Author Archives: Ruochong Zhang

Fortune Cookies and Their Origins

Age: Adult man
Performance Date: 04/20/2026

Speaker: “I was told by a friend here that fortune cookies actually did not originally come from Chinese restaurants. He said they originally came from Japanese restaurants. During World War II, as you know, a lot of Japanese Americans were put into internment camps and had to leave behind their businesses.

Because of that, many of their restaurants and businesses were left behind, and the Chinese community had the opportunity to take over some of those Asian restaurants. Along with that, they also adopted the fortune cookie from Japanese restaurants.

So now, when you go to a Chinese restaurant and get a fortune cookie at the end of the meal, people think of it as something Chinese. But according to what I heard, it actually started in Japanese restaurants first, and then Chinese restaurants continued the tradition after that.

Fortune cookies are those small folded cookies that usually have a little slip of paper inside. The paper might have a short message, a prediction, or some kind of lucky saying. They are very common in Chinese restaurants in the United States now, especially after a meal, but they were not originally from the Chinese community.

That is basically what I know about it.”

Context: This conversation took place during an informal discussion about food traditions and common items associated with Chinese restaurants in the United States. The speaker explained that he had heard from a friend that fortune cookies were not originally Chinese, but Japanese. He connected this history to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, when many Japanese-owned businesses were abandoned or taken over. In his understanding, Chinese restaurants later adopted the fortune cookie, which eventually became strongly associated with Chinese American dining culture.

Analysis: This tale reflects a common folk explanation for the origins of the fortune cookie in the United States. It distinguished a origin clearly and it shows how food traditions can shift between communities and become symbols of a different culture over time. In this case, the fortune cookie has become widely recognized as part of the Chinese restaurant experience in America, even though its origins may be more complex.

Aircrew Farewell Traditions

Speaker: “In the United States Air Force, especially in the aircrew community, including pilots and anyone who works on the aircraft, there is a tradition for a person’s last flight. After they finish that final flight, the whole group gathers around them. People will bring out a hose, or sometimes champagne, and they will spray that person with water or alcohol.

Usually, by the end of it, the person is completely soaked. It is meant as a fun way to celebrate them and send them off. It is kind of a farewell tradition for someone finishing their last flight with the unit.

Another tradition that is pretty well known in the aircrew community is called ‘burning the piano.’ That tradition was passed down from the United Kingdom. Usually, when we do an exercise or a mission together with British forces, if the mission goes well and everything is accomplished successfully, then people will burn an old piano together.

Everyone gathers around it and celebrates together. It is supposed to mark the end of the mission and recognize that it went well.

I do not really know exactly how these traditions started. I just know that people have been doing them for a very long time. I think they probably go back to at least World War I or World War II. People have been doing them ever since.”

Context: This conversation took place during an informal interview about traditions and rituals within military communities. The speaker described two customs that are common in the aircrew community: spraying a person with water or champagne after their final flight, and the tradition of “burning the piano” after a successful mission or exercise with British forces. Although the speaker did not know the exact historical origins of either practice, he understood them as long-standing customs that have been passed down through generations of military personnel.

Analysis: These traditions reflect the importance of ritual and group identity within military communities. The farewell spraying tradition marks the end of an aircrew member’s flying career or time with a particular unit, transforming a formal milestone into a lighthearted and memorable event. The “burning the piano” tradition appears to have deeper historical roots and is often associated with British aviation culture. Even though many participants may not know exactly where the tradition came from, continuing it helps connect current service members to earlier generations. Both customs show how military groups create rituals that celebrate achievement, strengthen group bonds, and preserve a sense of shared history.

Coin Checks in the Air Force

Speaker: “In the Air Force, if someone does a really good job or performs especially well, they might be rewarded with a coin. These are usually special coins with the unit’s insignia on them, or sometimes with a special design or the insignia of a high-ranking officer. They are given out as a reward to recognize good work or outstanding behavior.

Most people have at least one or two of these coins. Usually, people carry them around because of something we call a ‘coin check.’

A coin check can happen when people are out together, like at a bar or during a gathering with the unit. If someone accidentally drops something metal, like a fork, spoon, or even a coin itself, and it makes a loud sound, someone will usually hear it and immediately take out their coin and hit it against the table.

Then they will start yelling, ‘Coin check, coin check, coin check.’

As soon as people hear that, everyone has to respond by taking out their own coin and hitting it on the table too. If somebody does not have a coin with them, or cannot put one on the table, then everyone knows they do not have one.

When that happens, the person who does not have a coin usually has to buy drinks for everyone else, or take a penalty drink themselves.

It is really just a tradition that has been passed down for a long time and is still kept around today.”

Context: This conversation is about the traditions and customs in the military. The speaker described the practice of giving commemorative coins as rewards for good performance, as well as the related tradition of “coin checks.” He explained that many service members carry these coins with them at all times because they may suddenly be challenged to produce them during social gatherings. If someone cannot produce a coin, they are expected to buy drinks or take a penalty drink.

Analysis: This folklore highlights the importance of group identity and shared symbols within military culture. Challenge coins serve not only as awards for achievement, but also as visible signs of membership and pride in one’s unit. The practice of coin checks turns these objects into part of a social ritual, encouraging people to keep their coins with them and reinforcing a sense of belonging. While the consequence for failing a coin check is usually playful, such as buying drinks, the ritual helps strengthen camaraderie and reminds members of their connection to the larger group.

