Genre: Customary lore

Category: Folk Medicine

Collection date: Apr.20th, 2022

Main piece:  

“The dampness(湿气) within one’s body is a concept in Chinese folk medicine. It is an unhealthy body condition. It causes minor symptoms including cold and acne, and it can also be the cause of more serious sicknesses such as rheumatism. Aside from physical illnesses, mental problems can be the result of dampness in one’s body as well, including anxiety and depression. In the traditional understanding, diet is the main way to solve this problem. Eating specific food can reduce the dampness within one’s body. Some examples include barley, herbal tea, lily, lotus seeds, tremella, and houttuynia cordata.”

Contextual data:

Social context:

My informant brought this concept up when we are chatting regularly. She learned this concept from her mother and grandmother. According to her memory, this concept is usually brought up by the elder female members of her family. The male members of the family don’t talk about it much. It is a concept deeply entrenched in everyday lives. Usually in the family, when someone is in bad condition, the elder female family members will give an analysis of their health conditions, and dampness is often mentioned in their explanation. They would also give solutions by informing them to eat certain food. According to the informant, although this concept is pretty well-known across the entire country, it is especially prominent in southeast China (Cantonese-speaking area). It may have some correlation with the climate. The southeast part of China is known for high humidity. Therefore, human bodies naturally react to it. 

Cultural context:

The informant is a Hakka Chinese. She grew up in Shenzhen, China, and came to the U.S. for post-secondary education.

Informant’s comment:

“The concept of dampness in Chinese tradition doesn’t have a clear definition like scientific medicine. It is purely decided by the older members of a family and passed on from generation to generation. It’s hard to explain to someone outside the community. It’s not scientific but can be used to explain a lot of issues of body conditions.”

My comment:

My mother’s family, which is from the southern part of China, has very similar traditions. The concept of dampness is a pretty widespread idea in China. It is a very important idea in traditional Chinese medicine. However, I do agree that it is even more prominent in the southeast part of China. In modern media, there are even memes about how Cantonese people use dampness to explain everything. 

Genre: customary lore

Category: custom/ceremony

Collection date: Apr.20th, 2022

Main piece:  

“Chinese have the tradition of visiting the tombs of their ancestors on the Qingming Festival. However, in my family, we go visit the tombs of our ancestors on almost all holidays and memorable dates, including the Spring Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, and the anniversary of their deaths. We would adjust the scale of the ceremony according to what holiday it is. In the morning, the family would go to the market to buy food for the ceremony. Thick, fat pork belly and chicken are the mandatory items. Other items are flexible. Generally, we buy fresh, good food for the ceremony. During the ceremony, we would talk to my grandfather, who already passed away. We would talk to him about what is happening in our recent lives, wish him good luck in the afterlife, and ask for his blessing. The final one is the most important. We also need to burn incense. Three sticks per person. If someone’s not here, their direct kin needs to do the job for them. The total number of incenses needs to be right. We burn two incenses outside the door, so the departed can see where you are.”

Contextual data:

Social context:

Every family in the area has similar traditions of tomb sweeping. However, each family has a slightly different way of doing it. It is a tradition that passes on from generation to generation, and it changes slightly throughout this process. The informant’s grandmother is the one who conducts these ceremonies. In the past, it was mandatory for each family member to attend the ceremony. However, now, everyone usually goes there when they have spare time. The more formal ceremonies conducted on bigger holidays have more people attending. 

Cultural context:

The informant is a Hakka Chinese. She grew up in Shenzhen, China, and she came to the U.S. for post-secondary education.

Informant’s comment: 

“The ceremony is usually arranged by my grandmother. It is very important to her. This is a chance for a family gathering. She wants her family members to get together using this chance. This is a family tradition, a routine. I haven’t thought much about it, but it has become a necessary part of holidays. If you don’t do it, you feel there is something missing.”

My comment:

I feel that tomb sweeping is one of the more private traditions in China. The general concept is well-known, but each family has different traditions and customs

Genre: verbal lore

Category: proverb

Collection date: Apr.21st, 2022

Main piece:  

“May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead. ”

Contextual data:

Social context:

The informant learns this proverb from her family members, specifically her mother, who is Irish. This proverb is usually performed at a death. She heard this saying mainly at funerals from her family and extended family. It is related to Irish Catholicism, which is a very big tradition. 

Cultural context:

The informant is an American. She has a mixed cultural background of Irish and Bohemian. 

Informant’s comment:

“It’s something I’ve been wanting to investigate. My kind of roots is, as I said, mainly Irish. When I hear things like that it does connect me, it makes me feel a sense of connection, which again I think most people in the United States don’t have that sense of like connection to their family history. I’m hoping to do more investigation about Irish rhetoric, Irish life, and culture.” 

My comment: 

Proverbs are some immediate ways to identify with people who are from the same culture. It is revealed usually unknowingly in conversations, and it can bring a sense of connection immediately between people. 

Genre: customary lore

Category: folk medicine

Collection date: Apr.21st, 2022

Main piece:  

“Gargling salt water is a habit that keeps you healthy, just like brushing teeth. Salt can be used to kill bacteria. You use it to cure meet. Therefore, gargling salt water can clean your teeth and mouth and throat.”

Contextual data:

Social context:

The informant learned this lore from her father when she was in high school. It is a personal habit and family tradition kept since then.”

Cultural context:

The informant is Chinese. Her family is from Shanghai, China. 

Informant’s comment: 

“My family taught me, so I learned it. I think it is effective. I was having a toothache, I kept gargling saltwater for a while, and the pain was gone. Then it became a habit. Every morning and night I would gaggle saltwater when I brush my teeth.”

My comment: 

This is folklore that I’ve seen in both Chinese and western cultures. It makes me wonder how this folklore emerged and if there is a single origin for this tradition. It is commonly seen in news articles about health and wellbeing.