ‘let’s lock in.’ Its basically like telling someone or usually a group of people that they have to focus to like win something like in a game or a race.”

Q: Do you know when you first started hearing the phrase?

MC: “Maybe like around the middle of senior year in high school (2023-24) when I heard people shouting it during football games or during track practice and it used a lot on social media like TikTok and Reels.”

Analysis: The phrase “lock in” has become a commonly used slang that was popularized through social media. Telling someone to “lock in” means telling someone to enter a state of focus/concentration in order for them to excel at their best. It has become a commonly used term, especially in common activities such as studying, work, or sports. It’s been seen as a positive term in order to motivate people to try their best.

Novena/Novenario

Context:

“So a tradition in Mexican Catholic families is when someone passes away there’s something called a novena or novenario. And this occurs right after someone is laid to rest. Family and friends gathers at a home [a relative’s] and will pray. They’ll use the rosary and say prayers. I don’t really remember which prayers are used or if it’s specific only to Mexican catholic families.”

Q: Did you or anyone in your family ever participate in this tradition?

“I think I only ever participated in it once. It was when one of my [aunts] died and we went to her home and stayed the entire night. I don’t really remember what happened though since it was a long time ago.”

Q: Have you ever partook in the tradition in recent time?

“No, not in recent time…I actually don’t know if people still do this tradition actually. I know my mom’s side of the family was super religious and would do this.”

Analysis: As the informant, NG, describes, a Novena/Novenario is a common tradition in Mexican-Catholic communities in which after the death of a family remember, the rest of the friends and family will travel to the person’s home (or a relative’s) and begin to pray for the deceased. Based off the information NG describes, a Novena/Novenario is done in order to pay respects to the recently deceased and to hope that they are well in another life.