Category Archives: Rituals, festivals, holidays

Fourth of July ritual

Date_of_performance: 04/25/2025

Informant Name: EG

Language: English 

Nationality: American

Occupation: Student/barista

Primary Language: English

Residence: Santa clarita

INTERVIEW:

A ritual my family started when I was pretty young on the Fourth of July, was to go down to the parade that was happening less than a mile from our house, invite our friends and sit on blankets and watch the floats go by and grabbing the candy we can catch. While it was early, 9 am, it was such a fun way to start the day because I was able to see my friends and some of my family, we would also invite two of my dogs to come with us and they would behave so well. Afterwards, once the parade was over, we would invite everyone back to our house, where we would have a Fourth of July “feast” with deviled eggs, homemade pasta salad my mom made, fruit, many sweet treats and any other food that everyone could bring. We would sit around outside and catch up with everyone, what we were excited for during the rest of the summer and run around in our backyard. Later in the evening, everyone would go up to my grandparent’s house and swim in the backyard pool they have, eat more delicious food (hot dogs, popsicles, homemade chocolate chip cookies) and watch the fireworks when they happen. I have so many fond memories of past fourth of july events when everyone was able to get together and before my family moved away from everyone.

MY ANALYSIS:

Fourth of July has caused many mixed emotions. As of recently, it has been anger or the desire to stay away from celebrating and committing to activities that surround the holiday. Because of the state of the US has of 2020, the idea of spending the holiday with family has taken a step back and has become overshadowed by all of the horrible events that have happened. It causes us to lose sight of the past joy and memories we have created with family from this holiday, and not even celebrating the actual meaning of the holiday, just getting the time in summer to be around our loved ones and friends. EG’s story talking about the past fourth of july’s being spent with families, causes me to reflect on how the holiday used to be celebrated, next to your family while eating good food and looking at the fireworks. It seemed like EG’S time was less spent celebrating the holiday and more time getting the opportunity to be around people who love you and doing summer activities. Again, traditions are usually done with or passed down from your family, so if anything, fourth of july is about family and celebrating each other.

Christmas Eve ritual

Date_of_performance: 04/27/2025

Informant Name: MR

Language: English 

Nationality: American

Occupation: Teacher

Primary Language: English

Residence: Pasadena

INTERVIEW:

My birthday is on Christmas eve and by that time everyone has their lights up in suspense for Christmas. When I was younger, my parents and I started a tradition (or ritual) o drive to a neighborhood that were having light shows, and go look at the Christmas lights in the car with holiday music playing. It was always at night, so it was a wonderful way to end my birthday and introduce Christmas. It also was a great way to bring my family together, since my father was working a lot of the time, so I will always cherish those times. I loved the tradition so much, that I now do it with my daughters and son. Every Christmas eve, we would go drive to any neighborhood that is putting on an exciting Christmas light show, turn on the Christmas channel so it matches up with the lights and take in the view as we drive through the neighborhood. Christmas time always ends up becoming a stress with the pressure of getting everyone the gift they want, having dinner with the extended family, that it can be hard to find time to take a minute to breathe and actually enjoy what Christmas is all about. And to me, Christmas is all about being with my family, so having this time during my birthday where I can get my daughters and son together to feel the Christmas spirit, is a tradition that I’m always going to try to keep up as a long as I can.

MY ANALYSIS:

Christmas traditions are type of traditions that I hear about the most because it is always so surrounded by family and spending time with family that you want to cherish every moment you can get with them before everything starts to get complicated. Her tradition of seeing Christmas lights, is a great tradition to keep up because it gets everyone excited and is something that everyone can look forward to, so it can be easy for this tradition to stay around or even to make Christmas feel more like the old Christmas we felt as kids, sitting in the back seat while old holiday music plays on the radio, falling asleep as Christmas lights pass by the window, small memories like those is what keeps the joy of Christmas alive. The peace of it all, having something you can look forward to in the year, knowing it will always be there for you to help you get through the months or even through the seasonal/winter depression that may come up.

