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“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.
Category Archives: Protection
Pregame Visualization, Music, Prayer
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“So before lacrosse games I’ll always close my eyes and visualize what I want the game to look like for me. And I always, um, listen to like classical music. Kinda like, movies, like I listen to Interstellar sound tracks and like classical music like orchestra stuff or anything by Hans Zimmer to calm down. I don’t really like listening to loud music, I feel like calming down is helpful. And I always drink a lot of water and pray before games, just to help with calming down and like getting in the zone too.”
Context
HL says that unlike many of his friends, or many athletes of this generation, he dislikes loud (often rap) music and prefers calm classical instruments and soundtracks. He used to just go with the flow before games and mess around with friends, but for the past year or 2 he sets aside 5 minutes on the bus or in the locker room to close his eyes, tune everything out, and visualize and calm himself down. He will also pray to honor his faith of Christianity and keep him connected to God and have a strong mind during games.
Analysis
HL’s pregame routine is an example of a personal spin on a very common ritual for athletes to calm down and get in the zone before games. In his routine, he includes specific music choice, his Christian faith through prayer, and embodiment/performance through sitting with his eyes closed before every game. HL’s routine embodies Kaptchuk’s description of rituals, as his structured ritual is meant to transform him into a game ready mental state through sensory actions and attention to emotions. The embodiment/performance aspect of the ritual also shows that belief is more than just an idea of the mind, and can be present throughout one’s body. The act of getting mentally ready pregame was something that HL learned from his family as well as other athletes, but the specifics of his routine were created on his own, showing how even as folk lore is transferred, people put their own spins and interpretations of it. I think it’s really cool that everybody has their own ways and methods (multiplicity and variations) to achieving the same goal, which is being mentally ready and calm before a big moment like a performance, game, or interview.
Christian Ritual – Blessings, Bible Verse, Appreciations
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“Every day, my grandpa on my dad’s side sends me his blessings and a Bible verse in the morning, and I write it down every day in my notebook and I say three things that I’m grateful for and I also say well like what I guess the Bible like means to me so yeah that’s like a ritual or tradition of my faith that I do.”
Context
Having grown up in a family of devout Christians, IK explains that the daily routine of sending blessings and a Bible verse is one that his grandpa does for all members of his family. For IK personally, he also adds saying his appreciations and the meaning of the Bible to his daily routine as a way to honor his faith and start off each day strong.
Analysis
This is an example of a ritual in IK’s life that exemplifies his belief, which in this case is his Christian faith, and is an example of Kaptchuk’s ritual theory as repeated routines that create some emotional change. It represents a core piece of his family lore that has been passed from his grandfather to every member of his family and that he will continue to share to his kids and grandkids. This ritual also serves a specific function, as for IK the blessings, Bible verses, and appreciations are a way for him to honor his faith before the start of each day and go into each day with the strength of God behind him. For IK, this routine is not just a habit, it is a ritual that serves a specific powerful purpose each morning. As a Christian myself, this story strengthened my place in the Christian folk group because my mom and my grand uncle also send me daily Bible verses, and it’s cool to see that it is a common practice and one that I should continue to honor and eventually pass down to my kids.
Throwing coins in car
Context: the informant, AC, describes a tradition where you throw coins inside of a new car.
“When you first get a new car, you’re suppose to take a bunch of coins and like throw it in the backseat so that it gives you good luck when you’re like driving so you don’t, its usually like parents or friends.”
Q: How did you first hear about?
“It was when I first got my car and my dad just came running out of the house and he had a bunch of coins and he just threw them in the back…I had never heard of it before. I was like ‘dad, what is happening?’ and he was like ‘Oh I don’t know its just good luck so you don’t crash.’ It like came from back then you had to put coins into tolls and so in this way people give you coins so you don’t run out of money when you have to pay a toll.”
Analysis: Throwing coins in a car seems to be a tradition done by many after someone purchases their own car. People close to the person, such as family or friends, begin to throw coins in the back of a car in order for the person to be protected from any car crashes. The ritual originated from when people had to pay tolls with coins. In this way, throwing money in the back of the car not only ensures your safety and protection, but makes sure that you have enough money with you whenever you need to pay a toll.
Don’t Split The Pole!
Interviewer: “Please tell me more about your saying, with not splitting the pole.”
AK: “It is NOT just a saying. It’s serious. And to get it right, it’s ‘don’t split the pole.’ It determines whether you stay friends forever or not.”
Interviewer: “And how long have you known this for?”
AK: “Ever since I moved to America in 2022, my first friend told me. I’m super superstitious, so if I hear something, I’m not risking it.
Interviewer: “Ok, so please, share what this is.”
AK: “If any friend is walking with another friend…or a group of friends and you stumble on a pole..whethers thats a door with two different sides, a tall sign, or a short fire hydrant, anything that puts a fork in the path. If one person goes the opposite direction of the first person, that can sever the bond of friendship. It would mean that in the future, you could stop being friends down the line. So no matter what, I will pull someone with me if I have to; that pole will not be split.”
Interviewer: “I have seen you do that. Is there any way to reverse the split? To keep the friendship going, or could one accidental splitting of the pole forever break a friendship?”
AK: “It can be reversed for sure. Pretty easy, you just need to go back and go around the pole the proper way. A little inconvenient, I guess, but you gotta do what you gotta do to save the friendship.”
Context: My friend would always yell at me and the friend group if we ever split the pole while walking together. Always making us go back around or pulling us if we almost crossed the wrong side and almost crossed the threshold to killing the friendship with it. I have heard other people say it casually as a joke, but she takes it super seriously.
Analysis: This is a superstition about keeping friendships alive. This shows how easily superstitions can accumulate and be present in everyday life, as this superstition can occur more frequently than the off chance someone walks under a ladder or spills salt. It also shows how these kinds of beliefs can spread socially. People start to believe it themselves because their close friend believes it so strongly, and you also want to keep the friendship alive.