Category Archives: Customs

Customs, conventions, and traditions of a group

A Turkmen Dance

Text: “Kushtdepdi probably started as a ritual dance among Turkmen tribes. They used to perform it at important gatherings and celebrations. The dance is really lively and expressive, with intricate steps and rhythmic moves that get everyone in a festive mood. The dance is essentially a reflection of Turkmen spirit and identity. The music we use is traditional Turkmen music, featuring instruments like the dutar and tuiduk, and the dancers wear these colorful, eye-catching costumes that are representative of our culture. The dance is usually performed at weddings and other big celebrations, and we tend to perform it at cultural events since it is pretty emblematic of Turkish culture.”

Context: My informant – a 23-year-old woman from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan – told me about a traditional dance, Kushtdepdi,  that is often performed in her home country. She explained to me that she herself has performed it an abundance of times, and emphasized that it usually would occur at celebrations or monumental events. She said that she and her classmates performed it together at her high school graduation, and she had learned how to dance it by watching it being performed all of her life. She said that alongside the dance being an important part of her culture, she also appreciates it because she feels that it has an essence of gender equality which isn’t always prevalent in Turkmenistan. She stressed how this is the one dance where men are not leading the women, and that everyone participating has an equal role in the performance. 

Analysis: The traditional dance Kushtdepdi from Turkmenistan embodies profound cultural values and expressions that transcend mere entertainment. Originating as a ritual dance among Turkmen tribes, Kushtdepdi has evolved into a vibrant and expressive art form that reflects the spirit and identity of the Turkmen people. The lively and rhythmic nature of Kushtdepdi, accompanied by traditional Turkmen music featuring instruments like the dutar and tuiduk, underscores the cultural richness embedded within this dance, and the colorful and eye-catching costumes worn by dancers further exemplify the deep-rooted connection to Turkmen cultural heritage and traditions.

What sets Kushtdepdi apart is its significance beyond celebratory events; it serves as a symbol of gender equality within Turkmen society. My informant’s perspective highlights how this dance provides a rare opportunity for women to take an equal and active role alongside men in the performance. In a cultural context where gender roles may be more traditionally defined, Kushtdepdi stands out as a representation of inclusivity and shared participation. My informant’s personal connection to Kushtdepdi, having performed it numerous times and appreciating its essence of gender equality, underscores the dance’s role in challenging and redefining cultural norms. By embracing Kushtdepdi as an integral part of her cultural identity, my informant celebrates its symbolic value in promoting inclusivity and diversity within Turkmen cultural expression.

A Bengali Wedding Tradition

Text: “So in Bengali or Bangladeshi culture, yellow and red are really significant colors. Their significance is exemplified through the ways in which the colors appear in important moments in life, such as how brides usually wear red for their wedding ceremonies. During the Gaye Holud ceremony – one of the many wedding traditions for Bengalis that typically occurs a week or two before the wedding reception – the bride’s and groom’s family and friends create a paste out of turmeric which they then put on the bride’s and groom’s bodies. This is thought of as a way to ward off the evil eye and promote blessings, good fortune, and prosperity for the couple that is soon to be married.”

Context: My informant – a 20-year-old woman from San Diego, California – explained this wedding ritual to me which she said is a very important part of her culture. Her family has cultural and ethnic ties to Bangladesh, and she learned this wedding practice from her family as she has seen it done before every wedding that occurs between a couple who have a connection to the culture. She said that she herself isn’t entirely sure how much she believes in the evil eye and bad spirits, but she feels that the ritual is something that is very important to her identity in the sense that it is something that has been generational in her family. She explained to me that this was something her parents had done before their wedding along with her grandparents and her great-grandparents, and that the ritual serves as a sort of unifying tradition that has been maintained throughout every generation.

Analysis: The significance of colors and rituals in Bengali or Bangladeshi wedding ceremonies reveals the enduring cultural traditions and values deeply rooted in this heritage. The use of yellow and red, especially in pivotal life events like weddings, holds profound symbolic meanings within Bengali culture. The Gaye Holud ceremony, where turmeric paste is applied to the bodies of the bride and groom, serves as a protective ritual believed to ward off the evil eye and invite blessings, prosperity, and good fortune for the couple. This practice reflects a cultural belief in spiritual protection and the importance of invoking positive energies during important life transitions.

