Category Archives: Kinesthetic

Body movements

Yom Kippur Gesture

Nationality: Israeli
Age: 56
Occupation: Dentist
Residence: Irvine, CA
Performance Date: February 25h, 2011
Primary Language: Hebrew
Language: English

“For as long as I can remember myself, and during all the many years I’ve been living in Israel, Yom-Kippur was the day of strolling along the streets. It was such a strong tradition that not to do so used to look weird, and when young- made you unpopular. It was best seen during Yom-Kippur eve, immediately after the specific prayer was performed, as this was the time the streets were filled with both religious and non-religious people, since the religious ones will spend most of next day at the synagogues. As this holiest day is a day-without-cars in Israel, the strolling took place mainly on the roads but also on the pavements, and went on for hours. Because this day is a holiday, we all were very nicely dressed and strolled together with our best friends. One of the purposes was to meet as many friends as possible, and to chat with everyone we met, at least for a few minutes.

Looking back at all those years, I can see a few reasons for this tradition that I was not able to see then, mainly because one doesn’t ponder too much into traditions… I now believe that there two major reasons, of almost an opposite nature: the wish to be together on this most important day in the Jewish religion, and boredom, as there was not much to do in a day when the TV didn’t broadcast programs and cars were not allowed to drive. Still, as this tradition continues on these days, when there exists DVD players and play stations etc, there is a strong possibility that the first reason is actually the most genuine one. There are, of course, the common social reasons of to-see-and-be-seen, as everybody is there and maybe to get “fasting support” from all the other people whom fast on this holy day as well. “

Reading my mother’s description brought me years back to those Yom-Kippur days in Israel, which I liked very much. I remember the strolls, being allowed outside until late hours, as it was a “safe night”, like an adult, meeting everybody I wanted to meet (boys in particular) while looking pretty in white clothing coming from the Synagogue. To this was added the fact that I didn’t suffer from not eating since even if I was religious, I was under the age of 12, which meant I did not need to fast on this holy day yet. So for me it was all fun and joy, only for the social reasons.

For the kids especially it was fun because we also safely rode our bikes, it was a day when the whole city became our park and we can go wild (as wild as possible on a holy day). I remember the peer pressure of going to meet your friends and seeing who is allowed out the longest. I think the beauty of this tradition, and the reason why it goes on, is that for one day, everything of an “outside” or of “materialistic” nature stops. No cars, no television, your biggest problems seize for a day because it’s a day of repentance and asking for forgiveness. It’s a day marked by humbleness and a day marked by a new start. After this day, you begin with a clean slate, and so you walk the streets looking back at all the things that this time around you will do your best not to do again.

“nose goes”

Age: 19
Residence: San Francisco, CA
Performance Date: 4/21/2011
Primary Language: English
Language: French

A method of deciding who has to do a task, generally one that nobody will volunteer for. Sometimes, someone will call out, “Nose Goes!”, but often, there will be no indication that the game has started. One person will simply put their finger on their nose, and as the others notice, they will, too. The last person to have their finger on their nose loses, and has to perform whatever task or make whatever decision had been the point of contention.

Lauren learned this game pretty early in high school, at lunch. There was a system, in which one person would take up all the trays and garbage for an entire table, and generally determined who got to carry out this chore by playing “nose goes.” The game has also been called “noses” or “the nose game.”

I found it to be well-know across the country, as most everyone I have met from different states and backgrounds is also familiar with the game.

Of course, if you don’t know about “nose goes,” you will obviously be the loser, and be on the lookout for next time. It is a game about being observant, and of course, quick. This game can get pretty competitive, which may be why I have found that the game is most prevalent among teens and young adults.

Driving Folk Religious Practices

Nationality: Irish American
Age: 21
Occupation: student
Residence: Ithica, NY
Performance Date: 4-25-2011
Primary Language: English

Folk Religious Ritual of Kissing the Car Roof when Driving through a Yellow Light

“You kiss your hand then touch the roof when you run a yellow light”

My best friend Kelsey always does this ritual when driving through yellow lights in her car. She kisses her right hand and touches that same hand to the top of the car roof right above her as she goes under the traffic light.  When I questioned her on why she did this she described it as a precautionary measure to ensure safety during the risk of running a yellow light that will soon turn red. She apparently picked it up in high school when she first began driving and has done it under every yellow light since for the past 7 years. She denies any direct religious ties but does admit that she is asking god or angels to protect her. Now she says it is second nature and the meaning behind the gesture is almost lost. She seems to not even know she is doing it.

I have seen a few other drivers preforming the same yellow light act and have even caught myself in the midst of it once or twice.

I think it is most definitely a folk religious practice to ask god or someone up there(through the roof via kiss) for safety in a risky manuver. It seems however to not be associated with any one religious practicing group since I have witnessed both Jews and Roman Catholics participating in the act. I suppose the practice will continue to be spread from driver to passenger through direct performance.

Czech Easter tradition

Nationality: Czech
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles and Brno, Czech Republic
Performance Date: April 24, 2011
Primary Language: Czech
Language: English

Hody, hody, doprovody,
dejte vejce malovaný,
nedáte-li malovaný,
dejte aspo? bílý,
slepi?ka vám snese jiný

Feast, feast, escorts,
give eggs painted,
if you don’t give a painted,
give at least,
a white chick you can stand another

Give me a colored egg, if you won’t give me a colored egg, give me a white one and get your hen to lay another

Lenka is from Brno, Czech Republic. She told me that in the Czech Republic, Easter is celebrated on the Monday following Easter Sunday. She says that in her town, Brno, it is tradition on this day for boys to sing this song while they go to girls houses and hit them on the bottom with a bat or whip. It is the only day boys can do this, and though it may appear violent, it is actually for amusement purposes, and is considered a good thing to be visited and smacked by a boy. Lenka has had this done to her before, and one year when no boys came to her house she was upset, because it is good to be smacked and she felt left out of the fun.

As the Czech Republic was communist for a period of time, the Easter holiday is not so much a religious celebration as it is a pagan celebration of spring. Spring is the time for new life, and the celebration of the young who will soon bring new life into the world. The song which the boys sing asks that girls give them a colored egg. If they cannot, the boys tell the girls to get their hen to lay another, hopefully colored. Lenka told me this song and the ensuing rituals are almost always performed by young, teenage boys to teenage girls. The colored egg symbolizes fertility, which the boys are after. And the song indicates that the boys insist a girl keep trying to give them a colored egg, which symbolizes a young womans youth and fertility.  The celebration of Easter and spring merges with a courting ritual.

Article annotation: Jacy Meyer (2010-201 1). Easter in Prague.

http://www.expats.cz/prague/article/czech-culture/easter-in-prague/

Spanish Finger counting

Nationality: Italian American
Age: 56
Occupation: Spanish teacher
Residence: Troy, MI
Performance Date: 4-25-2011
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

“When Spanish speakers count on their hand they begin with the thumb then index, middle, ring, and little.”

My aunt often jokes about the way Spanish speakers count.  As opposed to the way my aunt, raised in Michigan, counts by starting with her index, then middle, ring, little, and finally thumb to complete the five.

It is interesting that counting works differently around the world and even associated with languages themselves.

My aunt nor I have a good answer for why the Spanish count this way, but it must be passed down through the generations or taught unconsciously in school by Spanish raised teachers.  It is intriguing that not only the words for the numbers are different but also the movement of counting differs.