Christmas tamales

Date_of_performance: 04/28/2025

Informant Name: XM

Language: English/Spanish  

Nationality: Chilean

Occupation: Student

Primary Language: English

Residence: Santa Monica

INTERVIEW:

During every Christmas with my family we would usually eat tamales, not sure why it was tamales, but I was guaranteed a tamale when I went to my family’s house for Christmas. We aren’t Mexican, so I don’t understand, but it is a tradition and it feels with warmth and it was one of my favorite traditions during Christmas because it reminds me of my family and the time we spent together. It reminds me of good memories, makes me happy, and reminds me of home. I miss those christmases spent together as a whole family and when things felt easier as a child.

MY ANALYSIS

Hearing this story reminds me of the nostalgic Christmas when I was younger. How everything felt simple and nothing was changing. People fall into a routine during the holidays especially Christmas, because you are a kid so you go wherever your family goes, so you get used to the repetitive traditions that you create with the family you are with. The interesting concept of traditions, is that they don’t have to make sense on paper, it is something you create with family that you carry with you because it reminds you of home, so even if XM isn’t Mexican, having tamales every Christmas started to be associated with warm and happier memories and that is why traditions are made. It reminds her of her family and the Christmas she spent with them before she grew up and go thrown into the world and the messiness of it all.

3 Reyes Mago & Rosca de Reyes

Age: 20


Date of performance: 4/25/2025


Language: Spanish


Nationality: Mexican American


Occupation: Full-Time Student


Primary Language: English


Residence: California

Context:

My informant shared their experience with the celebration of “3 Reyes Magos,” or “Three Kings Day,” a tradition rooted in the biblical story of the Magi visiting the infant Jesus. Celebrated on January 6th during the Feast of the Epiphany, this holiday marks the end of the Christmas season. While the original story involves the kings bringing symbolic gifts such as gold, the modern tradition has adapted so that the Three Kings now bring presents to well-behaved children. Families typically wake up to find gifts left by the kings, much alike Christmas. One key tradition associated with the day that my informant shared, is the sharing of Rosca de Reyes aka, ‘The Kings Cake‘, a round, sweet bread with a hidden baby Jesus figurine inside. Finding this figure comes with the responsibility of hosting a future family party, a duty that applies even if the recipient is a child—placing the hosting obligation on the parent. This celebration blends religious meaning, family bonding, and festive customs that are passed down through generations.

Analysis:

Though distinctively different traditions, a similar meaning behind the Hispanic holiday is shared with my informant. I believe this holiday, shares a lot with the American traditions Christmas holds, so it acts like a second one for most. I’ve witnessed that sometimes it even hold more value than the traditional day of Christmas considering its the exact date that Jesus was supposedly born. I found it interesting how my informants background changed some of the traditions acted during this holiday and the meaning behind them. For example, as a Salvadorian, upon finding the hidden baby Jesus, the recipient makes tamales for the family. Making tamales is a heavy and arduous task that can take an entire day, which further amplifies the significance and value of this action and event.

Mount Holyoke Pangynaskeia Day

Age: 22

Text: My sister tells me about a tradition at her school, Mount Holyoke. It’s called Pangy, short for Pangynaskeia Day. She told me it’s the last Friday of the spring semester, kind of part Earth Day, part May Day, part spring fun, and part celebrating women. 

Context: She has never been before, because in past years she’s been busy or studying abroad ,and is going for the first time this year. She said she’s excited because she hears there are sometimes chickens and llamas and bunnies. There is also a may pole and a cultural festival, as well as good food on the lawn. She said they can wear whatever but she specified flowy dresses because it’s springtime and said, “Think witchcraft circles and dancing I guess but happier.”

Analysis: Pangy Day is an example of a festival that happens with the seasons, and it draws on older traditions such as May Day and Earth Day. However, it is reimagined in a modern college setting. Rooted in place based tradition, it’s a ritual that all Mount Holyoke students and alums have in common. Even though she has never been, the fact she knows a lot about it and is excited for it shows how these traditions live within the community and are anticipated every year.