Don’t open an umbrella indoors

Text: 

“Growing up, my mom always told us not to open umbrellas indoors because it gives you bad luck. She wasn’t that serious about it, though, it’s just something that she said. Like if it’s raining really hard she will open it inside so she doesn’t have to get wet.”

Context:

My informant is from LA, but her mom is from Michigan and learned this superstition from her own mother. My informant says that even though she and her mom don’t follow this superstition strictly, she does think about it every time she opens an umbrella. 

Interpretation:

This superstition, like many others, proves the common human fear of giving yourself bad luck. It also shows how superstitions can be passed down through generations, as my informant learned this one from her mother, she learned it from her own mother. This especially works if a superstition is taught at a young age, as young children are taught to obey what their parents teach them without questioning why. In addition, this is an example of how superstitions can be followed loosely. This family talks about this superstition and teaches it to each other, but only follows it when it is convenient for them. 

Stepping on a crack will break your mom’s back

Text: 

“I think it was at my kindgarten, where all the kids would say ‘stepping on a crack will break your mom’s back.’ Back then, the teachers would make us walk together as a class in line everywhere we went, so you could see everyone in front of you stepping over cracks in the sidewalk to save their moms, I guess. It was a big deal, too. Other kids would call you out if they saw you step on one, and I think some people even cried over it.”

Context:

My informant is from Austin and first learned this superstition in Kindergarten. She remembers following the superstition for approximately two years before stopping. She guesses that she either forgot about it or decided it was false. 

Interpretation:

This superstition is an example of how folklore can be spread at schools, particularly elementary schools or preschools. It reminds me of the cheese touch or cooties, as each of these are pieces of folklore that are turned into games by young children. This superstition specifically involves other people and reveals a deeper common anxiety about hurting loved ones. It also is an example of how rhyming can be used to define a specific superstition and help people remember it. 

Crawfish Boil on Easter

Text:

“So my dad’s from Louisiana and every year on Easter after we go to Church, we have a crawfish boil with the whole family and there’s music playing and my dad and his brothers boil the crawfish with potatoes and corn and sausage. All of my extended family goes so it’s pretty fun–we don’t get to see each other that much.” 

Context: 

As my informant mentioned, his father is from Louisiana, and he knows of many other people from Louisiana who have crawfish boils regularly. His family has been doing this for his entire life and even before he was born, although he does not know when the tradition started. 

Interpretation:

A crawfish boil is a great example of a tradition rooted in Cajun culture in Louisiana. As described by my informant, they usually include traditional Cajun food such as crustaceans and sausage. At the event, people come together to eat, showing how communal eating can create unity amongst a group of people. This group could be family, friends, colleagues, a combination of these, etc. Because my informant’s family associates crawfish boil with Easter, this example also shows how a tradition can become associated with religion, holidays, and the calendar, making them cyclic and ongoing. 

The Schnitzel Man – Legend

Nationality: American
Age: 28
Occupation: Author
Residence: Long Beach
Language: English

Text/Context: “In elementary school, there was a rumor making its way around about the Schnitzel Man. I first heard it from my friend Emily who heard it from another kid, and he was described as a tooth-fairy like figure who would bring Schnitzel to all the good little boys and girls. It started to catch on, and soon enough everyone knew about the Schnitzel Man. Some people believed it, including me and Emily, and we became so obsessed with the idea that we told everyone we knew, including our parents. Then one day, I woke up to get ready for school, and I feel something under my pillow. I pull it out, and lo and behold, it’s a plastic toy hot dog. I freak out and run to go tell my mom “The Schnitzel Man! He visited me in the night and left me a Schnitzel because I’m a good girl!” And so of course, immediately, the first thing I do when I find Emily at school is tell her, “I got a Schnitzel under my pillow, did you get one?” She said no, and I was like “I guess you’re not a good little girl then.” It became a source of irritation for her, because the Schnitzel Man never visited her, I was the only one blessed by the Schnitzel Man. I told everyone else in the friend group and anyone who didn’t believe before really started to believe then. In reality it was just my mother who wanted to play into all the fun we were having and wanted to pretend the Schnitzel Man was actually real.”

Analysis: I think we often forget how gullible we were as children, and this hilarious story is a prime example of that. If you told anyone over the age of 14 about the “Schnitzel Man,” they’d laugh in your face. But elementary schoolers will believe anything. This is reflected in the folklore that originates from this age group, as it is often much more far-fetched and absurd than the typical folklore you’ll hear. Kids see the world in what I would describe as a whimsical light, a product of their lack of experience. I sometimes yearn for that naivety, wishing I could once again believe in something like a Schnitzel Man or whatever other crazy things I used to believe in. It’s just so much fun. And although my informant is now too old to fall for such a story and knows the truth, it clearly made her happy to reminisce about it. It goes to show how folklore is not just a means used to preserve and pass down tradition, but as simply something to enjoy.

The Big Red Bat – Legend

Nationality: American
Age: 28
Occupation: Author
Residence: Long Beach
Language: English

Text/Context: “In 5th grade, everyone in Long Beach unified school district went to Camp High Hill, up in the LA mountains. There were a lot of traditional camp stories and all that, but the scariest was the story of the Big Red Bat. We didn’t know exactly what it was, but sometimes the counselors would mention it, saying something about the ‘Big Red Bat that was up in the trees,’ and never elaborate. There was an air of theatrics about it, clearly egging on our panic about the Big Red Bat and the forest itself, but we were 5th graders so we all believed it. One night, the night of a group night walk, we were sitting in the amphitheater before setting out. The head counselor told everyone that while he knows people are worried about the Big Red Bat, he was actually friends with him so there was nothing to worry about, but no one believed him. After a lot of unease, we finally started walking. When we got to where it supposedly was, he told us, “Alright guys, I’ll hold it at bay, but if you wanna take a peek, now’s your chance” We looked up, and nestled in the trees, was a big red baseball bat.”

Analysis: This is quite the funny story, but I think it shows the power a piece of folklore like a bit scary creature hiding out in the woods has. It was clearly used as a means to discourage kids from venturing out when they weren’t supposed to, but the execution is what I find particularly interesting. The Big Red Bat wasn’t a complete fabrication, it was a play on words that doubled as a deterrent for troublemakers. It makes me wonder if its origin is accidental, like if someone swung the bat but let go at the height of their swing and got it stuck up there for good. Regardless, it definitely worked out because it became both a funny story and a useful warning.