Ghost Month and Not Swimming During Zhongyuan Festival

Date: 04/21/2026

Speaker: “When I was little, adults always told us not to go swimming during Zhongyuan Festival. That is the Ghost Festival, around the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month.

People say that during that time, the gates of the underworld open, so ghosts can come out. We call it ‘opening the ghost gate.’ Because of that, people think the whole month is unlucky, especially near rivers, lakes, beaches, and the ocean.

Adults would always say that if you go swimming during Ghost Month, water ghosts might try to pull you down. They would say the ghosts want someone to take their place, so they look for people near the water. Even if nobody fully believed it, people still avoided swimming because it felt unlucky.

During that month, people also burn paper money and other paper offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits. Families might burn paper houses, paper clothes, paper gold, or paper money. It’s basically an idea is that the dead can use those things in the afterlife.

A lot of families in places like Fujian, Taiwan, and Guangzhou still follow these traditions. Even younger people who do not really believe in ghosts might still avoid swimming during Ghost Month, just in case.

There is also a Taiwanese animated movie called Grandma and Her Ghosts that has a lot of these kinds of Ghost Month ideas in it. It is about ghosts, family, and traditional beliefs, so a lot of Taiwanese people know it from when they were kids.”

Interviewer: “Did you actually believe it when you were younger?”

Speaker: “When I was little, yes, definitely. If an adult tells you not to swim because ghosts will pull you underwater, of course you believe it. Even now, I still feel a little weird about swimming during Ghost Month.”

Interviewer: “So people still follow these traditions even if they do not fully believe them?”

Speaker: “Yeah. Even if people do not completely believe it, they still do not want to risk it. It is one of those traditions where people think, ‘It is better to be safe than sorry.’”

Context: This conversation took place during an informal discussion about Ghost Month traditions in southern Chinese culture. It was originally in Chinese and I use AI tools to translate. The speaker described beliefs surrounding Zhongyuan Festival, especially the idea that the gates of the underworld open during the seventh lunar month. She explained that many families in Fujian, Taiwan, and Guangzhou avoid swimming during that time because of stories about water ghosts pulling people underwater. She also mentioned the practice of burning paper offerings for the dead and connected these beliefs to childhood memories and Taiwanese popular culture.

Analysis: Ghost Month folklores remain especially strong in southern Chinese communities, particularly in Fujian, Taiwan, and parts of Guangdong. The belief that the “ghost gate” opens during the seventh lunar month creates a period associated with danger, bad luck, and wandering spirits. Water is often seen as especially dangerous because of stories about ghosts looking for living people to replace them. Even when people no longer fully believe these stories, they often continue following the customs because of family pressure, cultural habit, or superstition. The continued popularity of works like Grandma and Her Ghosts also shows how these beliefs are passed down through both folklore and popular media.

Tiger Auntie

Speaker: “When I was little, adults would always tell us the story of Tiger Auntie before bed. It was supposed to scare children into going to sleep early and not opening the door to strangers.

The story was usually about two sisters whose parents had to go out to work at night. Before leaving, the parents would tell them very seriously, ‘Remember to lock the doors and windows once it gets dark. Do not open the door for anyone.’

The two girls would stay home alone, and then later that night someone would knock on the door. The voice outside would sound just like their aunt or grandmother. She would say, ‘Open the door, it’s me, your auntie. I came to check on you.’

At first the girls would be scared and refuse to open it. But Tiger Auntie would keep talking and tricking them, pretending to be a relative. Eventually, one of the girls would believe her and open the door.

After Tiger Auntie came inside, she would pretend to be kind and caring. She might sit with the girls, tell them to go to sleep, or stay with them through the night. But actually she was a tiger spirit pretending to be an old woman.

Then in the middle of the night, she would eat one of the sisters.

The younger sister would wake up and realize something was wrong. Sometimes she would see bones, or notice that her sister was gone, or realize Tiger Auntie had claws or a tail. Then she would get very scared, but she would pretend to stay calm.

She would say, ‘I need to go outside to use the bathroom.’

Tiger Auntie would let her go, and then the little sister would run away and climb up a tree to hide.

Tiger Auntie would chase after her and stand under the tree, trying to figure out how to get her down. In some versions of the story, the little sister tricks Tiger Auntie into climbing the tree and then burns her. In other versions, she waits there until her parents come home and save her.

That was basically the story. Adults would tell it to remind children not to open the door to strangers and not to stay up too late at night.”

Interviewer: “Did people really think Tiger Auntie was real?”

Speaker: “When you are little, you definitely think it could be real. Especially because adults tell it in such a serious way. If you stayed up too late or wanted to leave your room at night, people would say, ‘Be careful, Tiger Auntie will come.’”

Interviewer: “So it was kind of like a warning story?”

Speaker: “Yeah, definitely. It was meant to scare children into listening to their parents, going to sleep, and not opening the door for strangers.”

Context: This story was shared in an informal conversation about childhood folklore and bedtime stories in Taiwan. The speaker remembered hearing the story of Tiger Auntie repeatedly as a child, especially from older family members. The story was treated as both entertainment and a warning, and was often used to teach children to obey their parents, stay inside at night, and avoid strangers.

Analysis: The story of Tiger Auntie is one of the most well-known folk tales in Taiwan. Like many cautionary tales told to children, it combines fear with a moral lesson. This type of story is passed by generations of people to let children be cautious. The tiger spirit represents danger coming from outside the home, especially danger disguised as someone familiar or trustworthy.