Category Archives: Customs

Customs, conventions, and traditions of a group

Holiday – Pamplona, Spain

Nationality: Spanish
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Pamplona, Spain
Performance Date: April 06, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

Holiday-Easter

“In Spain, Easter time is one of the most important times of the year, especially in southern Spain. For those who do not know, we have these big parades with this entity like an intrafraternity council that coordinates the different fraternities. They are each assigned to a different part of the parade. For example, one could be in charge of remaking the Last Supper. There will be over a hundred people carrying a monument representing the Last Supper because it is so large. Everyone in the community comes out and experiences an interpersonal moment as these fraternities display many of the great stories of the Easter holiday. Many of the people are in tears as they are moved by the great religious feeling. The parade shows the Easter holiday and its importance on the Spanish culture.”

Pablo said that Easter is very important to Spanish culture. He lives in northern Spain so it is not as important there as it is in southern Spain. However, he still feels like Easter represents an extremely religious moment for him and the rest of members of his community. He said that the fraternities are not like the ones you find at different universities. They are devout religious individuals that come together to make this event special. There are about fifty to sixty people in each fraternity, Pablo said, and depending on the size of the city in Spain, there could be few to many fraternities. Whenever he is in Spain, he always goes to the Easter processions because he has been going since he was a child.

When I asked Pablo what the parade meant to him, he said that it was a very interpersonal moment where he felt closer to God and the rest of his community. Pablo used to be an active member of one of the fraternities as he helped carry the monuments across the city. He said that this parade brings everyone into tears because of its overwhelming connection between the community and God. He enjoys Easter because everyone in the community comes out together to watch the fraternities parade through the city.

When I talked to Pablo about his Easter holiday, it made me visualize an entire community rejoicing together in the streets of their city. I agree that this would be a very interpersonal moment and that it also represents their culture. Not everybody has a parade with fraternities parading religious monuments across the city. This holiday shows that the people of Spain feel close to each other and God for the fraternities connect them all. I believe that this parade means that people of Spain want to show their religious practices not only to God, but to the world as well.

Holiday – Jewish

Nationality: Jewish
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Westlake, CA
Performance Date: April 28, 2008
Primary Language: English

Holiday-Hanukkah

“Hanukkah, aka the Festival of Lights, celebrates yet another event the Jews escaped out of. The Romans had taken over the city where all the Jews were living in Israel. This is where the holy temple was where the western wall still remains today. So, the Romans come in and don’t let the Jews practice their religion, say any of their prayers, or read the Torah. These practices were essential to the Jews so they performed them in secret. So, a few of them got caught and were severely punished. Then the Maccabees, which were twelve kids, led by Judah, fought back against the Romans and defeated them. The true miracle of the story though was that after the battle, when they went to go pray in the synagogue, there was only a small amount of oil to keep the Holy Candle burning. The candle was supposed to be lit at all times so this little canister should have lasted only a day but instead, lasted eight days until new oil arrived. That is why there are eight days of Hanukkah and eight candles on the Menorah, to celebrate the miracle of the Holy Candle.”

Matt said he learned this story all throughout his childhood from his parents, the synagogue, and Hebrew school. Therefore, the story of the Maccabees and their miraculous oil has been passed down several generations in oral form. He said that all Jews know this story for they all celebrate Hanukkah as a holiday. He said that although it used to be different, Hanukkah has adopted some modern ideas such as presents. In ancient times, they did not used to celebrate Hanukkah by passing out presents to people. Now, however, they receive a present on each of the eight days as they light a new candle on the menorah.

Matt said that Hanukkah, like all other Jewish holidays, follows the lunar calendar. Therefore, the time it takes place varies from year to year. He said that most of the time, the Jewish religion celebrates Hanukkah from late November to mid-December. During this time, they receive presents just as Christians do, yet they celebrate something completely different. Matt likes Hanukkah because it is a good time to spend with family and other Jewish friends.            When I asked Matt what Hanukkah meant to him, he told me that it represented his culture. Matt is very proud of his ancestors for fighting the Romans in order to preserve their religion. He is even more amazed by the remarkable miracle of the oil burning for eight long days. He said that Hanukkah brings him closer to his family as they all go to the synagogue to remember the events that happened thousands of years ago. He also said that he enjoyed the Christianization of the holiday in the sense of presents. He said that children in Israel do not receive presents for Hanukkah but children in America do to compete with Christmas. With all the Christian children getting presents, some of the Jewish children got jealous. In order to make their children happy, Jewish parents opened up to the idea of presents so that their children can enjoy them as well.

I agree with Matt that this story is truly remarkable. For a small canister of oil to last seven days more than it typically would, it shows just how miracles can happen. Also, I think this celebration is a time for the Jewish religion to connect with each other. By lighting candles to celebrate the days the oil lasted, the Jews are showing their respect for those that fought the Romans. Hanukkah represents the Jewish religion well because it shows what they believe in. Additionally, I think that Hanukkah has changed since it first became a holiday. The Jewish religion has taken on a Christian approach with the presents but it has still maintained its traditions and morals.

Holiday Tradition

Nationality: Mexican
Age: 6
Occupation: Student
Residence: Riverside, CA
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

Easter

“On Easter we hunt for eggs. After hunting eggs we get more eggs and hide them and ask our Mom and Dad to find them. We go to my cousin’s house and we play there and then we paint Easter eggs and then we go on the monkey pars with our hands ful of paint. After we do everything we eat chocolate eggs and cupcakes- I like the chocolate cupcakes.”

