Category Archives: Rituals, festivals, holidays

TMB Band Name: Sexing a Bush

Nationality: Irish, American
Age: 19
Occupation: USC Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4/19/18
Primary Language: English

While interviewing my informant, Killian, I decided to document his Band Name. He got his Band Name from the upperclassmen of his section in the Trojan Marching Band (TMB). Killian is a member, and section leader, of the Mellophone section. I asked him to perform his band name to me as if he were asked to “introduce himself” by another member of the band:

 

“Someone would say ‘who are you?’

And then I say, ‘Once upon a time, my name is Sexing a Bush’

Someone would say, ‘why?’

‘Because my dead dad didn’t like to shave down there.’”

 

My informant added after the performance that he doesn’t like to use the same joke twice, and that that’s important for me to note in my documentation.

 

My informant would usually perform this Band Name/Joke ritual in a social setting with other members of the TMB. Sometimes he is asked by alumni of the band who are interested in hearing the new Band Names their section has come up with. Members of the band also frequently ask each other because they are often humorous or come with humorous jokes attached. It is also used to test the band Freshmen to see if their jokes are up to par with the standard set by current band members.

 

According to my informant, everyone in the band has a Band Name that they have been dubbed by their older section members. The Band Names are different in each section. Some sections give their members short names that function as traditional nicknames (example: “Egg”). My informant was mostly able to give me knowledge of how the Mellophone section names its members.

 

My informant’s section gave him a strange name because they have to figure out how it applies to them/ what the other section members know about them. My informant informed me that he is dubbed ‘Sexing a Bush’ because it’s a reference to a song from the popular show Crazy Ex Girlfriend. The other members of the section believed that the lyrics of the song fit his personality.

 

Analysis

I have seen my informant introduce himself on many occasions with a few different Name Jokes. The particular joke he gave me is very extreme and inappropriate (I debated even including it in the archive). The section normally uses raunchy, outrageous jokes, but I consider this joke a little too outrageous. I personally enjoy this social band tradition. Everyone has a name, so it’s fun to get to know all the members of the band just to hear them. The tradition of Band Names also further unties the band as one entity.

 

The Day After Thanksgiving

Nationality: Caucasian
Age: 21
Performance Date: 04/18/18
  1. What’s A Holiday Tradition You Celebrate?

It’s kind of basic but every year after Thanksgiving my Mom and I decorate the house for Christmas. We turn on KOST 103.5 with all their Christmas songs. We start with a small fake tree that used to be in the kids room when we all shared a room. There are little mini ornaments that my grandmother gave us. They’re nativity scenes and they fit nicely on the small tree. My family is Christian, so the nativity is fairly meaningful to us. We even have this book that we put out every year detailing the Birth of Christ as told through the life of trees. My grandpa really loves trees… he loves to draw trees, so this book is super meaningful.

  1. How Long Have You Done This?

For sure since when we moved to where my parents currently live so that was like 2000. I know my parents have had some of the significant decorations for much longer. Also every year my grandparents give us coordinating ornaments every year so it’s cool to see them all on the tree each coming year.

  1. What Significance Does This Have?

Well like I said we’re Christian so the book and the nativity scenes are meaningful. But also it’s a good time to spend with my mom and bond. I don’t get to see her very often anymore since college so it’s a good time.

My Thoughts:

Family is an important value especially, in the Christian community. It’s a good experience to bond with them. Christmas is a time that I celebrate with my family and it’s always fun to celebrate doing something where you’re working towards a common goal.

The Story of Santa Claus (as told by Lori)

Nationality: Armenian
Age: 56
Performance Date: 04/08/18

When we were little, we used to believe in Santa Claus. It was just the way kids are, I suppose. Something that was a little different though is that we used to believe that Santa would leave our Christmas presents on the doorsteps of our house. We later learned that it was our grandparents. They would ring the back porch doorbell and leave all their presents there. Then later on we would find them coming through our front door. It’s so funny that we weren’t able to understand that they were ringing the back doorbell. But it was always a treat we would wait and wait and wait on Christmas Eve… Me and Uncle Gary, and Auntie Deanne and Uncle Paul… and when we would hear the back doorbell we would run together and get all our presents. It’s also funny how selfish we were as kids, less interested in out grandparents and more interested in the presents they got us haha.

 

My Thoughts:

I don’t really believe in allowing children to believe in Santa Claus. I didn’t really ever believe in Santa… I think I always knew it was my parents. I really appreciate the sentiment though that sometimes we get caught up in the glamour of Christmas and forget to cherish the moments with our friends and family.

Easter Eggs

Nationality: Armenian
Age: 56
Performance Date: 04/08/18

In Aleppo, when I was growing up, we didn’t have fancy egg coloring kits. What we would use to dye our Easter eggs was skin of red onions. There weren’t a ton of colors… there was only red. There’s a reason for that. During the crucifixion of Christ, Mary had an egg in her shall. While she witnessed her son bleeding out on the cross she cried. Her tears mixed with the blood of Christ blended and colored the egg she carried. The color red represents Jesus’ blood. Also the hard shell of the egg is a sign of the tomb in which Jesus was encapsulated and as you break the egg you release Jesus from the tomb as He resurrected.

My grandmother would boil the eggs on either Good Friday or the Saturday after along with the skin of red onions. I would stand next to her and watch her peel the onions and put it in the boiling water. After the eggs were boiled they were removed and cooled and then we would put them on a platter. We put them in the living room… we didn’t have a family room… sometimes we put them on the dining room table. When guests would come, we would sit around the table and greet each other in the Easter tradition. One person would say “Krisdos haryal i merelots,” which means Christ is risen from the dead. One would reply, “Orhnyal e harutyun’ Krisdosi,” which means blessed is the resurrection of Christ.

We would leave the eggs overnight till Easter morning. I always got to be the one who carried the plate from the kitchen to the dining room table… it’s not much but it was my role. Then we would fight the eggs. My uncle would come… when he was born, Easter was very close to his birthday so they named him Harout after the Armenian word for resurrection, haroutune. In American his name is Harry. I fought the most eggs with him. I won most of the egg fights… I don’t know if they let me win or if I won off of merit but either way… I won.

My Thoughts:

I never knew there was a reason behind dying eggs. It’s interesting how now there are many different ways to dye eggs. Companies have monetized a religious tradition. I suppose that’s the case with many holidays though including Christmas, Valentines Day, and Hanukkah.

The Festival of Vardavar

Nationality: Armenian
Age: 56
Performance Date: 04/08/18
  1. What kind of holiday traditions did you celebrate in your family?

I remember one thing called “Vardavar,” it’s 98 days after Easter celebrating the transfiguration of Christ.

  1. Where do you celebrate this?

I used to celebrate this as a child when I lived Aleppo, Syria.

  1. What does Vardavar entail?

It was a festival where people would gather with buckets and small bowls filled with water to pour water on each other. You would pour water on family and friends and even on strangers. Everyone knew on that day, that you would expect to get wet.

  1. What did the water signify/ What’s the origin of this festival?

I believe it began as a pagan festival worshiping the goddess Astghik, the goddess of water, beauty love and fertility. The name Vardavar comes from the Armenian tradition to give up roses as an offering to Astghik. The word vart means rose.

  1. What is the transfiguration?

The transfiguration is when Christ became radiant in glory. It refers to the experience of momentary divine radiance.

My Thoughts:

It’s an interesting idea that this ceremony is celebrated by splashing water on each other. I feel like the splashing water is similar to drowning, which is the opposite of fertility, however water is also cleansing and healing.