Category Archives: Folk Beliefs

Breaking a coconut for new beginnings- Superstition

Text:
Informant: “If you get a new car or you’re starting something new, you’re supposed to crack a coconut in front of it. For example, when my brother opened a new office he broke a coconut in front of the building. The shell is supposed to represent your ego and past karma, and the white part inside represents purity and your inner self, so then breaking the coconut represents breaking the ego and starting fresh. It’s symbolic, like a sacrifice. In India the coconut is also known as God’s fruit.”

Interviewer: “When was the first time you saw this done?”
Informant: “The first time was when we got a new car when I was seven or eight. My dad broke a coconut in front of the car. After that we did it for every car we’ve gotten.”

Interviewer: “Is this common where you’re from?”
Informant: “Yes, everyone I know back home in India does it. It’s very common. Even people who move abroad still do it usually when buying something important or starting something new, like a car, a business, or another new beginning.”

Context:

The informant is from India and first witnessed the ritual when their father broke a coconut in front of their family’s new car when the informant was about seven or eight years old. Since then, the informant’s family has repeated the practice whenever they purchase a new car. The informant explained that the ritual is widely practiced in India and is still performed by many people who move abroad, especially when starting something significant like a business or purchasing a vehicle.

Analysis:

This example reflects a superstitious ritual connected to ideas of luck, protection, and new beginnings. The act of breaking the coconut is believed to symbolically remove obstacles or negative karma before starting something important. Like many superstitions, the practice is performed at specific moments of transition, such as purchasing a car or opening a business.

While the specific practice described here involves breaking a coconut in India, many cultures have similar rituals that serve the same symbolic purpose of blessing a new beginning. For example, ships are often christened by breaking a bottle of champagne on the hull before their first voyage, and in Chinese traditions there are various house-blessing practices, such as boiling water when moving into a new home. The specific actions vary across cultures, but the underlying idea remain the same. Taking a functionalist lens, we can interpret these moments as uncertain and carrying a lot of anxiety and tension, so ritual actions help people feel that they are beginning a new venture with good fortune/protection.

Ghost at Winchester Mystery House- Folk Legend

Age: 20

Text:

Informant: “One time I went and visited the Winchester mystery house when I was 12 and the tour guide was telling us different stories of things people have witnessed while being in that house. And so one of the stories was that in the living room there was a fireplace and one of the men that worked there was a wheelbarrow guy and helped clean up. In the middle of the night, you can see his ghost cleaning the fireplace very rarely.”

Interviewer: “What is his ghost supposed to look like?”
Informant: “His ghost is covered in the ash.”

Interview: “Did you see the ghost or experience any paranormal activity yourself?”
Informant: “No, we went in the daytime.”

Context:

The informant heard this ghost story while visiting the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose with their family when they were about 12 years old.

Analysis:

This story is an example of a legend, a form of verbal folklore that takes place in the real world and is presented as something that could be believable or believed. The ghost of the wheelbarrow worker is tied to a specific location, the Winchester Mystery House, which helps make the story feel more realistic since there’s a tangible location already associated with anecdotes of experiences with paranormal activity. Legends are often connected to real places because the setting encourages listeners to question whether the event might actually be true.

At the same time, legends allow people to debate beliefs and explore uncertainty. Listeners may not fully believe the story, but they also may not completely dismiss it, and creating that sense of ambivalence that is central to how legends function. This specific tension between belief and skepticism encourages discussion about whether ghosts or supernatural events might exist. Even though the informant did not personally witness the ghost, sharing stories of reported sightings through tours or conversations help keep legends alive and continue to circulate and renew the legend for new audiences.


End on a make

Text

“Anytime I’m playing basketball like whether I’m just shooting around or I’ve just played pickup or after practice, my last shot before I leave the gym has to be a make. Like even if you’ve missed a bunch in a row you have to keep shooting till one goes in and then you can leave. I think this is like a pretty common thing with everyone that plays basketball and it’s just something I’ve always done and will continue to do. If I don’t do it I “just feel off” and have a feeling something bad will come my way as a result. I think it is because the idea of a basketball going in the hoop is a good thing, and if you end on a good note, it will set the tone for the rest of the day.”

Context

“I don’t remember where I exactly heard this first, but if I were to guess, it was something I saw many other people I played casual basketball with do. Because its so simple and its representation is a positive thing, I think I picked it up quickly without thought. I never really thought about ending on a make in an academic sense because I feel it is something all real hoopers do by default.”

