Category Archives: Folk Beliefs

Nosebleed Cure

Nationality: Indian, Chinese, American

Primary Language: English

Other language(s): N/A

Age: 19 yrs

Occupation: Student

Residence: Plano, Texas

Performance Date: 2/10/2024

Text:

“Oh yeah, well whenever I had a bloody nose in my house and my mom was around, she would tell me to pinch and squeeze my left pinky and then the blood would stop after a few minutes. She told me this when I was really young and I’ve been doing it since. I mean I’m pretty sure it works, like I feel like the blood kinda stops when I do it. My mom always said it was a sort of acupuncture technique that her mom taught her and so on. So I mean I still do it, it reminds me of childhood.”

Context:

My informant, TF, is a friend of mine from my freshman year at USC, from Plano, Texas who then moved in late childhood to LA. I remember one day in the first semester of freshman year, our friends and I were talking about our families’ backgrounds, a way to get closer to one another, and one of us mentioned the topic of family traditions. I remembered TF mentioning having a sort of folk medicine tradition in his life that he still does. He just simply talked about it but never went into full detail. But once I heard about this project, I thought it would have been perfect to question him further about this topic.

Analysis:

This is a family tradition TF says, but I did some research to see if it’s well known, and apparently, according to Harvard Health’s article: Stopping nosebleeds: a pinch will usually do the trick, this is a rather uncommon but still scientifically acceptable way to stop a nosebleed. According to the author and Dr., Mary Pickett, “Most nosebleeds occur when a blood vessel in the nose’s soft cartilage leaks. These are called anterior nosebleeds. Posterior nosebleeds come from blood vessels higher up in the nose. It makes sense to treat every nosebleed as if it is an anterior one, and to try to stop it at home. You will be right 94% of the time.” She then explains to pinch a finger, a thumb most likely, and hold until it goes away within a few minutes. I find this really interesting. I had no idea that pressure points in your fingers could stop nosebleeds. I also would love to know where TF’s mother’s mother learned this from, maybe it’s a generational thing for TF. I mean this article was published in 2013 and based on TF’s age at the time he says around which his mother told him about this, the article wouldn’t have been made yet. This passed down ‘nosebleed cure’ could be a traditional family technique for TF, maybe one of their family members was a doctor, or got lucky, or was told by another friend, peer, or even anyone with medical ties.

Food God

Nationality: Malaysian

Primary Language: Malay

Other Language(s): English

Age: 21

Residence: Los Angeles

Text

“You’re not supposed to shake your legs while eating because it means you’re not enjoying your food, and instead you’re finding some sort of entertainment by shaking your legs. This angers the food god, and the food god will stop providing you with food.”

Context

This informant was born and raised in Malaysia, and they recently moved to the United States for university. He grew up being told not to shake his legs when at the dinner table.

Analysis

In this informant’s culture, they rely on gods to bring them wealth, health, and happiness, so the informant and his family put effort into pleasing those with authoritative power – which are, in many cases, the gods. In this specific instance, this superstitious taboo is used to keep children from moving around superfluously while they’re eating their meals. Although in some cases the “food god” might actually refer to the “food god”, in many cases, the “food god” is the parents. While it this superstition is spiritual in nature, it also has a utilitarian purpose: the fear of the gods serves a way for parents to discipline their children.

Longevity Noodles

Nationality: Chinese/Russian

Primary Language: Chinese, English

Other Language(s): N/A

Age: 22

Residence: Los Angeles

Text

“For birthdays, we like to celebrate by eating Yee Mein noodles because it’s like wishing someone a long and happy life! Because, y’know, the noodles are long.”

Context

This informant is Chinese/Russian and moved to Los Angeles when she was young. She celebrates family birthdays by eating Yee Mein noodles.

Analysis

This custom is celebrated by the informant and her Chinese family members. Eating long noodles is like wishing someone a long and happy life. In this tradition, there exists a very visual connection between the material and the spiritual. The custom is superstitious in nature. Noodles – a common food in the informant’s culture – are made special when they are physically longer than typical noodles. The difference in the physical constitution of the noodles symbolizes something new, different, and good. By celebrating this tradition on beloved family birthdays and wishing the birthday man or woman good fortune, celebrators are brought closer to one another on a spiritual and cultural level.

Don’t split the pole

Nationality: American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Language: English

Text:

A superstitious practice that dictates that when two people walking together encounter an obstacle (such a pole), they should stay together and maneuver around that obstacle on the same side, rather than passing by the obstacle on either side, as is often most convenient.

Context:

The informant first learned of this superstition while attending college at USC in Los Angeles.

Interpretation:

This superstition conveys a clear message that staying together is preferable while breaking apart is bad luck. The unsaid implication is that the bad luck generated from splitting a pole would be regarding the relationship between those two who split the pole. It seems as if this superstition functions as a sort of performative gesture, in which the performance of this action serves to makes something happen. For two people to stay together while walking around an obstacles bodes that they will stay together in their relationship when they encounter their own obstacles.

The Land that Howls

Nationality: Ethiopian/Italian

Primary Language: English

Age: 21

Occupation: Student

Residence: Los Angeles

Date: 2/20/2024


Text:

“In Eritrea, there is a town named Nefasit, meaning the village of the wind nested in the mountain highlands. Because of its high elevation, the wind frequently picks up and due to the shape of the surrounding mountains will make a lot of loud sounds. They say that the sound comes from our ancestors reaching out to us, and that the tone of the sounds lets us know of their intention. 

When the wind howls, it is them warning us to stay vigilant as danger nears. And sometimes when the wind hits the mountains the right way it vibrates everything with a humming that sounds like music. This means that the ancestors are pleased with our decisions and that good fortune is upon us, usually in the form of a woman blessed with a child or a fruitful new season.”

Context: He recounts the story behind a region in his motherland Eritrea. This is a known story that he heard growing up through his family. He explained also how important nature is in the country of Eritrea and how they are very in tune with the land around them. Therefore they listen and take in signs that mother nature is trying to show them and use it as a vice to predict the future. 

Analysis: It was really charming learning how a piece of folklore was so interconnected to mother nature. A distinguished tie to nature is rare from my own community, so hearing another community’s strong acknowledgement to nature and how that ties into their traditions is very insightful. My interpretation of the story is that the people of that region are very in tune with their surroundings and have gone through centuries of receiving signs from their environment that indicate fortune or misfortune.