Author Archives: Larissa Puro

Holiday Tradition – China

Nationality: Chinese-American, Mexican-American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Seattle, WA
Performance Date: April 29, 2008
Primary Language: English

Holiday Traditions

Chinese New Year/Traditions, Red Envelopes

Marissa described the Chinese New Year as a very family-oriented holiday, celebrating the beginning of a new year. Every year, a close friend or relative of hers has a party consisting of a big meal and a variety of little traditions.

The biggest tradition is when the older generation gives the younger generation red envelopes with money inside. Marissa said the amount depends on the person giving it and his or her relation to the recipients. The closer you are to a person, the more money will be inside the envelope. She has seen a range of everything from one dollar to $20. The reason behind this tradition is simply to kickoff a person’s good fortune for the upcoming year, she said.

In order to receive a red envelope, you must say (in Cantonese) “Kung hei fat choi,” which loosely translates to “Congratulations and be prosperous” in English.

Red is an important color on this holiday. People, decorations, and the envelopes are all adorned with red, as it is the color of good fortune and happiness

The meal consists of the typical traditional Chinese dishes of meat, vegetables and rice. Marissa also mentioned that sweets play an important role, and there is always a tray of candies, mooncakes (pastry), mochi (pounded rice balls), and crackers, though she can’t remember why or what they mean.

Because Marissa grew up with this tradition, she often does not know the meaning behind certain things. However, she said she truly enjoys it.

The Chinese New Year is a widely publicized occasion that is a good example of how foreign celebrations can become assimilated into a different culture entirely. I was taught the Chinese New Year traditions in my California elementary school, for example.

Annotation:

Bae, Hyun J. New Clothes For New Year’s Day. South Korea: Kane Miller Book Pub, 2007.

Folk Dance – China

Nationality: American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Portland, OR
Performance Date: April 30, 2008
Primary Language: English

Folk Dance

The Lion Dance – Chinese

Sky told the legend behind the Lion Dance: “Legend has it, a long time ago a [Chinese] village was being disturbed by a demon, and so the villagers asked a dragon to help them get rid of it. But the dragon was too lazy, so they asked two lions and the lions scared the demon away. Since then, at all types of gatherings and celebrations, people dress up as lions and dance to loud music to scare away demons and brig good luck.”

He said the performers of the Lion Dance wear a lion costume, which consists of a big lion head and usually a decorated blanket so two people can impersonate the movement of the lion’s legs and body. People of all ages can participate in the dance. Sky also said that the dance has started to evolve into a competitive sport with all sorts of new, difficult tricks.

Sky said that, visually, the dance is all about imitating a lion. The dancers will act out different stages, such as walking, jumping, eating, tricks, sleeping, and dancing. Sky himself has done the dance a few times and was taught by his Kung Fu instructor a few years ago. He performed it at a wedding and said it was “pretty cool.”

I find it amazing that one vague incident in China’s extensive past has resulted in such an enormous, extravagant tradition. This attests to the great respect and honor with which Chinese people regard their past and ancestors.

Also, the fact that a once traditional folk dance like the Lion Dance is becoming mainstream competitive sport is a common theme seen today. As with all evolved art forms like this, the meaning behind the tradition will eventually fade and the dance will just be performed for the dance itself.

Annotation:

Director Tsui Hark. “Once Upon a Time in China.” 1991.

Holiday Cuisine – Russia

Nationality: Russian-American
Age: 55
Occupation: Professor
Residence: New York
Performance Date: April 10, 2008
Primary Language: Russian
Language: English

Easter Food Tradition

Kulich and Pasha – Russia

On Easter, my mom would go to church and have a big Russian feast with her family. The traditional Russian dessert is kulich and pasha

Kulich is a cake baked for a long time in a coffee can. It is marked by its characteristic sweet dough made with egg yolks, sugar, and candied fruit. Her mother used to spend a long time kneading, punching, and letting the dough rise. After it baked, they would take it to the Russian Orthodox Church and have it blessed by the priest. On top of the kulich, they would write the Russian letters for “HB,” which stood for “Christ has Risen” in Russian.

