Category Archives: Customs

Customs, conventions, and traditions of a group

Ritual – Fort Portal, Uganda

Nationality: Ugandan
Age: 26
Occupation: Student
Residence: Burbank, CA
Performance Date: April 26, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Luganda

Jail Hazing

I was incarcerated when I was seventeen years old. The policeman led to a cell full of older man of about 28years and older. When I reached the cell, one of the men – who I soon realized had a title of commander-in-chief – asked me if I had any money on me. Luckily, I had some and I gave it to him. He ordered everyone else not to touch me. In about half an hour, another inmate was walked into the cell by another guard. He was about 60years old. When the commander-in-chief asked him for money, he said he did not have any. Kenneth (the commander-in-chief) ordered other inmates to, what he called “introduce him to jail.”

They ordered him to strip butt naked. After stripping, he was ordered to bend over with his face against the wall. When he did, one of the inmates pulled out a horse pipe, which was connected to a water faucet. They opened the faucet and aimed the horse pipe to his anus. They horsed him down for a good ten minutes when the commander-in-chief ordered them to stop. I felt for this man but my remorse for him soon vanished when he welcomed the next inmate in a similar fashion. After a while, I also started welcoming younger kids of my age in the same way.

Analysis

If a humanitarian read about this brutal jail introduction process, he or she might file a big lawsuit against the jail guards. However, such introduction processes, however horrific they may seem, they often have a rather positive ending. It is this initiation process that helps an individual to understand the traditions of his new environment. In essence, we can call it an orientation process. Such practices always take place during the liminal period. A liminal period is a transition period between two stages. I can also call a liminal period a period between two different identities. Because it is a transition, it is characterized by ambiguity, openness and indeterminacy. That is why it is easy to make a 60year old man strip butt naked. He was in that susceptible stage. He was going from one identity (a freeman) to another identity (inmate). He just had to do whatever was asked of him in order to build his new identity.

Custom

Nationality: Latino
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 20, 2008
Primary Language: English

Pot Smoking Custom

When smoking marijuana, the participants form a loose circle and the piece is always passed to the left with each person getting one hit.

The informant, DRH, reports that the smoking of marijuana is in a sense highly structured. He reports the participants, when ready to smoke form a loose circle and begin passing the smoking utensil to the left. He says each person takes one hit and passes it to their left until all the marijuana in the utensil has been smoked. DRH says that once the marijuana in the utensil has been smoked, the group generally decides by consensus whether another bowl is needed. If the group chooses to smoke more, the person who finished the previous bowl packs the next bowl and takes the first hit.

DRH doesn’t know exactly where he learned all of these customs. He says he has picked them up from various friends over the years. David believes the customs are necessary for a efficient smoking session. He says the circle ensures the participants smoke in an order and the one hit rule ensures that everyone gets a fair share. He says that a person must show knowledge of these customs to be accepted as a true smoker by the group.

In my opinion this is a custom that has arisen out of necessity. When under the influence it is hard to keep track of an order. The circle is a way to ensure the smoking order is maintained. The circle likely prevents a lot of bickering that would waste time. Similarly the one hit rule ensures that each smoker receives roughly the same share of the drug. It is not surprising that a hobby has a specific way it is performed, especially one that is illegal. The informant notes that one must be proficient in these customs to be considered a veteran smoker. The customs that pot smokers follow therefore serve as a way to differentiate experienced smokers from non-experienced smokers. Due to the illegal nature of the activity this proficiency test could serve as a sort of protection mechanism. The customs described in this article can be found in many popular movies that center on pot smokers and their adventures. Movies that contain these customs include “Half Baked” and “How High”. Although these movies contain the customs, the movies did not create the customs. According to the informant, the customs have been around longer than the movies.

Birthday Tradition – Chinese

Nationality: Chinese
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Singapore
Performance Date: April 22, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Chinese

In Chinese culture a person should always eat noodles on their birthday.

The informant, Dominique, is from Singapore. She reports that in China it is traditional for a person to eat noodles on their birthday. The person is meant to eat long noodles because long noodles signify a long life. By eating long noodles on their birthday a person ensures they will have a long life. Dominique was taught the tradition by her parents who are both Chinese and says she actively practices it. She doesn’t know whether the tradition originates from Chinese or Buddhist culture, but says it is widespread. She reports it doesn’t matter what type of noodle you eat, so long as it is a long noodle.  Dominique thinks the practice connects her to her culture and says she will pass it on to her children.

Many cultures have a specific food that is associated with birthdays. In America for example we have birthday cakes. It’s interesting to note that the informant actually knows why she eats noodles on her birthday. She knows the symbolism behind the noodles, whereas I have had cake on everyone of my birthdays, but don’t know the symbolism behind it. Although eating long noodles may not prolong life it is an interesting ritual and something to look forward to on your birthday.

Ethnic Ritual – India

Nationality: Indian
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: March 7, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Hindi

The informant, Manoj describes a ritual he and his family practice before driving in a car. Manoj says in each of the cars his family owns they place a figurine of the Hindu god Ganesh on the right side of the indentation formed where the speedometer is. He says that once the figure is placed their, it should never be moved. Upon entering the car, the driver must touch the figurine and then touch the heads of each person in the car. If the driver cannot reach a particular persons head, they must touch that person’s hands and then that person must touch their own head. The ritual is performed as a way to keep everyone traveling in the car safe.

Manoj learned the practice from his parents and claims that most Indian people observe it. He enjoys the ritual and believes that it does keep the people in his car safe. He explains that Ganesh is seen as the god who removes obstacles. Therefor it make sense that a person would pay homage to Ganesh before going on a journey, where one might encounter obstacles.

Rituals at the beginning of a journey are widespread across many cultures. The beginning of a journey is a stressful time, as a person knows they may well face dangers in the course of their journey. As such it makes sense that various cultures have developed rituals to bring good fortune to travelers. As a parallel some Catholics put a figure of St. Christopher, the patron saint of travelers, in their cars. In my opinion the touching of the figurine and then of everyone else is on one level a way to spread the safety the deity provides, but on another level is a way to connect to everyone in the car. By touching everyone else in the car, the driver is connecting with them, which is a way for the driver to feel the responsibility he or she has to the safety of the others in the car. I think the ritual is a way for the driver to be reminded of the duty they have to keep themselves and others safe in the car.

Holiday Tradition – China

Nationality: Chinese
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Singapore
Performance Date: April 22, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Chinese

In China on New Years, a person is meant to eat something sweet.

The informant, Dominique, reports that Chinese custom dictates that a person should begin the New Year by eating something sweet. Dominique says she learned this from her parents while living in Singapore. The custom is based on the belief that if a person eats something sweet to start the New Year, the rest of the year will be sweet as well. Dominique enjoys the practice and always follows it. She generally has a piece of hard candy as her sweet. She sees the practice as a way to greet the New Year and hope for the best in it. She says she will continue this practice with her own children one day.

Having a specific food to eat for a holiday is not uncommon. The sweet treat symbolizes good things to come in the year ahead. I think the practice is simply a way of welcoming the New Year. People in general seem to have a need to start fresh every so often and this practice is a manifestation of that need.