Category Archives: Folk Beliefs

College theater beliefs

Informant: I know we did this in college, but you always have to leave what’s called a “ghost light” on stage. I think the idea is that if all the lights in the theater go out, it’s bad luck, like they won’t come back on the next day, so you leave one light on.

It’s literally just a single light bulb on a pole that rolls, and you place it on the stage when everything else is off.

Context : Informant has participated in main stage theater productions at the university and has experienced this superstitions themself. Informants knew about this superstition when they were in high school, but did not practice it until they were in college. Informant attends school in Southern California. 

Analysis: This is quite classic theater-based superstition. Traditions like the ghost light are widely recognized within theater communities and are passed down informally rather than taught in any official way. The ghost light functions as both a practical object and a symbolic one. While it may have a safety purpose (preventing accidents in a dark theater), it is also tied to a belief that leaving a light on wards off bad luck or ensures the theater will function properly the next day. This, while not a conversion superstition, is more of a ritual meant to prevent misfortune, even if participants don’t fully believe in the consequence.

Family Black Magic

Informant: “So there’s this thing in my family called “black magic.” I was taught it when I was really young, probably around six or seven. I remember my sister and I sitting in my grandparents’ living room, and they were like, “Alright, you guys are old enough now to learn black magic.” Before that, they had done it for us a few times, and it always felt like actual magic.

Basically, it’s this “power” in my family where one person leaves the room, and someone else stays behind to lead. The rest of the group picks an object, and everyone in the room knows what it is, except for the person who left. When that person comes back in, the leader starts asking questions like, “Is it this object? Is it that object?” and somehow, they always guess the right one.

There’s actually a method to it, but for the longest time, I thought it was real magic. Eventually, they taught us the trick, so now I know how it works.

Now it’s one of those things, if I’m ever with my sister or anyone from my family, we can do it anytime. It’s still really fun, and it still kind of feels like magic.”

Context: The informant is from the East Coast, and the family is Italian American. This occurred throughout her childhood, and was taught to her as a young adult. She is aware it is not actually magic, but believes that thinking it is magic is a part of what makes the tradition in her family so important. 

Analysis: This is a clear example of family folklore. The practice of “black magic” is a structured guessing game, but it is framed as something mysterious and exclusive, which gives it the feel of folk magic or supernatural belief, especially for younger participants.

The way it is taught is important. Being told you’re “old enough now to learn” creates a sense of initiation, a common feature in folklore where knowledge is gradually revealed. Before learning the method, the informant experiences it as real magic, showing how folklore can rely on partial belief or suspended disbelief, particularly among children.

College Theater Macbeth Superstition

Informant: Yeah, actually—when I got to college, there were a lot fewer theater traditions. But one thing we usually still do before shows is kind of tied to theater superstitions, especially around Macbeth. You’re not supposed to say “Macbeth” in a theater, and if you do, there’s this whole ritual you’re supposed to follow to undo the bad luck.

I think what we do comes from that idea. Before a show, we all chant together:
“Shit, damn, motherfucker, motherfucker, damn, this dumb bitch just stole my man, gotta find another fucker better than the other fucker—shit, damn, motherfucking motherfucker, damn.”
And then we repeat it a couple more times, getting louder each time.

It’s kind of our way of shaking off nerves and maybe warding off bad luck.

Context: Informant has participated in main stage theater productions in university and has experienced these superstitions themself. Informant did not learn about this conversion superstition until they came to university. Informant attends school in southern california. 

Analysis: The knowledge about the superstition around saying “Macbeth” during the production of a show is fairly widespread. However, the conversion superstition performed in this entry is not as common. It represents how niche folk groups can make their own beliefs. This performance of a conversion superstition is not something the informant was familiar with when they participated in theater in high school across the country, so it could possibly be evidence of more regionally folk belief as well. This conversion superstition is performed to comfort the actors in a show and help them fight back against any fear they might have at their production being harmed by an individual saying the words “Macbeth.” 

Colombian New Year’s Grapes

Age: 22

Text
“A tradition that my family has, it’s a Colombian tradition, is that on New Year’s Eve when it hits midnight I eat 12 grapes in the first 12 seconds of the new year under the table. So like my siblings and I will crawl under the table and literally just like, basically just stuff grapes into our mouths as fast as we can and it basically means good luck for the whole year.”

Context
CM describes a Colombian tradition that has always ran in her family for as long as she can remember. It’s a tradition that she does along with her siblings every New Year’s Eve to New Years transition, and it’s held in high regard in her extended family as good luck. CM also says that she isn’t sure when she started participating or who started it in her family, she just remembers participating every year.

Analysis
The 12 grapes tradition is a Colombian/family tradition that CM has participated in since she was young. She doesn’t remember when it started or who taught it to her and felt that it was always just a part of her life, which shows how folklore is disseminated informally through participation. This tradition includes aspects of sympathetic (specifically homeopathic) magic, with the relation between 12 grapes, 12 seconds, and 12 months of the new year working to create good luck. This tradition is also part of the holiday/festival that is the New Year’s celebration to transition into a new year filled with positivity and luck.

Pregame Faith Wrist Tape

Age: 21

Text
“A superstition or tradition that has been a part of my life for a while now is before football games, I tape up my wrists and I write GGM on my left wrist. GGM as my mantra saying God got me and I know that whatever happens on the field, God got me and it’s a part of his plan so that helps me kind of destress before the game and it’s been a powerful thing in my life.”

Context
LS has developed his own pre game tradition that connects his faith and his sport of football. He has always worn wristbands and wrist tape for games, but since the later years of high school he started writing GGM as he became more involved with Christianity. LS says that many athletes, both on his team and professionals, will write notes of their faith on their equipment, and it’s a very strong way to stay connected before and during the game and keep calm.

Analysis
LS’s ritual is a great intersection between material culture, rituals, and religious folklore. Writing his mantra of “God got me” is a way for LS to honor his faith and belief in God before every game, as well as managing his uncertainty and feeling a sense of ownership over the unknown events that will happen in the game. This ritual ties into his place in the Christian and athlete folk groups, as many athletes have superstitions around material culture like clothing, and writing notes of faith is a way to channel good luck into special objects/clothing (Sims, Stephens). It’s also somewhat of a magic superstition for LS, as he believes that the combination of honoring God and writing the mantra and his wrist tape will lead to more positive outcomes in the game.