Category Archives: Rituals, festivals, holidays

Funeral

Nationality: American
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: San Marino
Performance Date: 4/24/18
Primary Language: English
Language: Japanese

Interview:

“We go to the temple for funerals.  Everyone eats lunch or dinner together like a family reunion.  It’s like a funeral but also an opportunity to catch up with each other. I went to those funerals, but I don’t really think of them quite as funerals.  “

What usually happens in these events?

“We go to the house of the person who died.  The priests come there.  Usually the day is spent making food and preparing the house, then making an alter and decorations.  Service where they have chanting, and at one point they take a string, and wrap it around the attendants around the hands of the attendants.  Same thing happens for blessing the house.

After the service is over, before noon, then the priests can eat, but if it’s after that, then no.  Then after that they party and eat.”

 

Background:

The subject describes the traditional events of a Sri Lankan funeral of which he has participated in a few times.  He also stated that it emphasized family in a way, bringing people together who may have been unable to communicate for long periods of time.   Similar to stories I have heard from Louisiana, rather than mourning the death, they celebrate a person’s life.

 

Analysis:

I found that the idea that death could be viewed as a celebration to a person’s life rather than mourning was incredibly positive.  It seemed like a means to help people move on after death and in this case, rekindle the family bonds that may have slowly drifted away.

Dragon Boat Festival

Nationality: Taiwanese
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: LA
Performance Date: March 24, 2018
Primary Language: Chinese
Language: english

The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated in China and Taiwan. The festival either comes from the legend of Qu Yuan or from the similar legend of Wu Zixu. Family’s make a wrapped food called Zongzi on this special holiday. While many remember the story, the main purpose of the holiday is to bring family together.

Howling at the Sun Ritual

Nationality: American
Age: 24
Occupation: Business Owner
Residence: Washington
Performance Date: March 15, 2018
Primary Language: English

At a music festival in California called Lightning in a Bottle, Luke participated in a folk ritual where he and other festival goers would howl like wolves at the sun, just as it was setting. They would all meet on the top of a hill in the festival grounds for this ritual. It was supposed to wish good luck upon the night as they continued to dance and listen to music, like a blessing.

The Rainbow Serpent Festival

Nationality: American
Age: 24
Occupation: Business Owner
Residence: Washington
Performance Date: March 15, 2018
Primary Language: English

The Rainbow Serpent music festival takes place near Melbourne, Australia. Luke went to this festival and found that it was a way of honoring the Aboriginal culture that modern Australia destroyed years ago. Aboriginal people dance and sing in traditional performances as a way of practicing themselves and educating others on their lost culture and spirituality.