Author Archives: iaffalda@usc.edu

Italian Easter

Nationality: Italian
Age: 56
Occupation: Lawyer
Residence: Los Angeles
Primary Language: English

The informant is my father (referred to as FI) who is raised by two Italian parents and was raised in a very traditional Italian household. His parents have been married for 60 years and knew each other in their Italian towns since they were age 10. Easter is a big deal in Italian culture because it is a Catholic holiday.

 

FI: “Easter is, similarly to Christmas, more of week-long celebration than a one day holiday. All of Italy is very involved in events that occur that week. The Pope is out and about leading up to Easter.

On Easter Sunday people dress in green and white. Green and white are two of Italy’s colors but also I think it represents peace, hope, and resurrection. On Easter Sunday there is a lot of food, but also the traditional candies that we eat in America are not eaten. It’s not as much about Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies. I know doves are also released during this time and then everyone heads to church. Sunday mass is a huge part of Easter Sunday.”

I found this to be particularly interesting that these were the traditions my father grew up with because they were definitely not carried down to me/ his children. When I was growing up, Easter was all about the chocolate bunnies and Easter eggs and we rarely went to church. Despite the fact that my father grew up in a traditionally Catholic Italian home, I feel that we were not given a lot of those same traditions because he actually no longer identifies as Catholic. I believe that also now holidays are so commercialized, especially in the United States, so it is hard to celebrate them with many real traditions that aren’t centered around religious ideas or food.

Guatemalan Worry Dolls

Nationality: Guatemalan
Age: 15
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Primary Language: English

Screen Shot 2018-04-26 at 10.03.26 AMThe informant was my 15 year old cousin (referred to as LC) who was adopted from Guatemala when she was 2. She obviously does not remember her home, but she went back recently and I asked her if she had picked up any souvenirs or things she liked there and if she could tell me about them. She told me she bought a set of worry dolls (similar picture below).

LC: “When we went there were all these sellers everywhere. Most things were really colorful and bright but all made out of twine or thread and stuff like that. Everything was really brightly colored too.”

CI: “And what are the little dolls you got supposed to represent?”

LC: “Well they are worry dolls and apparently if you are worried about something, you are supposed to confess to the dolls at night and then put them under your pillow and then when you wake up in the morning your worries will be gone.”

The idea of a worry doll is quite simple, yet beautiful. To me it says that Guatemalan people are open to discussing worries and issues rather than withholding them where it boils up. I think that speaking your worries out loud and then letting it go and giving it to the worry doll is such a nice idea. I do wonder if it is a more commercialized tourist object now though and if the people of Guatemala actually use this method as a way to release stress.

 

China Temple Fair

Nationality: American
Age: 22
Occupation: Studen/Artsit
Residence: Los Angeles
Primary Language: English
Language: Chinese

The informant is my high school friend (referred to as LM) who is American and lived in China for 4 years (2 during high school and 2 after high school). She lived with a Chinese host family and then lived on her own in Beijing for 2 years. I asked her what one of the favorite experiences she had in China was and she explained this festival.

 

LM: “There was this temple fair that is a festival kind of and definitely a really fun social activity. The temple fair I went to took place when I was living in Beijing and it’s always around Chinese New Year. So basically I went to one called the Ditan Temple Fair.  The temple fairs are all usually on the open ground in or near the temple. Some are held only during the Spring Festival. Although there are a bunch of different fairs, they are all kind of the same thing.

 

Farmers and merchants sell their produce and antiques and stuff. It is almost like a flea market and you can always barter. There is a lot of jade out and there are always fresh flowers. Snacks are made and people sing and dance and there’s even storytelling going on. It’s a lot going on and it’s really fun. Most people are out and buying things or just watching the performances.”

 

Hearing about this festival seems very communal and interactive. In comparison to many other festival events and new years that seem to be less religious or less structured. It is obviously sacred because it is done outside of festivals, but it seems like a very free and relaxed experience.

 

 

Indonesian Proverb

Nationality: American
Age: 27
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Primary Language: English
Language: Indonesian

The informant was my cousin (referred to as LG) who spent 4 years being a Fulbright scholar in Indonesia. There she was teaching school girls English and art. She told me one of the Indonesian teachers would always say this proverb to the girls:

 

LG: “Bagai pungguk merindukan bulan. Which translates into Like an owl reaching for the moon.”

 

CI: “What does that really mean?”

 

LG: “It’s definitely kind of sad, It is basically saying, ‘you’re wishing for something impossible.’ I feel like the older Indonesian generations definitely tried to be what they thought was realistic with their students or children, but also it definitely could be seen as putting the children down.”

 

I find this particularly interesting because teachers in America are very encouraging and there is a strong sentiment that “The children are the future. But in Indonesia, especially in the village, my cousin lived, which was very poor, it seems that adults think it is important to not encourage the children too much. This proverb isn’t necessarily putting children down, it is just telling them not to dream too big.

 

Indonesian Proverb

Nationality: American
Age: 26
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Primary Language: English
Language: Indonesian

The informant was my cousin (referred to as LG) who spent 4 years being a Fulbright scholar in Indonesia. There she was teaching school girls English and art. She told me this proverb which she had heard from one of the host families she was staying with. My cousin got very sick and had a horrible fever and while her host family was taking care of her this:

 

LG: “I heard this proverb when I was really sick and had a fever of 104 degrees. It was rainy season and things were flooding and it was horrible and then I got terribly sick. My host family said, ‘Alah bisa karena biasa,’ which roughly translated to ‘One gains immunity against poison when exposed to it regularly.’”
This obviously is meant to be interpreted as “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” I think it is interesting they told my cousin this when she was really sick, as if perhaps they were saying she was weak for getting sick due to the flooding, because they had not fallen ill. Perhaps they felt they were immune to the sickness because they “were exposed to the poison regularly.” I believe this idea probably stems from living in poverty and for the most part, when something goes wrong there might not be a lot you can do about it, so it is a positive way to look at any negative situation. Essentially, you’re building immunity for the next time something bad happens.