Family Hamsa

Nationality: Algerian, American
Occupation: Student
Residence: Champaign, Illinois
Language: English

TE has a family heirloom in his pendant necklace, which he says is a hamsa. This necklace was given to him by his father last year. When not wearing it, he keeps it by his front door. The necklace is said to prevent evil spirits and bad luck from harming its wearer.

TE is unsure of the origins of the hamsa, saying its either a part of his culture as either north African or from Islamic roots. This necklace came from his father, who was born and raised in Algeria, and TE is pretty sure that it was passed down from generations upon receiving it last year. As a piece of his cluture, TE is very proud of his hamsa and wears it almost every day.

This necklace is a piece of tradition from either North Africa or Islam, and helps TE connect with parts of their heritage they come from. As part North African, he feels a responsibility to honor his familial roots, especially seeing how this necklace has been directly passed down to him from his father. The ancestral connection to this necklace may be why it is said to ward off evil spirits, as the spirits of his ancestors are protecting him as they did his father before him. While speaking to TE, it was clear that in the year since receiving the pendant, he cared deeply about it and made sure to take care of it. The deep respect for his past was solidified in his hamsa, and thefolkloric tradition of passing it down makes its significance personal for TE. As a piece of protection, TE didn’t seem to necessarily believe that it would ward off evil spirits, but was of the impression that it was far better safe than sorry in regards to its spiritual powers. The notion that it wasn’t belief of spirits, but rather lack of evidence to disprove spirits, is an interesting as it shows the trust in their heritage, drawing upon the beliefs of those before him as indication of its efficacy. This necklace is a strong piece of contagious magic, requiring the user to physically wear it to appreciate its effects, or to hang it up by the front door when protecting the home from spirits entering.

Olive Oil Cure-All

Nationality: Algerian, American
Residence: Champaign, Illinois
Language: English

Whenever TE is sick with any ailment of any kind, his father without fail recommends a spoonful of olive oil, claiming it can cure any problem.

TE is very unsure of the effectiveness of his father’s solution, but was often taking it during his childhood. This happened so much that it developed into a family joke where any problem someone had would be solved by a spoonful of olive oil, regardless of the nature of the problem. Thus, trouble solving a homework problem could be cured with a dash of olive oil.

TE’s heritage as an Algerian on his father’s side likely had a very large impact on his insistence on olive oil. As a northern African country next to the Mediterranean, the prevalence of olives both historically and currently in culture stretching as far back as ancient civilizations likely led to the reverence of olive oil for myriad uses. This knowledge had been passed down for thousands of years, becoming second nature to people from around the Mediterranean sea. TE’s father then brought this wisdom into the states and passed it on to his children. While TE is very doubtful that it works, the fact that it was such intrinsic knowledge to his father makes him much more accepting of the idea than someone who has never encountered the tradition. Turning the solution into a family joke has both solidified TE’s family together, but could also potentially connect them to other people who come from around the Mediterranean, as they would also be familiar with this concept.

Pregame Ritual

Nationality: American
Occupation: Student
Residence: Bristol, Rhode Island
Language: English

Whenever TC plays soccer, they have a very specific pregame ritual that they have to perform every game, or else they will not play as well. He wears the exact same base layer of socks with his cleats every single game. While the top layer of longer socks are cut out to fit the shin guards, the base sock layer was the exact same pair for 2 years straight. After TC finishes warming up, the next time they step onto the field, whether it be walking out with the starting lineup or subbing in, he makes sure that his left foot is the foot stepping past the line onto the field every single time.

TC first mentioned the reason why he wore the same pair of socks was due to his trouble finding socks that fit in his cleats well, with them sliding in his boots too much for his liking. One game, he decided to try a cut pair of socks with a base pair of socks, which saw him play exceptionally that game. Ever since then, he wore those same socks for every game to replicate the success he saw there. Additionally, the left foot out first when stepping onto the field is a good luck charm he says helps him play better. If he notices that he’s stepped onto the field with the wrong foot, he’ll go back and redo his entrance to prevent bad luck.

