Category Archives: Folk Beliefs

A Spoon Under A Pillow

Text: “As a kid, me and all my classmates believed in this superstition where if we put a spoon under our pillow before we went to bed, it would mean that school was canceled for a snow day. It was pretty common in Colorado when snow was forecast; everyone would sleep with a spoon facing upwards so that it would essentially “catch” enough snow so that school administrators would call for a snow day in the morning.”

Context: My informant – a 22-year-old man from Monument, Colorado – told me about this superstition that he recalled being very prominent among school children in the place where he grew up. He explained to me that this was something young kids began to believe in from the moment they began their education, and it became a habit for children to sleep with a spoon under their pillow when it was forecast to snow because they wanted to somehow manifest a heavy snowfall so that school would be canceled the following day. I asked him if this was a superstition people continued to believe in, and he said that the majority of people stopped placing spoons under their pillows around the time they moved into high school, but it was and is still talked about among older age groups. He said that he learned this superstition from his older siblings and he began to copy their action of sleeping with a spoon under their heads; however, he explained that it was a superstition that somehow was just ingrained in every child’s mind where he grew up. 

Analysis: The superstition of placing a spoon under the pillow to bring about a snow day reveals interesting insights into the values and beliefs prevalent among school children in Colorado. This tradition reflects a desire for unexpected freedom and a break from the routine of school. By engaging in this ritual, children sought to exert a sense of control over external circumstances, hoping to influence the weather and prompt school administrators to cancel classes. At a deeper level, this superstition highlights the significance of community and shared beliefs among children. My informant’s recollection of this practice being widespread among classmates underscores the social aspect of folklore, where beliefs and rituals are passed down and collectively embraced within peer groups. This shared experience fosters a sense of unity among children, reinforcing their connection to each other and their environment.

Additionally, the eventual decline in the belief of this superstition as children transitioned into high school reflects the evolving nature of folklore and belief systems over time. As individuals mature and gain new perspectives, certain childhood rituals may fade away, yet the memory and discussion of such superstitions continue to resonate among older age groups, illustrating the enduring impact of childhood folklore on personal and collective memory. The superstition also reflects the anticipation and enjoyment associated with snow days in regions like Colorado, where heavy snowfall can disrupt daily routines. The superstition serves as a playful manifestation of the shared desire for spontaneous joy and temporary relief from academic responsibilities, embodying the cultural value of embracing the unexpected and finding delight in communal traditions.

Theatre Pre-Performance Ritual for RENT

Main Piece

“[This ritual] is very common: the whole team tapping a sign before a game. In RENT, we have a plaque hand-carved by Jonathan Larson’s uncle that he carved when he died that his sister gave us. She came in and talked to our cast, and her and his college roommates gave us this plaque for the duration of our show. And it’s this big hand-carved plaque that says “Thank you, Jonathan Larson” on it. It’s hung up backstage, and after our group circle, we all have to go up to it one by one [before every performance] and like, place our hands on it and thank him before we go onstage to perform…Really simple, but we all do it and constantly remind each other of it and it’s really important to our cast.

Some of us like, if we’re feeling especially emotional, will literally sit in front of it and cry. I’m so serious, I’ve done that, ’cause Jonathan Larson is really important to me.”

Interpretation

Informant Interpretation: Informant related ritual to common sports team rituals of tapping a specific sign for luck or protection before a game. They also mentioned that the pre-RENT performance tapping of the sign was a means of “community building” and enabled cast members to “ground themselves” and “remind themselves about why they’re doing this piece of art.”

Personal Interpretation: This is clearly an important tradition to the informant and their cast, furthered by the subject matter of RENT (queer people living in NYC during the HIV/AIDS crisis) and fact that its creator, Jonathan Larson, died one day before the musical’s original opening in 1996. The sign is a physicalized reminder of the humanity and weight the show carries, and gives the cast members a material way to remember the real people it’s grounded in before going onstage. To me, it sounds like tapping this sign is a ritualized remembrance of the responsibility to tell and represent an important, nuanced story to the audience, and for the cast to honor the people around them–cast, crew, relatives, friends, and more–as well as the source of the art they’re bringing into the light.

Background

Informant is a 21 year old college student studying theatre at USC. The performance of RENT mentioned happened this semester, with rehearsals running January-April and performances in April. It was put on by the USC School of Dramatic Arts–informant performed in the ensemble for all performances. Informant is mixed race (white and Pacific Islander), and identifies as queer and fem-presenting.

Evil Eye Jewelry

Main Piece

Informant told a story about the Evil Eye within Arabic communities, involving a ritualistic wearing of an object (and phrase, within some communities).

“So the concept of the Evil Eye is that you have to wear it somewhere on your body, otherwise when people think bad thoughts about you it’ll come true, and then, like, the Evil Eye absorbs them all. And then, once it’s absorbed too much, it breaks…this is only in some Arabic cultures, but when someone goes ‘Oh my god, I really love your purse,’ they have to go ‘مَا شَاءَ ٱللَّٰهُ’ (informant then translated phrase as “praise be to God”) after it, otherwise you have to give it to them – like, cause then the Evil Eye will get you. It’s kinda like a “oh my God, I love your earrings!” and now they’re jealous, so if you don’t give them the earrings or they say ‘مَا شَاءَ ٱللَّٰهُ,’ their jealously will start ruining your life – like seep into you.”

