Author Archives: yaejinch

Lift Your Feet Up

Nationality: Costa Rican
Age: 21
Performance Date: 4/25/16

“When my mom swept the floor, she made me lift my feet up because if my feet touches the ground or the mop, she told me I would be single forever or I would marry a widow.”

Right when I heard this, I knew this folk belief was directed towards children in order for parents to get chores done. There had to be something to scare the children with, thus, having to be single forever was incorporated. I actually enjoyed hearing this superstition because it was in someway cute and fun to follow and pass onto other children.

Destini Felix is a co-worker of mine. She is 21 years old, not married, no children, and working in an office. She was born in the United States, but raised with parents who have lived in Costa Rica. She was raised mostly by her mother because her father had passed away when she was a child.

For this specific folklore, it is one that Destini had grown up hearing from her mother. This is one that she randomly thought of while she was telling me about the other ones. Because her mother said this to her so often, she did believe it. She even mentioned to me that maybe because she did this is the reason why she has a boyfriend right now!

Dolnal

Nationality: Korean
Age: 21
Performance Date: 4/26/16

“In the Korean culture, we celebrate a baby’s first birthday. This is like a sweet sixteen, just when you’re one years old. The baby obviously doesn’t remember this celebration, but it’s mostly for the parents for raising their child successfully for an entire year. One tradition during Dolnal is when the baby gets to “choose” his or her future career. The parents will have laid out different objects in a line. Some of the things may be a stethoscope to represent being a doctor, a book for a lawyer, money for being rich, ect. Then the baby would be seated in front of the different objects and he or she would have to crawl over and choose an object. Whichever object they choose would be their future career!”

As a baby, I celebrated Dolnal as well. Obviously I do not remember any of this because I was only one years old, but there are photos that my parents have shown me. Until recently, I really thought a baby’s first birthday was celebrated this hugely in all cultures. However, I realized it was mostly with Koreans that parents invested in their child’s first birthday because I didn’t celebrate my sweet sixteen like some of my other friends did. I have been to other baby’s Dolnals and they are always great. It is a time to celebrate for their parents and a good time for friends to come together to admire the baby.

Irene Choi is a 21 year old, junior, studying Theatre Set Design. She is a friend that I have always heard about, but got close to because we took a class together. All the stories that she told me are from the Korean culture. She grew up living in the United States most of her life, so the folktales are whatever she heard and learned from her parents. She identifies herself as a second generation Korean, but tries her best to keep her identity as a Korean.

Irene told me her folklores in a casual setting. We were spending time together and I just randomly asked her to share any folklore she had.

 

Llorona

Nationality: Mexican
Age: 38
Performance Date: 4/25/16

“Don’t go to the river at night, or else the llorona will get you.”

“What’s a llorona?”

“A lady who drowned her children in the river, so now her spirit wants to drown other people.”

It was so fun listening to this legend because it sounded like a different version of the Loch Ness Monster or some type of mythical character. The Llorona being a woman who drowned her own children makes it even scarier. I was just slightly confused that it was her spirit that wanted to drown more people, not her children’s spirit. This seems like a well known legend after searching it online, but it was my first time hearing it.

Janneth Galeno is my co-worker. She works in an office. She was born in Mexico but moved to the United States and she has been living here ever since. She is married and has one daughter. She told me these traditions and stories during break at work.

With this specific legend, Janneth had grown up hearing about this and has even passed it onto her child. She told me that this legend was told because long ago, it would be dangerous at night to be walking around by someone alone. This prevented children especially to not wonder off somewhere by themselves.

Rip Up Tortilla

Nationality: Mexican
Age: 41
Performance Date: 4/25/16

“You can’t throw away a full tortilla in the trash. You have to rip it apart before you throw it away.”

“Why? Is it bad luck?”

“Yeah, but it’s more religious. It’s just rude to throw it away full.”

I can safely say that this is one of the most interesting customs that I’ve heard. I never really thought of it this way, but after hearing this, now I know I will consciously never throw away a full tortilla. It does seem rude now that I think of it because it is like throwing away untouched food. I thought the religion part that was incorporated into the meaning of this story made the tradition even more believable and respectful because it gives a sense of purpose behind why people would follow it.

Griselda Vega is a 41 year old mother of two sons. She also works in the office with me. She was exceptionally excited to share with me her culture’s stories and traditions which made it exciting for me to interview her. Griselda was born in Mexico and lived there until the age of 20, when she moved to the United States. At the age of 21, she was employed, and she works at the same office since then.

With this specific custom that she practices, Griselda told me that this is a pretty common practice in her culture. However, she told me that this was more than just culture, it was related to their religion as well. Throwing away a full tortilla was considered rude in their religion because it referred back to Jesus’s last supper where he broke bread for his disciples. Every time people tried to throw away a full tortilla, they would have to rip it up into pieces before they tossed it away.

Dog Poop

Nationality: Costa Rican
Age: 21
Performance Date: 4/25/16

“If you stare at a dog while you’re pooping,

You’ll get a pimple on your eye.”

I decided to label this folktale as humor because it was just very funny when Destini was telling me about it. I don’t know why it is a dog specifically, but just the fact that this statement states that we should not stare at anyone or anything pooping because it will result in a consequence of getting a pimple on our eye. It makes me wonder how this folk belief started; maybe it was to stop people from staring at others in a rude manner?

Destini Felix is a co-worker of mine. She is 21 years old, not married, no children, and working in an office. She was born in the United States, but raised with parents who have lived in Costa Rica. She was raised mostly by her mother because her father had passed away when she was a child.

For this specific folk belief, Destini does not believe in it, but it is another one of the superstitions she had heard while growing up.