Category Archives: Customs

Customs, conventions, and traditions of a group

Order of the Arrow

Nationality: American
Age: 58
Occupation: Dentist
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4/27/13
Primary Language: English

The official Order of the Arrow website describes the organization as “Scouting’s Honor Society,” although it does say that it only received this designation in 1998. That would explain why my father’s experience with the Order of the Arrow in the Boy Scouts was quite different in the 60’s.

He described the Order of the Arrow as being an initiation ritual performed at the scouts’ summer camp on Catalina Island. Every summer the boys would be collected in a big U around the camp’s main fire. Men dressed in Native American costumes would perform a crude drumming then pull a small number of boys from the crowd (supposedly these boys were chosen ahead of time as superior scouts). The terrified boys would be draped in branches, forced to bow to the fire, and then sent to collect their sleeping bags from their cabins because they would sleep outside for the rest of the “Ordeal” (this is the official language from the OA website). For the next day the boys would not be allowed to speak, would be fed small amounts, and would be required to perform what the website calls “camp improvement projects.” My father said that it was tasks like cleaning out the latrines. After their Ordeal the scouts would again be presented to the campers around the fire the next night and allowed to go to dinner first.

 

For the official National Order of the Arrow description of the “Ordeal” and qualifications for Order of The Arrowmen, see http://www.oa-bsa.org/

Painting trashcans

Nationality: American
Age: 58
Occupation: Dentist
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4/29/13
Primary Language: English

Every year at the informant’s high school, the senior class was allowed to paint all of the trash cans in school their class colors and logo. They would collect all of the trash cans on the football field and one day after school go wild painting them. This was school sanctioned and their class representatives on the faculty would participate as well. It was a way for the senior class to feel like they really owned their campus for their last year.

The year the informant’s class painted the trash cans they also filmed the television show Room 222 on campus. The informant and all of his peers in the senior class were very excited to see their colored trash cans on TV.

El Día de la Velitas

Nationality: Colombian
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: Costa Mesa, California
Performance Date: 4/7/13
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

MATERIAL

 

“In Colombia, the Christmas season starts on December 7th. This day celebrates the Immaculate Conception and is called ‘El Día de la Velitas’, or the Day of the Little Candles. On the night of December 7th or sometimes earliy in the morning on December 8th (before the sun comes up), families light colorful candles and lanterns in the houses and lining the streets. Everyone does this in Colombia and so the whole country is lit up for that one night and day to welcome in the Christmas season.”

 

ANALYSIS

 

The Immaculate Conception is celebrated mainly on December 8th in many Catholic countries and Colombia is no different. No Christian service is ever held without candles, as candles symbolize a dispelling of evil, warding away the darkness of the night, the Eternal Light, and also a burning love for God. Candles are lit everyone on El Día de la Velitas to welcome in the Christmas season, one of the most holy times of the year. It is to bring light to the country and remind everyone of the peacefulness of the holiday season.

Candle in Window

Nationality: Irish Catholic
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, California
Performance Date: 4/7/13
Primary Language: English

MATERIAL

 

“On Christmas Eve, we put candles in our windows. We put them there to signal the warmth of our home, but I know in older times, it was considered a signal of welcome to travelers. It also represented safety and welcome to passing priests and signified to them that they had permission to perform Christmas mass in those homes. You light these candles on Christmas Eve and they are thought to bring good luck if they stay burning until Christmas morning. Usually, the youngest member of an Irish family must light the candle that’s placed in the window by an elder on Christmas Eve. It must be left undisturbed until Christmas morning. Now, for safety measures, we use plastic electronic candles that you plug in and they light up in the dark but go out in the morning, nowadays.”

 

ANALYSIS

 

In Catholic traditions, candles are very symbolic. They represent light, warding off evil, a burning love for God, truth, and welcome. In the 17th century, the Penal Laws made it illegal and dangerous for the Irish to practice their Catholic faith. As a result, many Irish Catholics placed candles in their windows at Christmastime to signify to wandering priests that they were welcome into the home and would be safe to conduct the traditional Catholic Christmas mass. Since the Penal Laws were retracted and now in many parts of the world, religious oppression is long over, a candle in the window of Catholic households is taken to mean that the household is warm and peaceful. It is now one of the most prominent and popular Irish Christmas decorations.

Advent Calendars

Nationality: German
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, California
Performance Date: 4/7/13
Primary Language: English

MATERIAL

 

“In German culture, we have the Advent calendar around Christmastime. It is a calendar given to children, usually younger ones, which lists the dates of December from 1-25th. There are flaps on each day and beyond that, there are two variations. One type is that under each flap, there is a piece of chocolate. Another type is that under each flap is one piece to a picture. Once you open all the flaps, the whole picture will emerge and it’s usually something to do with Christmas. Sometimes in Catholic Advent calendars, a Baby Jesus picture is under the last flap.”

 

ANALYSIS

 

In German history, many religious peoples created calendars to count down the first 24 days of December. Sometimes, they would physically mark a strike on the floor every day or they would light a new candle for every day. Ever since calendars began to be manufactured though, the countdown to December 25th has resided mainly on an Advent calendar. Incorporating the one picture a day aspect, or the chocolates for every new day, teaches young children patience, as they can only open one flap every day. It also teaches them, from a young age, the religious aspects of Christmas. My informant lives in America and said that she and her sisters all received individual Advent calendars every year when they were young. They had ones in which each flap contained a different candy, but also revealed a piece of a religious puzzle. Since in America, Christmas has become so commercialized, the Advent calendar really brought back her father’s German roots and allowed her parents to teach her about their religious backgrounds.