Category Archives: Holidays

Holidays and holiday traditions

Mano Po

AGE – 23

Date_of_performance: april 28th 2025

Language: Tagalog, German, Romanian/Filipino 

Nationality: Bisaya

Primary Language: English

Text:

“I heard this from the teachings of my family from generation after generation, This is where I learned it from. Tradition-wise wise we bless the elderly and help others like family members. The point is about having a strong bond with family and blessing them, taking care of the elderly and the young ones, etc. Mano po is a blessing we perform to show respect to our elders. We gently grab the hand of the eldest person and move it to our foreheads. You don’t normally do this to strangers, as they might not want to be perceived as old; this is more so for families of friends, partners, and yourself. “

Analysis:

Translated, the word “mano” means hand in Spanish, while the “Po” is a Filipino honorific. Together, they summarize the ritual performed by Philippinos, which can be traced back to 1493-1898 with a book called “The Philippine Islands.” Other countries have also adopted this ritual, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. As Marcel said, it’s tradition to greet someone old with Mano Po, as it’s a great form of respect for someone.

The Symbol of the button down

Nationality: American
Age: 19
Occupation: College Student
Residence: Bay Area
Language: English

Text

Every Easter, the informant and his brothers always wear either pink or blue button down dress shirts. We did this to show our Easter Spirit as we would wake up early to go to 9 am mass.

Context

They are Christian Catholics and take these holidays seriously as it is tradition to dress this certain way, it is proper, and respectful to the values and ideals in the informant family as well as the holiday. The informants family tries to do this “costume or dress code” every year as the color blue represents purity, the Virgin Mary, and heavenly grace. Moreover, wearing Pink symbolizes a liturgical color used on Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent. 

Analysis

I am also Christian Catholic so when listening to this story I was able to make some connections. Related to the symbolism of the colors blue and pink, I feel as though when thinking about Easter I associate those colors with it and visualize it with those. When I was younger I didn’t realize these colors had meanings to them until I was older and started to learn about them. Easter decor that is sold in stores is usually presented in these colors. Also lots of colors in society have symbolic meanings to them but also it may vary for cultures. Vaz da Silva’s article demonstrates color symbolism, such as colors in movies. It shows how we have expanded and modernized color symbolism and its involvement in specific things. 



The unlucky Three

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: College Student
Residence: Chicago
Language: English

Text

When the informants grandma sends her money for her birthday, Chinese New Year, or Christmas it’s always in red envelopes, which are part of the Chinese tradition. The envelope contains two dollar bills or even numbers; but never ends in the number three because it is unlucky in Chinese culture.

Context

She was taught this by her mom, because she was always wondering why she was getting two dollar bills. A two dollar bill adds to the idea that it is lucky and unique. The informant was told this when she was younger and now when she receives these envelopes she knows the meaning behind the two dollar bill.

Analysis

Society over decades has created many meanings to numbers ranging from luck to the devils number such as 6. I also think the fact that a two dollar bill is in the envelope is significant because those are rare and usually people don’t have those. This number superstition reminds me of angel numbers, making a wish on 11:11, and more. This is a living tradition because it’s, “something that is being done, mode of activity that represents the past, based on performance”. As this has been tradition in the informants family for many years.

Chinese New Year Food Practices

Nationality: American
Age: 21
Occupation: College Student
Residence: Brooklyn, NY
Language: English

Text:

Collector: “Do you have any traditional foods that your family makes for any holidays?”

Informant: “For Chinese New Year, we make certain foods based on how they sound in Chinese. For example, we eat something called “fat choy” that sounds similar to “good wealth”. We also make oysters, which is “ho” and also means “abundance”. We always makes either 8 or 9 dishes because 8 in Chinese sounds similar to “good luck” and 9 sounds similar to “longevity”. 

Context:

My informant is Chinese American and lives in proximity to her grandparents who often cook traditional Chinese food, especially for Chinese holidays. Her mother explained to her why they eat certain dishes. 

Analysis:

These traditional food practices for Chinese New Year largely relate to cultivating good luck, wealth, and prosperity for the upcoming year. The foods are symbolic and consuming them is supposed to produce what they symbolize, such as good wealth. It is a form of homeopathic magic, in that consuming a food that sounds like a certain word will evoke that outcome. The number of dishes prepared, either 8 or 9, represent good luck and longevity, respectively. The new year is seen as the fresh start, and individuals do everything they can to cultivate success.

端午节 (Duānwǔ Jié) Dragon boat festival

Title: 端午节 (Duānwǔ Jié / Dragon Boat Festival)

AGE: 18
Date_of_performance: May 1, 2025
Language: English
Nationality: Canadian
Occupation: Student
Primary Language: English
Residence: Toronto, Canada (formerly lived in Beijing, China for 11 years)

Folklore Explanation:
“Dragon Boat Festival came every summer when we were growing up in Beijing, and while we didn’t really do the full traditional thing, we definitely participated in some of it. Sometimes we’d go to watch the dragon boat races—usually if there was something happening at Houhai or a local event—but most years we just focused on the food. You know how obsessed I am with 粽子? Those sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves? That was the best part. Some had red bean, some had pork—there were even a few sweet ones I really liked.

We’d usually either buy them fresh from the market or sometimes help someone make them if we were invited over. The festival itself wasn’t something we celebrated formally, but it was part of the rhythm of summer. You’d start seeing 粽子 show up everywhere, and there was always this feeling that the season had officially started. It wasn’t about rituals for us—it was about the food and kind of being around it, taking part in a way that made sense for our family.”

Analysis:
The Dragon Boat Festival is a ritual calendar festival and an example of hero commemoration folklore, centered on the legendary poet and minister Qu Yuan, who is said to have drowned himself in protest against political corruption. Traditionally observed on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, the festival blends narrative folklore (the story of Qu Yuan) with material culture (making and eating 粽子) and performance folklore (dragon boat racing).

It has both secular and spiritual dimensions. The races represent the villagers’ attempt to rescue or honor Qu Yuan, while the consumption of 粽子 is linked to ancient offerings meant to protect his body or ward off evil spirits. This festival is transmitted through intergenerational family practices, school events, media, and public cultural programming. It holds particular weight in southern China where dragon boat traditions are strongest, but food-centered practices like 粽子-making are widespread and deeply tied to domestic life. In urban settings like Beijing, participation varies—some engage fully, while others experience the festival more casually through its culinary and public components.