Category Archives: general

Star light, star bright….- Verbal Folklore/Ritual

Text: “Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish, I wish tonight”

Informant: “So mine was about how to make a wish by wishing on the first star. You’d say, ‘Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight,’ and then you’d say the wish in your head. You couldn’t tell anyone what it was or it wouldn’t come true. I honestly don’t know how I learned it. It might have been from preschool or from my mom, but I remember doing it when I was really young. Whenever I saw a star, I’d say the little chant or rhyme out loud and then make the wish.”

Interviewer: “Would you go out of your way to do this, or was it just whenever you happened to see a star?”

Informant: “It was usually just whenever I saw a star, and it had to be the first star I saw that night. Then I’d make the wish. But if I had a really important wish, I might try to look for a star. Usually though I wouldn’t remember to do that, so it was mostly just if I happened to see one. I’d think, ‘Oh, the first star I see tonight,’ and then say the rhyme.”

Interviewer: “Were you alone when you did this?”

Informant: “No. I vividly remember one time I was at a grocery store with my mom and we were walking in. I saw a star and said the rhyme right there. That’s the one time I clearly remember doing it. Maybe you were supposed to do it alone, but I never really did. My mom mostly looked at me like I was crazy when I did it, like ‘What are you doing?’ But I think I ended up teaching it to my little sister.”

Context:

The informant remembers learning this wishing rhyme when they were very young, possibly from preschool or from their mother. They recalled using the rhyme during childhood whenever they happened to see the first star at night and later teaching it to their younger sister.

Analysis:

The rhyme reflects a common cultural belief that wishes can be influenced by specific actions or conditions. The requirement to see the first star, speak the rhyme, and keep the wish secret creates a small ritual that gives structure to the act of wishing. For children especially, these steps make the wish feel more meaningful and possible, providing a sense of hope and imagination. The informant later teaching the rhyme to their younger sister demonstrates how these traditions are passed through families, showing how folklore helps preserve small moments of childhood belief and wonder across generations.

Breaking a coconut for new beginnings- Superstition

Text:
Informant: “If you get a new car or you’re starting something new, you’re supposed to crack a coconut in front of it. For example, when my brother opened a new office he broke a coconut in front of the building. The shell is supposed to represent your ego and past karma, and the white part inside represents purity and your inner self, so then breaking the coconut represents breaking the ego and starting fresh. It’s symbolic, like a sacrifice. In India the coconut is also known as God’s fruit.”

Interviewer: “When was the first time you saw this done?”
Informant: “The first time was when we got a new car when I was seven or eight. My dad broke a coconut in front of the car. After that we did it for every car we’ve gotten.”

Interviewer: “Is this common where you’re from?”
Informant: “Yes, everyone I know back home in India does it. It’s very common. Even people who move abroad still do it usually when buying something important or starting something new, like a car, a business, or another new beginning.”

Context:

The informant is from India and first witnessed the ritual when their father broke a coconut in front of their family’s new car when the informant was about seven or eight years old. Since then, the informant’s family has repeated the practice whenever they purchase a new car. The informant explained that the ritual is widely practiced in India and is still performed by many people who move abroad, especially when starting something significant like a business or purchasing a vehicle.

Analysis:

This example reflects a superstitious ritual connected to ideas of luck, protection, and new beginnings. The act of breaking the coconut is believed to symbolically remove obstacles or negative karma before starting something important. Like many superstitions, the practice is performed at specific moments of transition, such as purchasing a car or opening a business.

While the specific practice described here involves breaking a coconut in India, many cultures have similar rituals that serve the same symbolic purpose of blessing a new beginning. For example, ships are often christened by breaking a bottle of champagne on the hull before their first voyage, and in Chinese traditions there are various house-blessing practices, such as boiling water when moving into a new home. The specific actions vary across cultures, but the underlying idea remain the same. Taking a functionalist lens, we can interpret these moments as uncertain and carrying a lot of anxiety and tension, so ritual actions help people feel that they are beginning a new venture with good fortune/protection.

A second ___ has hit the ___ – 9/11 Jokes

Age: 21

Text: “A fourteenth button has hit the north jar.”

Informant’s Context: Informant explains, “It has to follow this structure, ‘a second ___ has hit the ___.’ I think George Bush’s chief of staff came up with this one. The internet loves joking about tragedies now that a long time has passed. So for example, when you sent me a video of someone putting a fourteenth button inside of a jar and there was a second jar in the background, I responded, “a fourteenth button has hit the north jar.” The joke kind of writes itself, which is why it’s funny.”