This interpretation of Easter makes me confused. There is no evidence of any church going or celebrating the belief that Jesus was resurrected from the dead on Easter. However, observing this child’s room, I find a shrine dedicated to La Virgen Guadalupe, adorned with rosary, bible, and pictures. She tells me she prays every night before bed. Yet, her account of Easter has no religious significance whatsoever. The non-religious westernized interpretation of Easter is spot-on to Roxy’s accounts.  Easter seems to have lost its religious significance to many modern day Americans. While in fact, as we discussed in class, Easter is also a celebration of spring and fertilization, for a Catholic girl, I expected her account of her Easter to include at least some mention of Jesus or reflection on the past. Yet for children, the ideas of eating chocolate and decorating eggs probably sounds much more enticing than going to church.

But as an elder, I feel religious holidays should be a happy medium of remembrance, sacrifice (if called for), and then celebration. Although I cannot account for personal opinions to Christian holidays, I can relate to the variation of religiousness in my faith. As a conservative Jew, we have Passover, which bans us from eating leavened bread for eight days. Likewise, on Rosh Hashanna, the New Year, we fast to cleanse our bodies of sins. Then, after our sacrifice, reading of the prayers, and perhaps synagogue services, we feast. But, this comes only after we have done what is required of us as loyal Jews. Yet I have come across a few, (though not as abundant as those Christians I have met) who call themselves Jewish yet choose to skip the holidays which actually require some effort and sacrifice. Instead, they may get presents on Chanukkah, the most non-religious holiday in the Jewish faith.

While folklore draws on the way in which people celebrate and does not show a critical eye, I cannot help but think when evaluating this account of celebrating holidays that perhaps they have lost some of their significance. However, I cannot be one to dictate how people choose to spend their days, nor can I judge their overall devotion to their religion based on accounts like this.

Folk Holiday

Nationality: British, Caucasian
Age: 47
Occupation: Nanny
Residence: Sussex, England
Performance Date: April 30, 2008
Primary Language: English

Guy Fawkes Night

“Guy Fawkes Night is on the 5th of November. It is celebrated with bonfires, fireworks and burning ‘guys’, figures that look like Guy Fawkes- He plotted against Parliament and the king- he was going to blow up the Houses of Parliament”

This is the first time I have ever heard of Guy Fawkes Night, and Jayne has been my nanny for 18 years. From this, I conclude that Guy Fawkes Night is not that important of a holiday.

However, it is unique. There are no other celebrations alike to this of my knowledge. Instead of celebrating a hero, they celebrate the burning of an evil man. This holiday is not religious, but instead is intended to give a strong sense of national pride and understanding of the history of England.

As I further researched Guy Fawkes Night, it becomes clear that the reason for bonfires and fireworks is due to the way in which Guy Fawkes planned to attack the Parliament. He and his conspirators had stored gunpowder in the basement of the parliament. The fires and explosions set forth by the celebrations symbolize the gunpowder, and the burning of “guys” as Jayne describes seems to be a ritual that allows the British people to symbolize making his plan backfire year after year. They are almost throwing it in his face even though this happened in 1605 and he is long gone.

There have been seventeen assassination attempts on US presidents and none of them are celebrated with a national holiday. This is why I find it strange that such a day exists. Although it is portraying Guy Fawkes in a bad light, it is almost making him a national household name and I do not know if I think that he deserves to be recognized so widely.

Regardless, this is a very unique holiday that is very different from the celebrations that we use fireworks for in the US. But, we share this in common, the idea of firework displays during national holidays. The bonfire burning is almost cult like and not readily accepted in the US. The burning reminds me of old European counts of people burning at the stakes. Though this happened in colonies as well, I do not feel that the US would accept such an act to take place as part of a modern day ceremony for inappropriateness it would convey to children. It might also raise the crime rates if the US allowed such acts to be recognized.

Sources:

“The Traditions of Guy Fawkes Night.” Hall of Festivites. 30 Apr. 2008 <http://www.novareinna.com/festive/guy.html>.

“List of United States Presidential Assassination Attempts.” Wikipedia. 21 Apr. 2008. 30 Apr. 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Presidential_ assassination_attempts>.

Folk Speech/Rite of Passage – Jewish

Nationality: Caucasian, Jewish
Age: 83
Occupation: Retired
Residence: Brooklyn, NY
Performance Date: April 30, 2008
Primary Language: English

Period

“If a girl got her first period, we would pinch her cheeks and say Mazel Tov.”

“If a girl got her first period, we would pinch her cheeks and say Congratulations.”

Mazel Tov is a Hebrew congratulatory word. It is often said during times of rites of passage, such as at Bar/Bat Mitzvahs or weddings. It is said with intentions of wishing the participant luck and prosperity as well.

A first period is a time of celebration for fertility as well as a rite of passage, marking a significant time in a young girls’ life. The pinching of the cheeks causes redness to form at the area being irritated, perhaps signifying the blood from the menstruation. I have also heard similar stories of mothers slapping their children in their face. Although traditionally not intended to be threatening or to hurt too much, perhaps this is a customary ritual which warns the young girl that she better be careful not to get pregnant (for the time has come where it may be possible).

Annotation:

*Rites of Passage was first suggested by Arnold Van Gennep in 1909