Category Archives: Folk Beliefs

The Pre-Game Meal

The informant played football in high school, and he says his Grandma would always cook him a steak and a baked potato a few hours before the game.  It was a game-day ritual for the informant and his Grandma, and he never missed a meal.  The informant saw this meal as “the ultimate comfort food in the family”–the Grandma would also cook him this meal when he was sick.  His Grandma said this was food that would make him well and give him energy.  The informant appreciated these meals, and thought it was good luck to have this good, hearty meal before a game.

I agree with this interpretation.  Having a meal high in protein and carbohydrates makes good sense before a sporting event.  I’d also suggest that the “comfort food” value of the food may have also calmed the informant’s nerves as well before the game, in addition to filling his stomach.

 

Beer and Egg for Vitality

Nationality: American
Age: 66
Occupation: Retired
Residence: New Orleans, LA
Performance Date: 4/20/12
Primary Language: English

When the informant’s Grandma was a teenager, she was sick a lot—and the Grandma’s mother made her drink a special “elixir” to restore her vitality.  This elixir was half a glass of beer with two raw eggs cracked into it, first thing in the morning.  This drink was supposed to make the informant’s Grandma strong and to help her gain back weight if she was sick.

When the informant fell sick as a child, his Grandma would tell him that at least he didn’t gave to drink this “elixir!”  The informant believes this elixir exists because it was passed down in the  family for generations.  The informant also thinks this could be used as an elixir because it has lots of calories in it to restore health.

I agree with this interpretation.

Foot Cramp Remedy

Nationality: American-Bangladesh
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 4/10/2012
Primary Language: English

The informant was sitting at a kitchen table one day with his Grandma.  Suddenly, the informant began experiencing a painful, sudden foot cramp.  He reached down to grab at his foot in pain.  His Grandma, understanding what was going on, got up and told him to stay still.  She pinched the tip of the big toe that was cramping for several seconds, and all of a sudden the cramp vanished.  The informant’s Grandma told him that this folk remedy had been passed down for generations in the family–she had learned it from her mother.

The informant still uses the trick to this day, and says it works most of the time.  The informant thinks this “trick” might be partly psychological, but he also thinks that when you pinch the tip of your toe, you have to flex your foot a bit which increase circulation–and decreases cramping.

I agree with this interpretation.

 

Don’t Drink Water after Eating Eggs

Nationality: American-Bangladesh
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 4/10/2012
Primary Language: English

The informant’s grandfather always told him this when eggs were served at the breakfast table—don’t drink water right after you eat eggs.  Why?  Because, the grandfather said, it will give you really bad breath.  You have to at least eat bread in between, but drinking water right away is a recipe for disaster.

The informant says this is something his grandfather has often said at the breakfast table.  The informant said he doesn’t really believe it, but still remembers his grandfather’s words whenever he eats eggs.

I agree with this interpretation.  I would suggest that perhaps, one time, the grandfather or an ancestor of his incidentally was stricken with terrible breath after eating eggs and drinking water, and this was where this folk belief came from.

Love Hiccups

Nationality: American
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 4/12/2012
Primary Language: English

The informant was eating lunch with a Indian friend one day, and suddenly began hiccuping.  The Indian friend chuckled, and told the informant that when you hiccup it means that somebody that loves you is thinking of you.  The informant is actually a very frequent hiccuper, and so this belief was extremely satisfying to him!

The informant asked his friend where this belief came from.  The Indian friend said he learned it from his mom, but that he didn’t know where it came from or what the true meaning was. The informant offered no analysis of the belief, except the fact that he liked it.

I think this belief is a way to turn what can be a nuisance–a particularly bad case of hiccups–into a much more positive experience.  Hiccups are transformed into a reminder that one is loved, and that those people that love you are thinking of you.  It’s a poignant and comforting belief.  This belief may have survived for a long time, especially if it was passed down through a family with a history of bad hiccups!