Author Archives: Anna Cuesta

Indian money-giving superstition

Context: The participant, my roomate (intials NS), comes from an Indian family that now lives in the Bay Area. Both her parents were born in India and partake in the pra

Text:

NS: Anytime you give money to someone for a wedding or birthday, let’s say around $100, you’re supposed to give $101 or else it’s bad luck.

Me: Who is it bad luck for: you or the person getting the money?

NS: the recipient

Me: And what is it about adding $1 that’s ‘good luck?

NS: It’s not really the $1 but when a number isn’t whole or even its harder to divide mathematically. So it symbolizes growth and prosperity.

NS: Whole numbers are like ‘flat’ and ‘finished’ so by giving a indivisible number you’re giving out wishes of growth and endless possibilities to the person.

Me: Wow, so do you partake in this or have you just grown up with people who have.

NS: Well, I don’t really give a lot of people money haha but for the Indian holiday, Raksha Bandhan, my brother gives me an uneven amount of money?

Me: Can you explain this holiday?

NS: Yeah, so a sister ties a bracelet around her brother and in return, the brother gives her money. It’s supposed to be before the brother goes off to war, and the money would help her survive if he happened to die at war. The bracelet is also supposed to be for good fortune and symbolizes their bond.

Analysis:

The practice of adding a single dollar is a type of blessing in Indian culture. In this form of numerology, a round number represents completion or a closed cycle, which can symbolically suggest the end of a relationship, wealth, or growth. By adding one, the giver creates an uneven and indivisible number that is hard to find an even split of. This acts as a catalyst for continuity, ensuring that the gift remains open and invites future prosperity to follow. It effectively shifts the transaction from a commercial payment to a sacred offering, signaling that the bond between the giver and the receiver is meant to be undying and ever-expanding.

Stepping on paper superstition

Age: 20s Occupation: Student in Los Angeles Hometown: Kansas City, MO Genre: Folk Belief

Text

The participant believes in the idea that if one steps on paper or a book that will give them bad luck. The only way to ‘get rid’ of this bad luck is to touch the paper, touch your heart, and effectively ‘repent’.

Context

The participant mentioned that she learnt this from her parents and grandparents. The part where they mentioned the repenting they also said that their family is quite religious and practice Hinduism.

Analysis:

The fact that the participant learned this from parents and grandparents highlights the intergenerational transmission of folk beliefs within the family. Because the family is religious and practices Hinduism, this specific superstition acts as a daily reminder of their cultural and spiritual identity. The ritual serves almost as a socializing tool, teaching children from a young age that knowledge is sacred and must be handled with care. The counter-charm being to touch your heart also reinforces this idea by representing atonement between the individual and the divine.

“it’s spitting outside” for a light rain

Age: 20s Hometown: Tampa, FL (Originally Boston, MA) Occupation: Student

Context: The participant and I talking in our kitchen in our apartment. She is from the east coast, born in Maine, and has lived in Boston and Florida.

Text:

Me: “How heavy is it raining outside right now?”

Them: “Oh, it’s only spittin’ outside.”

Analysis: This is an example of folk speech, specifically a regional idiom used to describe a state of weather. When asked about where they heard it used most commonly, they said their family and grandparents who are from Boston originally even after moving to Florida they continued to use this idiom to express a light rain. Both places on the east coast are know for a lot of rain, so it is understandable that they might have multiple phrases to describe various degrees of precipitation.

Satanic group on Turnbull Canyon trail

Age: 20s Location: Whittier, CA

Context: This legend was shared during a classroom setting by a female participant (JG) who has lived in Whittier, CA her entire life. As a local, her knowledge of the area is rooted in community sharing and knowledge.

Text:

JG: I guess mainly from where I live there’s a trail called Turnbull canyon.

JG: Basically there’s legend going around that in between one of the trails there’s this satanic group that does animal sacrifices and other rituals.

Me: And where are you from?

JG: I live in Whittier, CA.

Me: So, have you ever gone to this specific trail or just heard about it?

JG: I just heard about it mainly. I’ve never been, at least I don’t think?

Me: Do you know where this spot is said to be located?

JG: It’s never really specified where it is on the trail. But I think it’s on the border between my town and the one over. Somewhere in between.

Me: Who told you about it?

JG: It’s a very popular story. I think I just heard about it in passing from friends and stuff.

JG: But I heard about in depth when I went to a track training camp near this trail and one of coaches had a lot to say. They even mentioned that the city has been trying to cover it up.

Analysis:

The legend of a satanic group Turnbull Canyon serves as a classic urban legend, placed on the border between towns, enhances its status as a dangerous, liminal, and mythical space. The classic satanic elements, such as animal sacrifice and occult rituals, are commonly rumored to exist in outlying areas between suburban towns. JG’s mention of a city cover-up adds a conspiratorial element that explains the lack of physical evidence while simultaneously increasing the story’s validity. Furthermore, the transmission of the lore through an authority figure like a coach validates the legend, elevating it from a story passed peer to peer to a cemented truth about the canyon.