Interpretation

Informant Interpretation: Informant heard about it from his Mom, who told him to wear it all the time for protection. “It wasn’t something I learned, it was just something I knew.” He still frequently wears Evil Eye jewelry as a method of protection for himself, and knows many others who do. He sees it as something more inherent to his family and society, and directly associated with paying attentions to others’ emotional states.

Personal Interpretation: This is an example of a folk belief or superstition involving a ritualistic object and many ritualistic tendencies, primarily practiced as a method of protection for oneself. I personally found its interaction with ‘magic’ to be the most interesting–the idea that someone else’s negative thought of you could seep into you feels like contagious magic to me, which wearing the folk object (Evil Eye) or repeating a ritualistic phrase can protect you from.

Background

Informant is a 20 year old college student primarily raised in Birmingham, UK. He is male-presenting, Black, and of Sudanese descent, and speaks English and Arabic fluently.

Dumplings for New Years

Nationality: Korean
Primary Language: English
Other language(s): Korean
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: LA, California
Performance Date: 3/20/2024

Context:

My informant, DH, is a friend of mine from my freshman year at USC from Los Angeles, California. I talked with DH one night in second semester freshman year about our families and our relationships with them. I knew his brother and asked him about their relationship, nothing too personal, just random talk. That was until he mentioned a party that he and his family threw during new years which got crazy and fun. I asked him to elaborate and he said that at this new years party, which is similar to Chinese new years parties, his family made dumplings and they all had a feast with it, along with a party.

Text:

“Ok, well my family does this thing where we get together, eat dumplings and just gossip together for new years. It’s like Chinese new years but not the same for us because we don’t celebrate it for the same reasons, because, you know, we’re Korean. But we don’t even really celebrate Korean new years either. But yeah, that’s what we do. Though I wouldn’t really say it’s a family tradition, more of like a uh, a festival. Like yeah we do this every year but we do it as a way of celebrating our family’s connection, that’s why we essentially just yap the whole time with each other, the party is kinda like, symbolic of how close we all are with each other.”

Analysis:

I did some of my own research on this topic and found out that yes Korean Lunar New Year is a thing and it is, well, in Korea, usually seen as the biggest holiday of the year, and it is a day when the entire family gathers in hanbok, traditional Korean clothes, to do saebae, which is the most important tradition. However, DH’s family seemingly acknowledges this cultural tradition and twists it into their own family festival where it represents how far they have come as a family. I’ve never seen this sort of festival or idea get explored before within Korean cultures when doing my own research but I still find it interesting how DH’s family still ties this Korean Lunar New Year idea and tradition into their own personal family festival instead of something tied just to cultural identity and nationality.

Silky Black Skinned Chicken Soup

Nationality: Chinese/Vietnamese
Primary Language: English
Other language(s): Mandarin, Cheo Chow (Chinese Dialect)
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: LA, California
Performance Date: 3/12/2024

Context:

My informant, AC, is a friend of mine from my freshman year at USC from Los Angeles, California. I talked with her about food one day in second semester freshman year after getting some soup for myself while out at lunch. On that topic of food, we touched on soup, as this is what I was planning to eat. As we discussed soup at this point, all different types of it, she mentioned that at home, she would have this chicken soup with the skin of the cooked chicken still in it, but the skin was burnt black. I questioned her further about this and she said it was a natural homemade remedy and all around good soup that was apparently, as discussed with her parents, supposed to cure her asthma and other illnesses, as a sort of magic.

Text:

“So basically, this soup would help me feel better whenever I was sick or whenever I had asthma attacks or problems. I could never figure it out, but whenever I had it, my sicknesses would just seemingly disappear the next day. And with asthma, if I ever had wheezed or anything worse, I would have this soup and then my breathing issues would just dissipate. But, I don’t know how it works, though I know it does. Again, it’s pretty strange, magical almost.”

Analysis:

Well I did a bunch of research on this topic and ended up finding out that black skin chicken soup, also known as Black Bone Soup, is a popular Chinese dish which is said to have exceptional medicinal properties. Based on my research, apparently, dark meat of black chicken breeds like the Kadaknath or cooked black skin chicken provides a rich source of carnosine, which is a protein-building compound that has antioxidant properties. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, this black chicken soup recipe tonifies (balances, stabilizes, or unblocks) qi (chi)/energy in the body. It is also believed to strengthen the liver and kidneys, nourish the blood, and improve immunity and overall energy. So, in turn black chicken soup can indeed somewhat help stabilize breathing issues due to asthma and act as an aid to sickness symptoms. Apparently, black chicken has been known since the 7th century, and it is believed that eating these chickens, known in China as gu chi, ‘chicken with black bones,’ has a beneficial effect on human health. This has been a recurring theme in Chinese culture for centuries, and based on multiple human health articles I’ve read so far, its benefits are seemingly scientifically accurate. It’s extremely interesting for me to see this form of folk medicine and near magic to be used and be historically proven to work as well. I’ve dealt with my fair share of folk medicine personally, but this one, not only have I never heard of it, it blows my mind to see how beneficial it is in the field of science when dealing with its positive effects on the human immune system.