Informant: “I learned origami as a child in my home. My siblings were the ones to teach me. My parents had bought instructional books for my older brother and sister and before I could read, they were teaching me to fold paper cranes and frogs. At school, I would habitually fold scrap paper into birds and other creatures and sometimes gift them to friends or teachers. If asked, I would happily show my friends how to make origami creations of their own, as my siblings had for me.”

Context: Informant is a 23 year old Japanese American USC student who grew up in Lancaster, CA. He also recalls how often other classmates would make things out of paper in his elementary school. Fortune tellers, paper airplanes, and other origami animals were among the many things he learned to make when he was younger, usually taught by family.

analysis: Origami is a classic example of material folklore. This material folklore tradition may have a deeper meaning to the informant’s family due to his Japanese cultural heritage, because origami originated in Japan and has been taught across multiple generations. It’s interesting how the origin of this folklore has adapted and changed over time. Although the original teachings of Origami may have required someone to physically be there to teach you, it has been more commercialized due to its instructions being published and spread in kids books across the world. Also, being able to make Origami swans in school is a way for children to socially collaborate and interact with one another. Its a living tradition amongst children, and is still shared even today.