“Merde” means shit in French, and in German theater is used as a good luck blessing before a show. It originally meant something along the lines of “may there be a lot of horse shit outside your theater from all the people coming to see the show.”
Category Archives: Customs
Musikverein Oberammergau
GP’s father was in the military, stationed in Oberammergau, Germany, during GP’s childhood.
“My dad played trumpet, and after convincing them to let him audition, he became the first non-villager in the band in their several centuries of existence. Called the Musikverein, they were the marching band at Octoberfest, played Volgfest, and other celebrations. They would have big parties out in mountain meadows, where a dance platform would be set up and music would play. People would come in dirndls and lederhosen, cook sausages, and dance.
One celebration was particularly memorable. On Bavarian King Ludwig II’s birthday every year, just the horn players would climb the nearby Mount Kofel. They would build a wooden cross, light it on fire when it got dark, and play brass numbers.
You could hear it over whole valley, and kids would stand out in backyard and look up at the lights on the mountain.”
The entire celebration sounds like a very interesting sight. Having been to Oberammergau and seen the mountain towering over the town, it’s not hard to imagine the entire village watching from below. The town is also known for its world-famous passion play that it puts on every 10 years, so the town seems to have a flair for drama.
Hungarian Harvest Dance
GP’s family is from Hungary. His father is a first generation American, and his aunt collected Hungarian family traditions that she then passed on to GP. They are no longer practiced by anyone in the family, in fact, they stopped practicing most of them after World War II. However, the stories of the traditions and customs are still passed down to family members, and collected by GP’s aunt. One involves a harvest celebration.
“Around the middle of October a big Harvest Dance is always held. The hall is decorated–hanging from the ceiling across the entire hall are strings to which clusters of grapes, pears and apples have been tied. There are boys and girls dressed in Hungarian costumes–it is their job to try and catch someone stealing one of the fruits while they’re dancing. If they do they take them to a special table and they are told how much they have to pay for the fruit (usually a dime in those times). This money went to help out the school and church.”
This is another festival that falls in line with the seasons and the natural harvest of crops, celebrating the bounty. The hanging fruit is a fun twist, especially as a fundraiser that supports the local community and strengthens the community and traditions.
Hungarian 1st of May
GP’s family is from Hungary. His father is a first generation American, and his aunt collected Hungarian family traditions that she then passed on to GP. They are no longer practiced by anyone in the family, in fact, they stopped practicing most of them after World War II. However, the stories of the traditions and customs are still passed down to family members, and collected by GP’s aunt.
“On the first day of May at midnight the young men cut down lilac branches and attach colored strips of paper to them. Then they take one and put it on the roof or chimney of a marriageable daughter.”
This is a ritual coinciding with spring and fertility, as the young men court the marriageable women. I haven’t heard of putting flowers on the roof of a girl in other rituals, but it sounds like it is part of a general celebration of spring as well.
Burying St. Joseph Statues
Superstition: Burying St. Joseph Statues
Informant:
D.N. is my father. He was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri as the fifth of eleven children living under his mother and father. He is one of nine boys and two girls, and played several sports in high school where he eventually matriculated to USC. He studied engineering and now works as a real estate developer living in Palos Verdes Estates, California with my mother. He has three sons, and I am the youngest of the three.
Folklore:
“Like me, my mom was a very religious lady, and very superstitious, too… I learned that from her. When she was fifty years old, and all of us were starting to leave the house, she decided she was bored and wanted a job. She quickly became the top realtor in Saint Louis. Even two years after her death, she was still in the county’s top ten realtors. She attributes her success to burying a small statue of St. Joseph in the yard of every single house that she sold. The day she got the listing, she would drive to the site and bury the figurine. She always asked me to come with her since my middle name is Joseph. She claimed I was her ‘good luck charm.’ I’d like to think she was right!”
Analysis:
I think this is really cool, and particularly special to my father, since his namesake is so important. My grandmother was extremely religious, and this practice was very important to her. I also believe that her superstitious nature was passed down to my father. She claims that nobody taught her this idea. She just came up with it. I think that’s pretty cool. Whatever works, right?