Category Archives: Rituals, festivals, holidays

The Westridgettes

Nationality: american
Age: 19
Occupation: student
Residence: los angeles
Performance Date: 4/22/15
Primary Language: English

CH went to an all girls private school in Pasadena, California.

CH: “So basically since we didn’t have a football team or any men’s sports teams we didn’t have any cheerleaders cause there was no point ya know? So we had something called the Westridgettes, there were 9 skirts that each meant something different. There was the Asian skirt, the glee club skirt, the captain skirt, the soccer skirt, the drama skirt, the tiger, and the skinny bitch skirt, the preppy skirt, and the black girl skirt. We told administration the skinny bitch was something else though cause they wouldn’t like that. Basically all of them were seniors but every year they would will them down to a girl in the class below them and every girl would add her name to a pleat of the skirt. So it was like a green skirt covered with names and the people who wore them were basically cheerleaders that would lead the pep rally and would do a provacative dance in front of the whole school to show how cool and fun they were. There was a lot of nepotism, the cool group of girls would have the skirt and pass it sown to other cool girls in the younger class. But then adminstration caught on and made them diversify the skirts so it went to a bunch of random people.

Why do you think this tradition started?

CH: “I think to enhance school spirit which is hard at an all girls school. We didn’t have any big football games or anything so it’s hard to have school spirit at an all girls school. Probably like fostering sisterhood too and creating a tradition of passing down the skirts”

I think this is an interesting initiation ceremony representing the liminal time of high school. Especially since the skirts are largely exculpatory, it creates a sense of being included or not. It makes sense that the “cool” girls would be selected because this ritual allowed them to join a lineage and stand out from other girls.

Senior Scooter Day

Nationality: american
Age: 19
Occupation: student
Residence: denver, colorado
Performance Date: 4/15/15
Primary Language: English

KB is from Denver, Colorado and graduated from high school in 2013.

Could you describe senior scooter day?

KB: “Senior scooter day was during the seniors last week of school. Basically each senior got to bring a razor scooter to school and ride it around all day. In one of my classes a guy made an entire presentation on his razor scooter, it was awesome. It was also super cool because our campus was big, we had 4 separate building so a scooter was really convenient. And everyone would know you were a senior. But then people were getting hurt on their scooters or hitting people or something so they tried to get rid of it. The year before I was a senior people tried to be rebellious and still ride them, but the deans would take them away. Then when I was a senior they said you couldn’t walk at graduation if you were a senior. So senior scooter day is basically gone now, in a couple years they probably won’t remember what it was. I was super pissed we couldn’t do it, but I don’t think anyone tried. I think they gave us a senior party in the quad instead, but senior scooter day was way cooler”

Senior scooter day is interesting because it relates to the liminal period in a person’s life. Senior’s are on the brink of starting a new life after high school so there are all types of rituals to distinguish the seniors from everyone else and also to celebrate the next chapter in their life. I think this ritual is particularly interesting because it is slightly anti-authority. It was discouraged before it was completely banned which I think goes hand in hand with it coming at a liminal period. The activity would only become more appealing because it allowed seniors to feel powerful and above high school.

Senior Theme

Nationality: american
Age: 19
Occupation: student
Residence: denver
Performance Date: 4/21/15
Primary Language: English

KB: “Each year all the senior girls would get into groups and decorate overalls to wear on the first day of school. Basically you wold buy painting overalls and paint them red and blue because those were our school colors. Then you would put like your last name and other fun decorations.”

When would you wear them?

KB:”You would wear them on the first day of school and on game days and stuff. They were supposed to show school spirit because they were our school colors. But it was also a way to see who was friends with who because each group of overalls would look different. My year the popular girls did theirs tie dye so everyone could tell them apart.”

Paper toss

Nationality: american
Age: 19
Occupation: student
Residence: los angeles
Performance Date: 4/18/15
Primary Language: English
Language: mandarin

RD attended high school in Palo Alto, California and graduated in 2013.

RD: “The paper toss was a tradition on the last day of school. Every senior would bring in like 3 lbs. of paper, like homework assignments, tests, any work you had from high school. So then everyone would toss all their papers into the air at brunch on the last day of school, it was a paper cut waiting to happen”

Was it all at the same time?

RD:”Yeah everyone would go “1…2…3!” and then throw the papers in the air. My year some assholes decided to throw text books which was a terrible idea. So we’d throw all the papers into the air after the countdown and take a big picture while it was happening.”

How long have they been doing it?

RD: “They’ve been doing it forever. Probably like 30 years, they always do it”

Special Dumpling

Nationality: USA
Age: 20
Occupation: student
Residence: USA
Performance Date: April 23, 2015
Primary Language: English
Language: Chinese

Informant was a 20 year old male who was born in North Carolina and moved to Santa Monica at an early age. He attends the University of San Diego and is an old family friend that came to visit.

Tradition:

There’s this Chinese New Year tradition that a bunch of dumplings are made and a coin or a peanut is placed into one of them. Everyone knows that one of the dumplings has a coin or peanut, but nobody knows which one. Whoever gets the special dumpling supposedly has good luck for the entire new year.

Collector: Is it true?

Informant: The luck? I don’t know, I’ve never found the coin, but I think it’s probably bullshit.

Collector: So you’ve done this several times?

Informant: Yeah, at a friend’s house. Only my mom is Chinese, but she doesn’t really celebrate the Chinese New Year. My friend’s family does, though, and I think it’s kind of fun to just go over there and participate.

Collector: So it’s a real Chinese tradition, this dumpling thing? Not just a family tradition?

Informant: So I’ve been told. Since my friend is the only one I know who does this I’m not sure. I think my mom has said that it is, but I don’t really remember…I should probably listen to her more (laughs).

Collector: Does it have to be dumplings?

Informant: Yes. I think.

I believe that the informant is trying to connect with his Chinese heritage by participating in this New Year tradition. It’s that whole ethnic identity thing. Since he’s half Chinese, he probably feels like he should participate, although, it does seem like it’s something that he enjoys doing. I know of several traditions that are similar to this one (one involving having money in one’s pocket at the stroke of midnight, and another involving running around with a purse) which indicates to me that many people truly believe that there is something magical about the new year. It’s a liminal line of sorts that requires a ritual in order to pass successfully.