Category Archives: Rituals, festivals, holidays

Wilderness Therapy Community Initiation

Age: 20

Text:

Saying “I love you guys” to everyone at the top of your voice before bed at night.

Context:

My informant practiced this during his time in a wilderness therapy program during high school; the program is located in Colorado. In this program, you would be with a group of people of the same gender, and you would hike from the camp in Colorado to the camp in Utah over a couple of months. When you first get there, you have to shout “I love you guys!” to your group, and then as the months go on, every night, everyone would yell “I love you” to one another before they all retired to their tents. The reason for this initiation is that you immediately become vulnerable with your group, creating a level of comfort with your peers in the program.

Analysis:

The use of this initiation is by making the participant uncomfortable, as saying I love you to a bunch of strangers your age is not a normal thing to do. But since the group is going to be together for a few months, the vulnerability expressed breaks the tension and makes the group more comfortable with one another. As the group says it every night before going to bed, it creates a good vibe, and even though the program can be taxing, the group is getting through it together with positive energy.

The Latino Whistle

Context: The folklore gathered is a particular whistle sound, that was a way of getting someone’s attention.

Link to Sample Audio: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1rt28E6djQPM7FFeQLKfzVydXNNYJx_bu?usp=drive_link

Explanation of Folklore: I interviewed J about a particular whistle sound he made, that was a sort of attention getting gesture. This is a gesture that was practiced a lot by J when I was growing up , and something he implemented in my upbringing. As a kid, J had a unique way of getting my attention. He would do this particular whistle sound that, whenever I heard, I immediately knew it was him trying to get my attention. This whistle, although simple, was so recognizable to me, and immediately caught my attention, almost like some sort of sonar or audio flare. My ears would perk up, and I didn’t even have to be looking at him to know who it was.

This was specifically useful whenever we were in crowded places, like getting picked up from school, in a supermarket, and in malls. What makes this particular whistle so nostalgic, is that I usually associate it with a “time to go” message or tone. Usually, whenever J let out this whistle, it was an indicator that he wanted to get my attention, and or it was time to go. Depending on the context (where we were or what we were doing) I usually would use my context clues. This whistle is ingrained in my memory, and as stated previously, is ingrained so vividly in my memory. When interviewing J, he knew exactly what I was talking about, and was excited that I remembered it as well.

Analysis: According to J, this was a custom he also experienced in his upbringing growing up in El Salvador. As a kid his father used a certain whistle sound to gather his attention. For him, it was almost second nature, and for as long as he could remember, the whistle was always a non verbal way of communicating a certain “let me get your attention” gesture. I asked J about the particular whistle he chose to use, and he stated that it was what came natural to him, what he found to be the first whistle he made. This stuck, and became his particular gesture, something unique to him, and his children.

tying to the diachronic nature folklore holds.

Personal Analysis: What fascinates me about this particular folk gesture is how it is not unique to El Salvador at all. It seems to be a Latino concept, and perhaps, even a world wide one.

I asked several Latino people if people in their lives also used a whistle to grab their attention, and the common consensus was an astounding yes. Many people in the Latino community have stated that there is a particular “Latino Whistle” that is ingrained in our community, and passed on by the older generations. It is also a folk gesture that is typically associated with a father figure, a dad call if you will.

I also discovered that within the Chicano community, the use of a whistle is a very common call of attention that signifies a “what’s up” gesture. Similar to the “Latino Whistle” I heard growing up, its main purpose is to grab your attention. Also, the whistle sound is not standardized. Many people I asked whistled the sounds they grew up hearing and they all differed. This is very important because although the basic principle remains the same, it is the execution that varies. This is commonly seen in Oicotypes, and the various regional differences of folklore that exist within a region.

This concept of passing on folk gestures can be seen in more traditional folk, stories like those the Grimm’s documented, folklore that are staples in certain communities. a Functional Analysis would lead me to believe that this “Latino Whistle” is done to trap the attention of somebody. There is an association between hearing this whistle, and immediately knowing you have to perk up and listen to whoever let it out. In terms of Transmission, it seems to be a form of folklore that is passed on from generation to generation, and similar to how folklore is passed on by groups of people, this “Latino Whistle seems to be a staple within the community.

Sana Sana Colita de Rana

Context: The folklore gathered is a saying that is popular throughout Latin America, usually when young child gets hurt, in order to help them feel better.

Explanation of Folklore: I interviewed A about a saying that I have heard a lot in the Latino community. This saying is “Sana sane colita de Rana, is no sane hoy, saner mañana”. Originally in Spanish, this saying literally translates to “healthy healthy frog tail if it doesn’t heal today it will heal tomorrow”. The context for when this is said is typically for injured young children. When they get hurt, someone, usually a mother or a guardian will repeat this saying, while helping them with their injuries.

A told me that this is a very popular saying in El Salvador, her home country, but that it is also extremely common throughout Latin America as a whole. It is a saying that is almost universal in the Latino experience, and even has made its way alongside the Latin American diaspora.