Analysis

This is an example of a ritual because it is an action taken that holds symbolic meaning. It is used to manifest luck and repeated in the same scenario every time, which in this case is at the end of a basketball session. His point that most hoopers just know this rule and do it without thought shows how it is not formally taught to them by coaches or elders. This reveals that often time folklore is spread by watching and copying with shared beliefs. Basketball players or “hoopers” land in the same folk group because of their shared love for the game. This ritual to prevent bad luck is one of many folkloric aspects of this basketball folk group. Since folklore can have many variations of the same idea this ritual can be a make from any spot on the court and different folk likely have their own takes on what is the right spot to shoot from.

The Ghost story of Catalina Island

Text

“While on my CIMI trip to Catalina with my 7th grade class, one of our chaperons who also was our economics teacher gave us the option to hear a ghost story late at night. Me and my boys, who I was rooming with, were all confident that we wouldn’t be scared so we went. When he started telling the story, I was spooked when he told us that the burned down house on the hill we say today was haunted. Several of my friends were too scared to sleep alone, so eight of us piled into a 4 person room. One of my friends was the only one who thought our reactions were funny and felt we were dumb to believe the story. The rest of us slept like sardines on the floor of the dorm and were scared the rest of the trip. When I would open my eyes at night I sometimes thought I would see red hair in the window, but to this day I do not know if I was hallucinating or not.”

Context

“Apparently, it was the home of a red headed girl who got lost one day in the canyon and never came back. After she died, he claimed that she came back to haunt the island and would show up at night to terrify kids. I remember him saying she comes and grabs your feet if they are not covered by a blanket and takes you away. After hearing this story, we were all petrified and I remember how our fear brought us all together. This story is known by many Catalina natives, especially the ones who work near or at CIMI.”

Analysis

This ghost story is a good example of a legend because it shows how they could be true but there is no concrete facts to prove it. Many forms of folklore are similar to legends because they are often informal and lack historical evidence that is proven. Like this ghost story, legends and other forms of folklore are created through belief, and when there is belief there are usually contradictions. However, when legends are performed and passed on, they are shared with confidence as if they are proven to be true. Like his friend who did not believe the story, there are many who follow and live by legends such as religion, and others who strongly refute it. Legends are important as folklore because they create uncertainty and debates, prioritizing belief over facts. The location and time of day this story was told also shows how environment contributes to folklore. Since it was a dark night and the story took place where they were, their fear was heightened and they were able to bond on shared trauma, showing how legends mysterious aspects create connection.

Armenian Genocide

Text

“This is the story of my great grandma. At four years old, the Ottoman Empire came bursting into her city, raiding houses and killing anyone who resisted. On a snowy night, she escaped, and would never see the rest of her family again. Trudging through the snow with no shoes, she could see a church steeple. The nuns saw her and invited her in with open arms. At first, they spoke a langauge she did not understand. Eventually, a nun spoke to her in the Armenian language. “We are lucky to have found you. You may stay here as long as you like.” Still too weak to speak, she nodded yes.

They lived together for several years. My great grandma learned she was living in a German convent, and the nun learned that the little girl’s name was Heghine. Every day, Hegine studied reading, writing, and speaking the Armenian language. With the teachers, she learned many wonderful things as she grew up. After years passed, Hegine grew to be a happy, humble, and very smart girl. One day, her favorite teacher came by to sit with her in the rose garden and said “My dear Hegine, the time has come that you continue to a bigger school. There is an Armenian school in the city of Jerusalem. Would you like to go there?”

“I will be a little nervous to go, but I will also be happy. I am very very thankful for this time I have had with you here at the convent.” Just before sunrise, Hegine and her beloved teacher arrived at the train station. They said their goodbyes, and Hegine got on the train. On the train, Hegine sat in a seat by the window, and while the train started moving, she watched the mountains as the sun began to rise.”

Context

“I heard this story from multiple people in my family. In particular, my uncle even made a short story describing her story which gave me a strong sense of what she went through to eventually raise a family that I am part of today. It is very important to my family because her resilience to survive a genocide resulted in my family and I getting to live a fortunate life in the US. Her story is a lesson to us to always be grateful for our opportunities and never give up hope.”

Analysis

This story reveals how family narratives serve as folklore due to their passing through generations. These type of folk stories create cultural identity and connect personal history to larger groups such as the Amerian people. The story demonstrates the value of perseverance and gratitude in everyday life. This survival story connects Amerian identity to family history and maintains the memories of the past. Because of this family lore’s importance in their family, it shapes their collective family identity and becomes a story they all learn and continue to pass it down to future generations. Through the creation of a short story, the varied narratives of the great grandma’s story are reduced and everyone in the family gets the same account, allowing them to all resonate with the same messages.