Author Archives: John West

Lucky Cat

Nationality: American
Age: 43
Occupation: Realtor
Residence: Orange County, CA
Language: English

TEXT:

“When Butterscotch sleeps with me it means I am going to have a good day, and when she sleeps with ___, it means she’ll do good on her nursing tests”

CONTEXT:

Butterscotch is a cat owned by the informant and her family. She holds folk beliefs about the power of the cat as on several occasions, after the cat has slept with her or her daughter, they have had good luck the next day.

ANALYSIS:

In this scenario, the cat is acting as a sign. A sign is an object, or animal in this case, that helps viewers interpret the world around them. Here, if the cat decides to sleep next to the informant or her daughter, they interpret that to mean they will get a good grade on an exam or have a good day at work. This sign emerged due to personal experiences; they took note of many occasions where they had a good day and the cat had slept with them the night before. This reinforced to them that the cat was a sign of good luck. This sign is also a source of motivation for them. Although the cat is not going to help the informant’s daughter study, or assist the informant in work, it may give them confidence. Just by believing that their day will go well, they will feel more assured in their decision making abilities, which may lead to them getting a good grade or having a good day at work. This demonstrates how signs can have psychological impacts on those who are looking for them. It could also be representative of the affection they have for the cat. Since they love the cat, they cannot associate it with negative energy or influence.

Happy Birthday on Christmas

Nationality: American
Age: 43
Occupation: Realtor
Residence: Orange County, CA
Language: English

TEXT:

“When I celebrate Christmas with the extended family, so like a day or two after Christmas day, we get a red velvet cake, candles, and sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Jesus”


CONTEXT:

The informant said this tradition started when she was young, but she does not remember who started it. She hopes her family will continue the tradition when they move out and start families of their own.


ANALYSIS:

This tradition blends holiday rituals with religious beliefs. This blending is fairly common, with most of what is considered holy days being appropriated from other festival days. Christmas and Easter, two of the most widely celebrated religious holidays, were originally not associated with Christianity, but were later appropriated by the Catholic church. The traditional rituals associated with birthdays, such as the candles that are blown out and the song they sing, are extended to Jesus, who Christians celebrate the birth of on that day. The candles typically signify the passing of another year of life and the song, which is considered a folk song due to it not having an owner, is meant to celebrate the growth of the person whose birthday it is. In addition to the traditional birthday rituals, the informant mentioned that the cake is specifically red velvet. This could be a reference to traditional Christian beliefs about the blood of Jesus, mainly that it purifies the sins of believers. Thus, eating the red cake could be a symbolic representation of embracing her sacrifice for this family.

Special Dinner

Nationality: American
Age: 43
Occupation: Realtor
Residence: Orange County, CA
Language: English

TEXT:

“Every Christmas, or other important days like graduations and stuff, we go to Riptide for dinner to celebrate. We’ve been doing this for a while now and we always look forward to it.”

CONTEXT:

Riptide is a high-end teppanyaki restaurant, and the informant began this tradition because she only wanted to spend the money on special occasions. Now, it has become a regular component of her Christmas celebration, to the point where it is just expected that the family will be going.


ANALYSIS:

This ritual showcases the ritual license effect. This term refers to how people get a pass on holidays or special occasions to act differently than they would any other day. On an average day, the informant would not pay for the expensive dinner, but when it is a holiday, the expense is much more justifiable. Additionally, this ritual follows a calendar cycle as it is scheduled to occur on specific days of the year. This means the family anticipates when it is going to happen and gets to look forward to it as another part of their Christmas celebration.

Throwing Pennies in a Fountain

Nationality: American
Age: 23
Occupation: Waitress
Residence: Orange County, CA
Language: English

TEXT:

“Well, I’m one of those people who throw coins into fountains. If I have some loose change on me, and there’s a fountain nearby, I’ll throw in a penny or something for good luck.”

CONTEXT:

The informant stated that she took up this ritual due to her dad. Her dad would throw pennies into fountains as she was growing up, and she adopted the habit into her own life. The informant says that she is aware that the ritual may not have any effect on her life, but she does it anyway.

ANALYSIS:

This is an example of a magic folk belief. This means, the participant believes that they can change the world around them by enacting a ritual. This particular one is fairly common, and it appeals to a sense of karma. By putting a coin into a fountain, the person is surrendering something with monetary value, and in the future they will be rewarded with good luck. It is a demonstration of someone’s lack of greed; they are not fixated on hoarding money as they willingly toss it into a fountain. Then, the universe or some divine being blesses them for it. Another component to this is the impact water may have. Water is typically associated with cleansing power, so by throwing a coin in a fountain, the person may be symbolically cleansing themselves of their wrongdoings. Then, they are free to be rewarded as they no longer hold the toxic energy associated with impure actions.

Ornament Ritual

Nationality: American
Age: 23
Occupation: Waitress
Residence: Orange County, CA
Language: English

TEXT:

“So every year, on Christmas, my parents buy me and my siblings an ornament that is supposed to represent something we did that year. This year I got an ornament of, like, a little blender, which is a reference to how I have to make shakes at Ruby’s for my job. Then, the next year, we get to hang them up and reminisce over what we did the year before”

CONTEXT:

The informant later clarified that the tradition began when her oldest sibling was born and her parents wanted to purchase an object that reminds them of their child’s birth. This then continued with each child getting one year after year. The most enjoyable part of the tradition, according to the informant, is when they get to hang up their personalized ornaments when decorating a Christmas tree. 

ANALYSIS:

This tradition is an example of a ritual tied to a holiday – it is considered an important part of the informant’s Christmas celebration. Many holidays and their corresponding rituals emphasize the passing of time, and this ritual is no different. The ornament is meant to be representative of some event that happened during the year so the family can reflect on what changes or milestones they experienced with the passing of time. It celebrates the growth each child has had, starting from their birth. It also adds another component to the traditional decorating of a tree, as each year the kids grow they will have more ornaments to decorate it with. Thus, the tree itself would be representative of the years the family has been together. 

This ritual can also be seen as symbolic of the family unit. Each child gets their own unique ornament that reflects their personal growth. However, the ornaments become a unit when they are hung up together on the tree. It illustrates how each member of the family has their differences, but they share a common identity with each other by being members of the same family. In addition, the ornaments working together to make the tree visually appealing can be seen as a reflection of how the family supports one another with the ultimate goal of building a successful life for each other.