Analysis: A mentioned that this saying has been in her vocabulary for as long as she can remember. When A was younger, they were told this by their parents as a way of calming them from crying. The witty rhyme is silly in its literal meaning, and has no connection to healing whatsoever. As a result, the intention was to make the child laugh and forget their pain. A personally thinks it is a colonial era saying, based on the fact that it is not exclusive to a certain part of Latin America. It is widespread across the Latin American countries as a common saying.

Personal Analysis: This is a form of oral folklore that is reflected in the form of a saying. Based on my interview with A, and my own personal experience, this form of Folk speech seems to be pretty familiar. The only variation of the saying that I found to be used is switching “colita” with “culito” a more vulgar adaptation of the saying. I definitely think that this is a colonial era saying, the traces its roots to a colonial Latin America. Given that the saying is in Spanish, it is very safe to assume that it was not until the Spanish reached Latin America that the saying gained popularity. This is a clear example of the Transmission of folklore, and how it is passed on from generation to generation. A fascinating part of this folklore is that its is tremendously widespread. because it is popular throughout an entire continent, it could be difficult to pinpoint the exact origin point. There do not seem to be very strong regional differences that would indicate any sort of regional variety. The common consensus is that it is a pretty standard saying.

When analyzing the meaning of the saying itself , it is difficult to find any sort of logical meaning. The frog tail might be an ode to the pre hispanic wildlife that may have been observed during the colonial species. Upon doing some research, I came across a species of frogs that are able to grow back their limbs when they are cut off, so perhaps there is a correlation between that observation of nature and the saying. In the end, the saying is told to children to make them feel better, and distract them from any pain they might be going through. It is a way to boost morale, and inspire a calmness for the child. Growing up, I was told this saying numerous times, and it really did do its job in distracting me. I would laugh at the use of “culito” a vulgar slang for one’s behind. It is interesting to see how saying that are so close to one’s life can be so widespread, and is a shared experience on a continental level.

Cat’s cradle

Age: 19
Language: English

My informant was a Japanese-American college student at USC who grew up in California. Below is a transcript of our conversation talking about the cat’s cradle, a playground game she played as an elementary schooler.

“A cat’s cradle is a string that you can manipulate into different shapes with your hands by making a series of movements with your fingers. It was taught by my friends in elementary school and requires other people to help out to work since the patterns are easily forgettable; I had to ask people all the time how to do it. If you could make a shape out of a string people thought you were cool because you’re making a new shape out of a simple string. It felt mysterious and skillful, like a cool trick you can do to impress other kids on the playground.

I remember I also tried to teach my mom it, who said that she knew how to do it when she was younger but she forgot how to do it as she grew older. I didn’t play cat’s cradle after elementary school. There was no particular reason why; new trends just came up and I forgot how to make it.”

Cat’s cradle seems to invoke a similar sense of fascination and mystery as performing magic tricks, but this sensation seems to be quite ephemeral. It’s reminiscent of how children grow out of pretend play because they feel childish pretending like they’re something else and they want to feel more “grown-up” (this is reflected in how “too old to play pretend” is a common saying.) Because cat’s cradle was a social activity and needed other people to learn it from, the informant probably felt social pressure to stop doing something no longer regarded as “cool” anymore. The fact that the informant’s mother also knew how to do it but forgot as she grew older suggests that this is a common pattern among young children and occurs with every generation.

Capirotada Cultural Dish

Informant Info:

  • Nationality: Mexican
  • Age: 50
  • Residence: Los Angeles 
  • Primary language: Spanish 
  • Relationship: mother 

Text: 

Capirotada(cultural food) 

Context:

EP explained to me the cultural and religious significance of the traditional Mexican capirotada dish. The capirotada dish is made during a specific season, as EP says, “la temporada de cuaresma.” Cuaresma is basically the Lenten period, in which Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter occur. She views this period of time in which she prepares for the death and the resurrection of Jesus by fasting and making this cultural dish. She learned this traditional dish from her mother who would make it during the Lenten period. EP goes into depth on the ingredients of the Capirotada, “La canela, clavo, y piloncillo se cuece, y así se hace la miel que se pone arriba de todos los ingredientes antes de hornear.” She first makes a sort of sweet juice/syrup to put on top of the ingredients. The ingredients consist of: white bolillo bread, tortillas, bananas, apples, queso fresco, raisins, prunes, viznaga, different types of nuts and dried fruits, etc. She said that you put the syrup that was made prior on top of all the ingredients and then you can bake it. 

Analysis:

Capirotada is made in different ways, and it also depends on the preference of the person making the dish. Not everyone will make it the same; each person has their own touch. I have grown up eating capirotada as well, but when I would ask other people if they had tried or heard of it before, they would say no. It is a dish that is not as commonly made or known. When I was younger, I always thought it wasn’t something I wanted to eat, but as I grew older I learned to appreciate and actually love to eat the dish. While the capirotada might not look as physically appealing as other desserts, it is truly delicious and holds a special place in our Mexican culture.