Category Archives: Protection

Sleep with Jesus and the Angels

Nationality: Mexican-American
Occupation: Student, Business
Residence: Los Angeles, California
Language: English

Informant: “My mom would say ‘sleep with Jesus and the angels’ ever since I was a kid. It definitely has roots in Christianity; my mom is pretty religious. I think it made her feel better having put us to bed saying that. But also to get us to think about god and have it on our minds when we go to bed. She used to always say the first thing you should do in the morning and the last thing at night is pray. The Jesus and the angels part, I guess, has to do with the guardian angels watching over us. Knowing that we’re protected and taken care of.”

Context: The informant’s mother would say this to him when tucking him into bed. Both the informant and his mother are Christians, and his mom is fairly devout. He interprets it as his mom’s way of blessing him before bed and getting him to become closer to God. He also believes that a piece of this was rooted in his mom’s own worry. She wanted to ensure their safety and entrusted it to God.

Analysis: This seems to be a religious saying that the informant’s mother would use to bless their child before bed. However, this saying also serves the purpose of teaching children that they can trust God to watch over them and put their faith in him for protection. It lovingly solidifies the family’s belief system.

Apples & Honey: Jewish New Year Ritual

Age: 63
Occupation: Retired
Language: English

Informant Information:

Age: 63

Date of Performance: 2/18/2025

Language: English

Nationality: American

Occupation: Retired

Primary Language: English

Residence: Alameda, California

Text:

“Both my parents were Jewish, and at the new year—which, in Judaism, is a holiday in the fall when apples are in season—you cut apple slices, dip them in honey, and that will give you a sweet, prosperous new year.”

Context:

The informant, a California native from a fully Jewish background, grew up celebrating the Jewish New Year with her parents.

Analysis:

Eating apples dipped in honey is a Jewish tradition during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Their round shape symbolizes the cyclical nature of the year, while the honey’s sweetness represents hopes for a prosperous and joyful future.

Before eating, participants often recite a blessing expressing their wish for a “sweet new year,” reinforcing the ritual’s symbolic nature. For the informant’s family, this ritual was a celebration of their Jewish identity and means of passing down traditions to future generations. The timing, coinciding with apple season in the fall, also reflects the natural alignment between cultural customs and the regional produce available in California.

Italian cross tradition

Age: 20
Language: English

My roommate comes from Italian heritage, and he wears a cross necklace everyday. The cross has an added horn on top of it. He got it from his Grandma, who told him that the horn wards off the “evil eye.” His grandma believes that if you wear the cross with the horn, certain people can’t look at you and curse you. This could’ve come from a belief that religion will save you from certain people. A small tradition like this probably added to the comfort of italians who were scared of different people who weren’t native to that area.

Ride Safe Sign

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

The gesture: Out with the left hand extended downward  by his thigh, “O” made a gesture like a peace sign, the index and middle finger extended and the palm turned forward facing the same direction as him.

“It’s the universal for, like a ‘ride safe’ thing when you pass another biker, like on the opposite side of the street, because there’s that sense of community that comes from riding, so it’s like, when you see someone else who’s taking that risk and is out riding and stuff, you always give them that little sign. And it’s kind of a biker only thing. 

Analysis: As the informant identified, this gesture encourages community members to support each other and recognize their risk and commitment. More than that, this gesture seems like a blessing, especially in its almost compulsory nature. The informant mentions that one ‘always’ gives this sign when seeing another rider as a way to say ‘ride safe’. “Ride safe” in itself is a blessing, a wish upon others to be safe on the road, and the gesture creates a nonverbal blessing that riders can give while also riding safe themselves. Because it is expected to always give this sign, the absence of it might indicate ill will or a jinx, making the upkeep of this tradition and gesture more important to those who believe in its significance.

Knock on Wood

Nationality: American
Age: 19
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Language: English

Knock on Wood

“If I say something I think will be jinxed or bring bad luck, I’ll run over to the nearest wood thing and knock on it frantically”

Context: Informant remembers starting this behavior around the start of high school, at about age 14. There is no pattern to the number of times the informant knocks, but they will leave conversations at any point to complete the gesture. The informant does not remember who passed this gesture on to them and does not know of many people who use the same gesture, but hypothesizes the initial knowledge may have been passed unknowingly by interviewer.

Analysis: The folk behavior of ‘knocking on wood’ is meant to ward off bad luck or jinxes brought on by the verbal mention of such knowledge. It acts as a measure of protection for the informant, and requires immediacy. It is implied that if one does not complete this action, they might be accidentally inviting bad things to happen to them. Additionally, whether the practice does ward off jinxes or not, its belief has significance to the perception of subsequent events and may be used as reasoning for good/bad luck following the gesture. Notably, this gesture is in response to a specific statement, not a broad gesture to ward off evil. The individual must speak the opportunity for jinxes into existence, and this gesture is not useful before a statement has been theorized.