Category Archives: Folk Beliefs

Predicting the future with Turkish coffee grounds

Age: 21

“After we finish the coffee, some people, some people will read coffee, cups, or to read someone’s coffee cup. You know, we are reading and they are trying to predict their future. You wait for 15 minutes and then you are gonna see some symbols in the bottom of the cup. You cannot read your own future, only someone else’s. My mom was a reader, one time all my aunts, my relatives, were coming to our house.They all drink Turkish coffee, and after they finished, they put two coffee cups upside down, and they are waiting for 15 minutes. After that, my mom takes all the cups, and step by step, my mom was trying to read the coffee cups with symbols inside of the coffee and telling them what’s going to happen, but she never says bad thing. She was saying, in three months you will get a big surprise from someone that sort of thing, right? Yeah, you will go abroad next year. Or some special person, one special person will visit you in

five months. My mom once told my aunt, you’re gonna get big money from somewhere in the next year. And that year, my aunt won the lottery.”

Context:

The informant didn’t believe in the validity of the readings, even though his mother predicted his aunt receiving a large amount of money. This practice is called kahve falı, and the “symbols” referenced are the patterns of the coffee grounds in the bottom of the cup. This is still very popular in Turkey and its youth, partially just for entertainment and partially because of belief in the contagious magic. 

Analysis:

The coffee grounds being believed to provide insight into the future of the person who drank from that cup is an example of contagious magic. The structured performance of the reading, creates a setting in which the mother, is awarded authority as a folk specialist, with which she offers optimistic predictions to family members. Her refusal to make a negative reading highlights the emotional and protective function of the tradition, especially in female-centered gatherings.

Sole of the shoe facing up, disrespecting God

Age: 21

Text:

“If you have sandals and you put the sandals on the ground upside down, its a bad thing. It means you are disrespecting God. This is for any shoes, it’s disrespect. I learned this when I was little. I don’t care anymore, but some people believe that.”

Context:

The informant learned this in childhood, and said it is a very common belief, and attributed it to the Muslim majority in Turkey.

Analysis: 

In Islamic countries (and Muslim-majority Turkey) shoes are considered dirty because they touch the ground which is unclean. To turn the bottom of your sandal or shoe upwards, towards God, is to show him disrespect. The informant no longer cares, demonstrating secularization, but there is belief negotiation – they respect that others, many not Muslim, abide by it. 

Protect My Grandchildren Ritual

Age: 20

Text: This practice comes from the person’s grandmother’s side of the family. The ritual blends cultural traditions with personal spirituality and takes a modern tweak of a ritual that was rooted from an official Baha’i ritual.

Context: “Ever since I was a child, whenever we visited my grandmother, she would burn incense. It wasn’t for any special celebration or event; she just did it whenever we came over. She’s Persian and has practiced the Baha’i faith most of her life, but this incense thing wasn’t strictly Baha’i. I see it more of a cultural and familial tradition. She always said it was to protect us from demons, especially the kids. When I first saw this happen, I just never really understood this practice; mostly because when I was a kid, it was just literally smoke. But after growing up, I really started to appreciate the gesture and protection of my grandmother.”

Interpretation: Burning incense as a protective act is a tradition present in many other cultures. In Persian households, this practice often blends Zoroastrian or folk beliefs with newer religions like the Baha’i faith. In this case, it functions as a quiet, domestic ritual of care, centered on shielding children from unseen harms. Though not explicitly religious, it holds a strong spiritual meaning and demonstrates how rituals can coexist alongside formal religion as intergenerational protection.

Chinese Acupuncture

Age: 21

Text: Acupuncture is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine involves inserting fine needles into specific points on the body to balance qi (energy flow). It’s often paired with moxibustion, the burning of herbal heat sources near the skin.

Context: “My uncle had chronic back pain, and instead of going to a Western doctor, he went to a traditional Chinese acupuncturist. They placed needles all down his spine and in his legs. After a few sessions, he swore he felt better. My family really believes in acupuncture. They think it works with your energy, not just the muscles or nerves. When I still did sports during high school, I regularly went to a clinic for acupuncture because my mom really pushed and swore that it would make me feel better. I went regularly and I won’t lie, I think I only really felt the effects when my pain was really bad or just really exhausted. Either way, it did help in the long run in my opinion. ”

Analysis: Acupuncture is one of the most widely practiced elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine and is based on the belief that health comes from balanced energy (qi) flowing through pathways called meridians. The placement of needles stimulates these points to restore balance, reduce pain, or treat illness. While now recognized globally, acupuncture is still practiced in many Chinese communities as both a clinical treatment and a cultural ritual. It reflects a worldview that links the body, nature, and energy systems and offers an alternative to Western biomedicine that prioritizes harmony over symptom suppression. From what I’ve seen, it’s slowly (even though it’s been around for a very long time) entering people’s awareness because chiropractic is becoming more popular and I’ve seen people get confused between the two. More and more people have been using acupuncture as it is an easy way to soothe aches.

Snow Traditions 2

Nationality: American
Age: 14
Occupation: High School Student
Residence: Morris Plains, NJ, USA
Language: English

These were local rituals done to bring about a snow day. Kids would pressure each other to do them before bed, hoping the more people who did them, the more likely it would be that a snowstorm came. 

“I remember when we first turned our pjs inside out before bed. [J](his brother) told me about it for the first time. We turned our pjs inside out, flushed ice cubes down the toilet, and put a spoon under our pillows. All of these done with a lot of people hopefully would bring more snow to town. I remember telling a big group of friends they had to send pictures of their inside-out PJs and spoons under pillows to their moms to send to my mom.” 

This ritual doesn’t have a designated time besides whenever a kid can’t take another day of school. These rituals are passed between friends mainly in cold communities. The peer pressure to participate is very interesting because it shows the heavy belief these kids take in turning pajamas inside out or putting a spoon under their pillow. Kids are very superstitious before they learn how the world works scientifically. Most people grow out of these superstitions after they learn about precipitation.