Analysis: 

9/11 jokes like this one often follow a familiar and formulaic structure and push the boundaries of what is considered socially acceptable, which is typical of folklore humor. Because even figures such as George Bush’s chief of staff have made 9/11 jokes, this type of humor can begin to feel more socially acceptable. If someone in a high government position can joke about it, the average person may feel more comfortable doing the same. Humor can also make tragic events feel less immediate or overwhelming. As more time passes, these events become less shocking, making it easier for people to find humor in them.

Chinese Red Date String Game- Children’s Folklore

Age: 54

Text:


Informant: “It’s something you say while doing a string trick. You use a piece of string and form a shape that looks like a date. The string represents the fruit, and through different movements it changes shape and eventually disappears while you say the rhyme out loud, ‘大枣大枣，越吃越小，吃了剩核，一拍没了。(Dà zǎo dà zǎo, yuè chī yuè xiǎo, chī le shèng hé, yī pāi méi le.)’. It’s meant to be a little like a magic trick. The phrase translated in English is something like, ‘Big date, big date, the more you eat it the smaller it gets, then you clap and nothing is left.'”

Interviewer: “When did you first learn it?”
Informant: “My mom taught me when I was very young. There weren’t that many things to do for fun back then, so we did a lot of hands-on activities like this, and all you need is a piece of string, it’s pretty easy to do.”

Interviewer: “Did you teach it to anyone else?”
Informant: “Yes, I taught it to my kids.”

Context:

The informant learned this string game from their mother during childhood while growing up in China in the 1980s. They explained that there were not many forms of entertainment available to children at the time, so simple hands-on activities like string tricks were a common way to play. Because the game only required a piece of string, it was easy for families to share and teach to children. The informant later passed the game on to their own children, continuing on the tradition.

Analysis:

This example can be interpreted as a form of children’s folklore, specifically a children’s game that combines a rhyme with a small physical activity. The game also demonstrates the folkloric concepts of multiplicity and variation. Similar string games appear in many cultures using the same simple materials but different shapes and rhymes. For example, it is similar to the string game cat’s cradle I learned as a kid, which also involves manipulating a loop of string to create patterns. Because the movements are difficult to understand without seeing them performed, games like these are usually learned directly from another person rather than through written instructions, which helps preserve their oral and performative nature.

Onam- Indian Festival

Age: 22

Text:
Informant: “Onam is a festival about King Mahabali returning to visit his people once every year. One thing people do is make pookalam, which are flower carpets placed at the entrance of the house to welcome Mahabali. My grandma makes them and that’s where I first saw them. People usually get together to make one and it can take two to three hours. There’s also a big meal called Onasadya which we eat for lunch. People sit in rows with a banana leaf in front of them and volunteers serve the food. Someone will bring a big bucket of rice and scoop it onto everyone’s leaf, then another person comes and gives things like bananas. Everything is vegetarian and there is 25 different dishes, the number of dishes is important and you eat with your hands. There’s also boat races called Vallamkali with 100-foot snake boats. I’ve watched them on TV before.”

Interviewer: “How long have you been celebrating Onam?”
Informant: “Pretty much since I was a kid, maybe when I was six or eight. My family celebrates it and that’s how I learned about it. I don’t celebrate it as much anymore, but my parents still celebrate it.”

Context:
The informant grew up in India and learned about and participated in Onam through family celebrations during childhood. Their first encounter with the traditions was watching their grandmother prepare pookalam flower designs at home. The informant explained that their family regularly celebrated the festival when they were around age six or eight. Although the informant does not celebrate Onam as frequently now that they have moved to America, their parents still celebrate in India.

Analysis:
Onam is an example of festival folklore, which combines storytelling, ritual practices, food traditions, and communal gatherings. The festival is centered around the legend of King Mahabali and his annual return, showing how narratives help explain and structure cultural celebrations. The traditions practiced during Onam also express important Indian cultural values such as hospitality, cooperation, and community. Activities like making pookalam or sharing the Onasadya meal require many people working in tandem, which turns the festival into a collective experience rather than an individual one. The large vegetarian meal served on banana leaves and eaten in rows reinforces a sense of equality, since everyone receives the meal in the same way.