Author Archives: Ava Oliver

Houston Rodeo

Text: 

“Every year I go to the Rodeo in Houston around spring break like in March. It’s really fun–they have a carnival and bull riding and petting zoos and lots of food and concerts. When I was little, I used to go with my parents and now I go with my friends every year. It lasts for a few weeks, so most years I end up going several times.”

Context:

My informant is from Houston. She claims that most people she knows who live or have lived in Houston have been to the Rodeo and even go regularly. She also has friends who have travelled to Houston to attend this event. She says that it is a similar event every single year and has been for as long as she can remember. When she attends the Rodeo, she usually wears cowboy boots, denim, and sometimes even a cowboy hat. 

Interpretation:

Rodeos are a common tradition in Texas and include a lot of cowboy and western folklore and represent the historical presence of cowboys and ranching lifestyle in the state. This history and lifestyle has now been turned into competitions and entertainment. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the largest rodeo in the world and occurs annually in March, tying this event to the calendar year. The Texan culture is further represented by the attire that my informant claims to wear, proving this is a tradition you can actively participate in. This tradition also brings people from all over the city and beyond together and even serves as a tourist attraction due to its popularity. 

Black eyed peas for good luck on New Year’s

Text: 

“Every year for New Year’s, my grandma comes over and cooks black eyed peas for us and we eat them with our lunch. She always said it’s for good luck and wealth in the next year and she makes us finish all of them that day, which is crazy because she makes a lot, and I don’t even like them that much.”

Context:

My informant is from Chicago and claims that her grandmother has done this every year without missing a single year since she has been alive. She does not think it makes a difference with her luck or prosperity. 

Interpretation:

This is an example of how traditions and superstitions can overlap. Her grandmother makes the black eyed peas annually on the same holiday with the same people out of fear that she will have bad luck and poor prosperity if she does not. It shows how traditions and superstitions can bring groups of people together over a common belief and/or activity. This is also an example of how food can be symbolic for something else and, therefore, become associated with superstitions. After a quick Google search, it seems that many people believe black eyed peas symbolize coins and, therefore, eat them on New Year’s Day for good luck and prosperity in the new year. 

Don’t open an umbrella indoors

Text: 

“Growing up, my mom always told us not to open umbrellas indoors because it gives you bad luck. She wasn’t that serious about it, though, it’s just something that she said. Like if it’s raining really hard she will open it inside so she doesn’t have to get wet.”

Context:

My informant is from LA, but her mom is from Michigan and learned this superstition from her own mother. My informant says that even though she and her mom don’t follow this superstition strictly, she does think about it every time she opens an umbrella. 

Interpretation:

This superstition, like many others, proves the common human fear of giving yourself bad luck. It also shows how superstitions can be passed down through generations, as my informant learned this one from her mother, she learned it from her own mother. This especially works if a superstition is taught at a young age, as young children are taught to obey what their parents teach them without questioning why. In addition, this is an example of how superstitions can be followed loosely. This family talks about this superstition and teaches it to each other, but only follows it when it is convenient for them. 

Stepping on a crack will break your mom’s back

Text: 

“I think it was at my kindgarten, where all the kids would say ‘stepping on a crack will break your mom’s back.’ Back then, the teachers would make us walk together as a class in line everywhere we went, so you could see everyone in front of you stepping over cracks in the sidewalk to save their moms, I guess. It was a big deal, too. Other kids would call you out if they saw you step on one, and I think some people even cried over it.”

Context:

My informant is from Austin and first learned this superstition in Kindergarten. She remembers following the superstition for approximately two years before stopping. She guesses that she either forgot about it or decided it was false. 

Interpretation:

This superstition is an example of how folklore can be spread at schools, particularly elementary schools or preschools. It reminds me of the cheese touch or cooties, as each of these are pieces of folklore that are turned into games by young children. This superstition specifically involves other people and reveals a deeper common anxiety about hurting loved ones. It also is an example of how rhyming can be used to define a specific superstition and help people remember it. 

Crawfish Boil on Easter

Text:

“So my dad’s from Louisiana and every year on Easter after we go to Church, we have a crawfish boil with the whole family and there’s music playing and my dad and his brothers boil the crawfish with potatoes and corn and sausage. All of my extended family goes so it’s pretty fun–we don’t get to see each other that much.” 

Context: 

As my informant mentioned, his father is from Louisiana, and he knows of many other people from Louisiana who have crawfish boils regularly. His family has been doing this for his entire life and even before he was born, although he does not know when the tradition started. 

Interpretation:

A crawfish boil is a great example of a tradition rooted in Cajun culture in Louisiana. As described by my informant, they usually include traditional Cajun food such as crustaceans and sausage. At the event, people come together to eat, showing how communal eating can create unity amongst a group of people. This group could be family, friends, colleagues, a combination of these, etc. Because my informant’s family associates crawfish boil with Easter, this example also shows how a tradition can become associated with religion, holidays, and the calendar, making them cyclic and ongoing.