My informant’s perspective highlights the intergenerational continuity of this tradition within her family. Despite personal skepticism about the supernatural aspects associated with the ritual, my informant cherishes the ceremony as a foundational aspect of her cultural identity. This ritual’s transmission across generations underscores its role as a unifying force that connects family members through shared heritage and tradition. This folklore embodies broader cultural values of familial continuity, collective identity, and the preservation of ancestral customs. The enduring practice of the Gaye Holud ceremony across generations exemplifies cultural resilience and a deep-rooted attachment to customs that define Bengali identity.

Family Christmas Cookie Making

Main Piece

“Every Christmas, our house becomes a ‘candy factory’ – at some point when I was growing up, my mom found recipes for chocolate fudge, peanut butter toffee fudge, and peppermint bark, tweaked some of them so they didn’t have quite as many sticks of butter and cups of sugar, and started making them to give to neighbors and family. My dad started bringing them to work to give to his coworkers too, and now it’s something everyone looks forward to getting from us each year. My brother and I started helping make them pretty early on, at least since I was in eighth grade, and it’s become a key Christmas tradition – responsibility, even – to share with our mom every year.”

Interpretation

Informant’s Interpretation: This tradition holds primary relevance to informant as a family tradition. She likes to spend the time with her mom, but notes that since the whole thing puts a stress on her mom, helping can sometimes “feel more like a duty than a fun cozy Christmas tradition.” However, she notes that she still heavily associates this with how her family celebrates Christmas and thus enjoys it.

Personal Interpretation: I find this to be a classic example of a family Christmas tradition–particularly so because other families recognize it as such and come to enforce the idea of the tradition from a slightly-external perspective. While associated with a religious holiday, I don’t see any particular direct connection to Christian tradition other than perhaps the origins of the types of cookies. That said, it feels pretty removed from any religious context and has more to do with the time of year and family-centric association than anything else.

Background

Informant is a 21 year old college student raised in Rancho Bernardo, California. She is female-presenting, white, and of European descent.

Rancho Bernardo 4th of July Celebration

Main Piece

“Every fourth of July, my hometown puts on a parade that goes through the same few streets, where people dress up and decorate their cars with red, white and blue – some local businesses, organizations and sponsors are always part of the parade, along with the mayor, local beauty pageant winners, people like that who someone decides are important to the city for one reason or another. I got to be in it with a few other girls once, before my junior year of high school, because I’d won a local singing contest a month before. People stand along the streets to watch, which I’m sure I did a few times with my family growing up as well.
There are some other events associated with the parade, but the one I remember going to with my family is the fireworks show at night, which has always been held on the field of our local high school for as long as I can remember.”

Interpretation

Informant Interpretation: Informant notes she only feels connected to this tradition because it’s something that occurs in her hometown, and not because of the 4th of July. It’s shared by a small suburb, and thus more identity-defining and important to her.

Personal Interpretation: I found it interesting that many of these traditions seem to be a form of showcasing American “exceptionalism” or something “worth being proud of”–cars (wealth), beauty, those with political power. That feels very in line with the individualist framework America tries to set up for itself, as well as celebrating things that society deems of greater importance. Within this context, it is of course contained to a much smaller suburb, but I still felt those themes coming through in the particular description of events and holiday context.

Background

Informant is a 21 year old college student who was raised in Rancho Bernardo, CA. She is female-presenting, white, and of European descent.

Harana: Folk Customs

Context:

AP is of Filipino descent and talks about their experience with their tradition of serenading their partners in front of their parents as a cultural tradition.

Interview:

In Filipino culture, serenading your partner in front of your parents is a tradition to signify the seriousness of the relationship. It is often a long song that is accompanied by an instrument. it symbolizes open love and commitment to not only one’s partner but their family as well. This tradition fosters strong family bonds and creates memories that last a lifetime. It embodies the Filipino cultural values of love, unity, and respect. This cultural practice is mandatory for some families to take their relationship seriously, in a sense it’s like asking a woman’s parents for their marriage blessing.

Analysis:

The Filipino tradition of harana, or serenading, embodies traditional values and culture and is a symbol of dedication and respect in a public, family-oriented setting. This practice emphasizes a common theme in folklore: the importance of family acceptance in romantic relationships. By fortifying ties to one’s family and culture, harana uses traditional music and public performances to help keep these customs alive for future generations.