Bleaching Hair

Nationality: Guatemalian
Performance Date: 4-23-18
Primary Language: English

Main Piece: Bryan: So at Bell High school the wrestling team had a tradition. So every year before the championship tournament every single team member… even coach…we would all bleach our hair. Some would do the whole head, like me. Some would do a stripe. Then the next day we would all have a huge lunch. Like I mean gigantic where would bring lots and lots of food into the wrestling room and we would all eat and just feast… then after we would huddle in a group and give thanks and well pray that we would win. Me: I have heard of people wrestlers bleaching their hair but I never heard about the feast. Bryan: Yea so actually… bleaching the hair is a thing for wrestlers. Like a lot of different schools do it, not just Bell. Me: Why do you bleach your hair and have a feast? Bryan: Just because we want to. Hahaha. I am just messing with you. It is actually like a luck and unity thing. By dying all of our hair, we like become one group. Also bleaching your hair is supposed to be lucky. I am not sure why. I would have to get back to you on that one. You know but the food and everything is for that unity. We are a team. Kinda like a family is made by doing this tradition. We pray for good luck but we also pray or everyone’s safety. I mean you could really get hurt wrestling.  Me: Awesome. Would you say that this tradition is important to you? Bryan: Definitely… when I was still in the team it was like a day we all looked forward to. It sounds cliché but it was our teams way to say we are a family. Win or loose.  Context: I had interviews Bryan the previous day and he the sent me a text message stating that he forgot to tell me about another tradition. I called Bryan around 3 pm on Aril 22, 2018. We talked through the cellphone and I used a voice recorder to capture everything. Background: Bryan was born in Guatemala but came to the Unites States when he was a baby. He was raised in a predominately Hispanic community. He is currently attending California State Long Beach where he is studying Philosophy.  Analysis: The wrestling team tradition of dying their hair, having a feast, and praying displays folk belief. The team does not have evidence that this tradition provides luck to win and protection to the team; however they still do it every year. It is interesting to see a team be passionate about a superstition they only learned from their fellow teammates.