This ritual is highly repetitive, requiring the exact same set of circumstances every single time he plays soccer. TC does not call himself a very superstitious person, but holds this ritual to be very important to his success on the field. By limiting the variance before he plays the game, it gives him the same exact mentality as every other day, letting him focus on the game at hand. The emphasis on putting the literal best foot forward, which can be interpreted as homeopathic magic while stepping onto the field creates a barrier between the game and the world outside of it. By putting his best foot forward, TC can also be confident of his footwork in the game. No matter what is going on outside the game, once TC has stepped onto the field game ready, he can switch to competition right away. The placebo effect is extremely important, because even i changing socks or the walk-on ritual doesn’t have any major effect on TC’s physical being, mentally the pressure that he’s cast bad luck on himself can create a downward spiral leading to a poor performance .

Vishu Festival

Nationality: Indian
Age: 18
Occupation: Engineering Major
Residence: Seattle, Washington
Language: English

Informant: “The night before Vishu, you put books and things of knowledge by your family’s prayer area, and then when you wake up, you aren’t allowed to open your eyes until you get to the book, or items of knowledge. So, I would put important books downstairs in the prayer room and go to sleep. Then, my dad would wake me up, and I wasn’t allowed to open my eyes. He would then walk me down the stairs with my eyes closed to the prayer room. We’d go see the books, and we’d have to pray for a bit and use the time to be thankful for the gift of knowledge and opportunity.”

Me: What did it mean to you?

Informant: “I think it’s meant to celebrate other things, like, to be a reflection on the year that passed, but, for us, it was about being grateful for our opportunity and privilege.”

Context: The informant celebrates the Vishu festival because it is a tradition in their family. They said that they celebrate it once a year, and although it is very important to their parents, they don’t know quite as much about the celebration and wanted to look up some things to make sure they got the facts right. Their interpretation of the meaning of the festival seems to be fairly unique, according to what I found online, so it is likely that this is how her family has adapted the festival to better fit their own values of education.

Analysis: Sources like Wikipedia seem to characterize this festival slightly differently: Calling the “items of knowledge” my informant referred to a “vishukani” shrine, which can be composed of valuable or precious items that bring luck for the new year. My informant’s family places a big emphasis on education, and the informant is studying a very difficult major at a prestigious school, so I find it likely that her family has altered the festival (whether intentionally or not) to be more about their values of knowledge and gratitude for their family’s academic success. However, despite this adaptation, some aspects of the celebration remain the same, like their creation of a shrine and the focus on prayer in the morning.

Raksha Bandhan

Nationality: Indian
Age: 18
Occupation: Engineering Major
Residence: Seattle, Washington
Language: English

Informant: “This is a ritual we do, that’s usually performed between a brother and sister, but it could also be a cousin or something. I get a bracelet from my brother that has a cultural symbol, and in return, he gets me a gift. It’s from back in the day, as if I’m sending him off to fight in some war. The bracelet is supposed to offer him protection and good health on that journey. We do it every year on a specific day, but I can’t remember the day. Oh, and we also have to feed each other something sweet.”

Me: “So what is this festival about for you?”

Informant: “It’s about the bond I have with my brother. Also, since my brother is older, it’s like I’m thankful for everything he does for me, even if I don’t see it. You know, I’m sure there’s a lot he does that I don’t really have to think about because I’m just the younger sister. We’re never really serious with each other, so I really appreciate it as a day for us to be serious about our family and siblinghood.”

Context: The informant has been performing this ritual with her brother, once a year, every year, for as long as she can remember. They were taught it by her parents, and although the informant is shaky on what she thinks the ritual should mean, she finds her own meaning in the bond she has created with her brother and the opportunity to show that love despite the fact that they are rarely serious with each other. The cultural symbol in question is called “Rakhi” and is meant to symbolize protection, as the informant stated.

Analysis: My interpretation of this ritual, as it is performed by my informant, is that it is an old ritual which has been gradually adapted to make more sense in our modern context. According to my research, the ritual originally existed in villages where married women would leave their roots to go live with their new husband in another village. This ritual would then serve as one of the only times they returned home to their parents’ house each year, with the purpose of the ritual being to symbolize the brother as a protector in his sister’s relationship. As such, the way my informant celebrates the ritual serves more as a symbolic appreciation of brotherhood and sisterhood than a very real and potentially necessary promise of protection.