They ate the kulich with the sweet spread, pasha, served on top. It was made out of cottage cheese, egg yolks, sugar, and raisins. Like the kulich, the pasha took a long time to prepare—it had to sit in the refrigerator for a week or two in a mold. They would pile bricks on top of it to drain the water.

My mom told me that the tradition surrounding kulich and pasha was very social. The community would go around and visit the different families, tasting each other’s recipes. Each family had its own secret recipe with an ingredient nobody outside the family knew. My mom’s family used saffron in their kulich. Afterwards, all the old ladies would sit together and gossip about the recipes, debating over which ones they liked. When I asked her how she felt about the kulich and pasha, she said they were delicious and suggested making them again soon despite the hard work.

I would definitely like to participate in this food tradition. It’s interesting how it starts off just with the family and by the end of Easter, becomes a community event.

The sheer length of time and amount of work put into making this dessert is probably what makes it so special. It also seems very rewarding to be able to show it off to other families after all the hard work.

Ghost Story – Santa Maria, California

Nationality: Mexican-American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Santa Maria
Performance Date: April 28, 2008
Primary Language: English

Ghost Story

The Haunted Auditorium – Santa Maria, CA

“My school is over 100 years-old and one of the original buildings is still standing: Ethel Pope Auditorium. I don’t know the exact year, ballpark—probably 50-60 years ago. There was play going on in the auditorium on a rainy night and on the way there, a high school girl performer got in a car crash and died on the way.

Somehow that night, she was still in the play, performing even though she was dead. Now sometimes during plays at night you can see her up on the catwalk above the stage, sometimes when you look up. You can see blood dripping off her head from the car crash.

I haven’t seen this, but here is definitely creepy shit going on in that building. Just weird things. There’s major temperature changes, hot some places cold in others. Then the lights will turn on and off sometimes and the doors would mysteriously open and close.  I think some of the people who run lights have seen stuff. Some people hear whispers or feel touches.

She’s not necessarily haunting; she’s just there. I’ll admit, it’s scary being in there by yourself. It’s just a huge empty building—there’s always weird stuff. It’s an eerie feeling. Girls for sure don’t go in there by themselves. Its fun to take other people to creep them out, though.”

Haunted house stories are always best when they’re local. I live near Santa Maria, and after telling me this story, Antonio has promised to take me to Ethel Pope.  Because of the details about the temperature changes and whispers, I’ll probably be on the lookout for them, and since all old buildings are drafty and make noises, I will surely be rewarded—and terrified.

The key to a story like this is the victim—given her age and gender, this story is all the more scary to me because I can relate to her. Also, because the speaker admitted his fear, the whole story becomes more real and scary. By saying girls “for sure don’t go in there by themselves” also hints at more danger that I could run into.

The only thing missing in this tale is a motive for the ghost to be hanging around the auditorium .

Ritual – Japan

Nationality: Japanese-American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Cypress, CA
Performance Date: April 28, 2008
Primary Language: English

Coming-of-Age Ritual

Japanese Coming-of-Age for Girls

Dana said in her Japanese family, when a girl begins menstruating, red beans and rice are prepared and eaten to celebrate her transition into womanhood. She said this is a widespread Japanese tradition, and that her family has been doing this “forever.”

The red beans stain the rice a pink color, which Dana said might be symbolic. Everyone in the family has to have a bit of it. When asked what she thought about this ritual, she said, “It’s really awkward.” Some people in her family who aren’t as traditional, her Aunt for example, use peas instead of red beans.

This kind of blatant recognition of womanhood is not prevalent in American society. There are no widespread rituals in response to a girl’s transition into womanhood. In fact, it is kept very quiet. I assume in Japan, the transition of girls into women is a much bigger and more serious celebration, and isn’t at all “awkward.”

In other cultures, it is common to recognize this transition—Jewish bat mitzvahs, for example. In the United States, the topic of menstruation and new womanhood is sensitive—almost taboo. Perhaps this American influence on the Japanese ritual is what makes it “awkward.”