Category Archives: Folk Beliefs

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.

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.

Minor Genre: Gesture – The Moutza

  1. Text: Gesture of someone thrusting their open hand forward at someone else, all five fingers spread out. Used in Greek culture.
  2. Informants Context: I come from a family of Greek immigrants who haven’t necessarily chosen to teach me about this gesture, but I’ve inevitably learned it from them. The moutza is the Greek equivalent of the middle finger, for better or worse. It’s definitely less offensive than the middle finger and can be used more playfully. It’s ultimately a confrontational gesture though, meant to be displayed as a form of disagreement. The sign also has some superstitious connotations as technically the person giving the moutza is sending a curse to whoever is receiving it. This curse generally just means bad luck. The place I most often learned and observed this from was with my Papou (grandfather). He’s an entrepreneur, completely self-made from the villages and may rank among the smartest, most boss guys I’lve ever known in my whole life. That said, sometimes he has been known to blow the fuse a little bit, and when he does, it’s the moutza that he whips out (laughter). If he wants to double insult someone, he might throw his other hand behind the one that is already thrust open, layering the two of them like pancakes. That’s the ultimate disrespect. This gesture is recognized by Greeks globally but rarely in other cultures. An open hand like the moutza might even be misunderstood as a friendly gesture by certain cultures, including in America where it could be seen as something like a high-five. I personally use the moutza in a mostly fun way, in the kinds of spaces where I could get away with that kind of offensive joke. For example, when I’m with some Greek friends and we’re having a laugh, I might throw it one of their faces to get a reaction. They’ll understand I’m being funny and play along.
  3. Collectors Interpretation: The moutza is firstly a demonstration of power by Greek people. When used in a non-playful context, the gesture is clearly rooted in a show of force or intention to shame people. This might reflect a greater value on the part of Greek people about personal pride and their eagerness to defend it. Moreover, as a potential way to “curse people”, the practice could be seen as a form of contagious magic. It functions on multiple levels as a demonstration of folklore. The fact that the gesture is not universally understood, reflecting different contexts in different parts of the world, continues to demonstrate its folklore roots. It is a practice specific to Greek people, inside the country and abroad, but nonetheless specific to culturally attuned Greeks. This might also reflect a broader culture within Greece surrounding how its people perceive confrontation. If the purpose of the moutza is to pass shame onto someone who has done you wrong, perhaps this reflects a value towards honor. Shame cannot be of value without dignity simultaneously being a high-priority as well.

Fields

AGE: 21

Date_of_performance: May 9, 2025

Language: English

Nationality: American/Greek

Occupation: Student

Primary Language: English

Residence: United States of America

Haldi Doodh- “Golden Milk”

Nationality: United States
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Language: English

Text: “Whenever I get sick, like with even a cold or just a runny nose, my mom will always make me haldi doodh. It’s warm milk mixed with turmeric, black pepper, and honey. She heats the milk then stirs in the spices and has me drink it before I go to bed. She always tells me how her mom gave her the same tea and now she has the privilege of doing the same for me. It has a weird earthy taste but it always helps and I start to feel better the next day.”

Context: This element of folk medicine was shared by the informant, D during a conversation about home remedies passed down through generations. D explained that whenever she is sick her mother will make haldi-doodh, also known as “golden milk”. This remedy comes from Indian tradition and is passed down through generations, with D’s mother having learned it from her own mom. While it has a strong earthy taste, D associates it with comfort and feeling better the next day. 

Analysis: This is an example of folk medicine passed through generations, emphasizing both cultural continuity and caregiving. Haldi doodh is both a physical remedy and a symbolic act of love and care. The turmeric, black pepper and honey that are used are tied to traditional Ayurvedic beliefs that view food as not just nutrition, but also as powerful medicine. Given that this remedy is always given before bed, it is also a comforting ritual. This practice shows how folk medicine not only physically heals but also acts as a vessel for expressing love across generations.

Banging Pots and Pans on New Years 

Nationality: Mexican-Filipino American
Age: 22
Occupation: Engineer
Residence: Irvine, CA
Language: English

Text

“Every New Year’s Eve, right when the clock strikes midnight, my family rushes outside and we start banging on pots and pans like our lives depend on it. It’s loud, chaotic, and silly if you are a neighbor watching next door.

We don’t do this tradition just to make noise for fun, we are scaring away bad spirits. My Lola would say, ‘Make it so loud the malas (bad luck) can’t follow us into the New Year.” i feel like this tradition is not about silence and reflection. It’s more about being loud, communal, and kind of joyful. It shakes things up and clears space for something better.

Every year, no matter where I am, I find something to bang. When I’m not at home, I’ll use a cup and spoon if need be. Because for me, the noise is more than just a tradition. It is a way of saying that we made it to a new year and that we should chase bad spirits away and welcome what is to come next.”

Context 

The informant reflects on a recurring family ritual: banging pots and pans at midnight on New Year’s Eve to ward off bad luck. She traces the tradition to her lola (grandmother) and describes how this action has remained central to her family’s New Year’s celebration.

The informant highlighted how rituals passed down through generations become markers of cultural identity even when performed in different settings from where her grandmother originally would do this to where her family does it now.

My interpretation 

From a folklore perspective, banging pots and pans on New Year’s Eve functions as a protective folk belief ritual that’s aligned with what James Frazer termed magic superstitions. In this case it would be conversion magic where action is required to prevent misfortune. The practice is not institutionally religious but it operates within a system of vernacular spirituality and community belief that’s passed down through generations in domestic spaces.

The ritual also fits within a life cycle of belief systems surrounding transitions and thresholds like what Victor Turner would call a liminal moment. The striking of the pots is part of a ritual of noise that marks and manages a cosmic shift. Symbolically, the sound disorients evil, clears spiritual residue from the old year, and prepares the household for prosperity.

This ritual functions as both cultural preservation and performance of identity. It’s an informal act of heritage that resists assimilation by rooting the celebrant in a shared memory and practice.