Author Archives: Eric Finch

Tradition

Age: 25
Occupation: Commercial Producer
Residence: Hermosa Beach, CA
Performance Date: April 2007
Primary Language: English

Every Christmas season as children, Erin and her siblings would go in a car ride with their parents around the surrounding neighborhoods to look at the Christmas lights and decorations on houses.  They referred to this as a “jammy ride,” as they would wear their pajamas during the journey.  The term “jammy” refers to the pajamas they wore.

Erin said this tradition was a very important part of her Christmas season when she was a child.  They would go on one “jammy ride” every year and the children looked forward to it every time.  She remembers being in awe at some of the lights that decorated houses in some neighborhoods.  Her father, Barry, would read the local newspaper for houses that won awards for best decorations in their neighborhood and would take them to those houses as a special treat.  This tradition came from her mother, who did the same thing with her parents and sisters growing up in Tustin, California.

When she entered high school, Erin and her siblings stopped wearing their pajamas but still went on the annual jaunt.  Nowadays, Erin and her siblings have gone back to wearing their pajamas and restoring the tradition.  Erin says the trip is more for nostalgic purposes that entertainment as it takes her back to the times when she was a child with no worries in life and could spend hours staring at Christmas lights around the neighborhood.

I think this is a very quaint tradition that I hope Erin and her siblings continue with their children in the future.  I believe traditions like this to be a good way to connect the family together during a season focused around the family.

Proverb – American

Age: 53
Occupation: Housewife
Residence: Laguna Hills, CA
Performance Date: April 2007
Primary Language: English

“Don’t say anything if you can’t say something nice”

Sherri said she learned this proverb from her mother when she was a child approximately of age six from her mother.  Her mother taught it to her after Sherri had insulted her younger sister.  Her mother said “don’t say anything if you can’t say something nice.”  Sherri said since her mother taught her this proverb she has tried to think of it every time she feels the need to say something mean about one of her colleagues.  Sherri recalls her mother teaching her many proverbs at a young age.  She says this helped her learn many life lessons as a child in a way that was easy for her to remember.  She explains that she thinks has played a significant in the way she acts everyday.

This proverb is very important to Sherri as it presented to her a valuable lesson.  Ever since her mother told her this proverb, she has been more equipped to determine what is right and what is wrong.  It helps her keep a positive outlook on life and helps her affect other people’s lives positively.

Sherri has since taught this proverb to her children when they were approximately the same age she was when she first heard it.  She, like her mother, taught her children many proverbs while they were growing up to insure they get a grasp of many of life’s lessons from an early age.

The context in which this proverb is used is when someone insults another person.  An outside source usually tells them that you shouldn’t make comments unless they are positive and uplifting.

I think the interpretation of this proverb Sherri gave me was correct.  I do not think there is any other way to interpret this saying than that you shouldn’t say anything to somebody unless it is positive.

Tradition – American

Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Laguna Hills, CA
Performance Date: April 2007
Primary Language: English

Every Christmas season, Joshua’s family decorates a Christmas tree with ornaments.  On Christmas Eve, his mother hides a pickle ornament somewhere on the tree.  Then, on Christmas morning, Joshua and his sister look for the pickle in the tree.  The first person to find it receives a special gift, which is usually money, and supposedly a year of good luck.

Joshua says his family has been partaking in this tradition for as long as he can remember.  He says that as children, he and his sister would get very into it and would wrestle to try to get to the pickle first.  Ever since they each entered high school, the race has been less heated, with the two of them having a much more laid back attitude.

Joshua says he does not know the true meaning of this tradition, but knows that his mother did the same thing while she was a child.  While he originally thought it came from Germany, he informed me that he read an article which stated that its origins are unknown, and this tradition is widely unknown in Germany.

My informant says this tradition is very important to him.  Although it does not have a greater meaning behind it that he knows of, he says it is important to him because it helps give his family an identity with which they can pass on traditions to their ancestors.

Through research I conducted after the interview, I found out that in fact the origins are truly unknown for this tradition.  Many in the past believed it came from Germany, but few people in Germany know about this tradition.  I think it is important for families to have their own traditions they can pass down to their ancestors as it helps keep the family more together during the holiday season.

I found this tradition at:

http://www.sabineworld.com/12062002.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_ornament

Folk Belief – American

Age: 53
Occupation: Real Estate Investor
Residence: Laguna Hills, CA
Performance Date: April 2007
Primary Language: English

It is bad luck for whomever you are making a toast if you drink from a cup containing water.

Barry explained to me that it is considered bad luck for someone if you raise your glass filled with water to make a toast on their behalf.  He said that, traditionally, toasts are made using some sort of alcoholic beverage, such as champagne, wine, or a mixed drink.  However, he said that it is perfectly fine for children or those opposed to alcohol to toast using some sort of a soft drink.  The one thing that is not considered good etiquette is to raise a glass filled with water, as many view it as bad luck that you are wishing upon the guest of honor.

Barry remembers learning this superstition from his grandfather at a wedding he attended for his cousin when he was approximately age twelve.  A toast was being made so Barry, being the minor that he was, raised his glass of water in honor of the guest.  His grandfather scolded him for the action as he said it was rude and improper to do such a thing.

Barry said he did not know where the reasoning comes from to support this superstition.  He continued to explain that this, like many superstitions, could have roots stemming back hundreds of years that help clarify the reason this superstition exists.

Doing some research after the interview, I discovered that this superstition comes from the United States of America’s Navy.  The reasoning they use to support this superstition is that toasting with a glass of water is essentially dooming the person to be honored to a watery grave.  Now after knowing this it is much more understandable.  People in the navy spend large amounts of time on the water, so it would be bad to toast with something that could end one of their lives at any moment.  I have not been able to ask Barry since the interview if his grandfather was in the Navy or not.

I found this superstition at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toast_%28honor%29#Beverage_choice

Tradition – American

Age: 53
Occupation: Housewife
Residence: Laguna Hills, CA
Performance Date: April 2007
Primary Language: English

During a wedding, the bride and the groom typically cut the wedding cake and feed each other the first bites.  Sherri explained that in many American weddings, the bride and groom smear the cake on each other’s faces in the process of feeding one other.

Sherri explained to me that this tradition has been going on for many years, as she and her husband, too, partook in this activity.  She said she first saw it take place at a wedding in the early 1970s she attended.  While at first she thought the couple who did it was in for a long, eventful marriage if they were already having food fights, she came to realize the real reason they did this.

Sherri says that newly married couples do this in order to show that they don’t take anything too seriously, even their own weddings.  It is a way to take everything with “a grain of salt” so to speak.  It also shows that the couple is carefree and always up for a good laugh.  In addition, Sherri explained to me that it is expected at most American weddings nowadays, as those in attendance look forward to the bride with all her make up getting cake rubbed in her face.

After conducted the interview, I found that this tradition occurs at modern, Christian influenced weddings.  I have also discovered that it does not happen at all weddings as some more traditional peoples find this tradition vulgar and offensive to them and to the bride.  At nearly every wedding I have been to, I have noticed that this does in fact occur, and the crowd usually erupts with laughter.  I believe it is a good tradition for people to partake in, as it does in fact show that you have the ability to laugh certain things off and not take anything too seriously.