Tag Archives: christmas

Tradition: Luminaras

Nationality: America- Caucasian
Age: 25
Occupation: Lab Administrator/ researcher
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: April 18 2013
Primary Language: English
Language: Intermediate French

Note: the informant was originally from New Mexico

 

Christmas Luminaras

This tradition is primarily a New Mexico. Before Christmas my informant’s family sets up luminaras around their house. Luminaras are made of paper bags,sand, and candles. Generally brown paper bags and wax candles are used although some people use electric lights in lieu of candles. They do not have to be decorated. To make them you just fill a bag with sand and place the candle inside. According to the informant this is a very collaborative process, the whole family (her nuclear family) gets involved, they take turns doing different steps and they all put the luminaras outside. They place several hundred outside the house. On Christmas Eve the informant and her family go out and look at the neighbor’s Christmas lights and luminaras. Then they drive to Old Town in Alberquere, a plaza where a lot of people gather to look at the luminaras. 

In this case the time the family spending time together is the most important part of this tradition than the object itself. The emphasis is about preparation because that’s a collaborative process. Its fairly similar to other Christmas traditions (well h=the ones I’ve experienced) where the traditions like putting up a tree and opening presents are more about spending time with the family.

Sleeping Around the Christmas Tree

Nationality: American
Age: 21
Occupation: Student, Part time facilities attendant at on campus gym
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4/24/13
Primary Language: English

Here my informant recounts a Christmas tradition her family shares:

My family always sleeps, well, not always, we’ve done it before… Okay, so we always sleep in the living room right around the Christmas tree at Christmas time, and all of us just, like, sleep on the floor on this big mat. Uh, just like a mat, just, not like an inflatable bed, but we’d just kind of each make our own, we’d call it a mat, but it was more our own kind of blanket and pillow bed I guess, we’d all sleep on the floor with.

My informant described how her family started this tradition when she was just one year old, and how she, her parents, and her sister would spread out blankets and pillows under the Christmas tree, and sleep there together on Christmas eve. She said it was a way for her family to celebrate being together and loving one another on such a special holiday, and how it always made her appreciate what a wonderful home she had.

Epiphany

Nationality: American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Houston, Texas
Performance Date: 4/16/2012
Primary Language: English

My informant grew up in Texas and was raised by her white and Puerto Rican mothers.  She said that this was a holiday that was celebrated in her Puerto Rican mother’s family and they still celebrate it.  It is also called día de los reyes which translates to three kings day.  It is when the three kings visited Jesus and gave him the gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh.  It is typically on January 6th, or twelve days after Christmas*.  The night before, my informant and her brother would place shoes on the porch, traditionally full of hay but they would use grass, for the camels. Similar to leaving carrots for Santa’s sleigh or leaving cookies for Santa.  In the morning, the hay would be gone and there would be little presents in the shoes.

My informant says that this celebration is traditional in Hispanic countries, such as the one her mother is from.

This holiday ties to the biblical story of the three magi and is found in very catholic countries.  It is a feast day, but on the thirteenth day, or after the mini month of the year.  It is a very liminal period as it includes the New Year.  The presents given to the children can represent good fortune for the coming year and be a way of celebrating making it through the transition time from one year to the next.  It is a mini new year after the mini month.

*The song “Twelve Days of Christmas” counts down the days from Christmas to Epiphany.

German Pickle Tradition

Nationality: German
Age: 23
Occupation: Front Desk Worker/ Grad Student
Residence: The Valley
Performance Date: 4/25/2012
Primary Language: English

Every Christmas, my informant’s family will hide a pickle ornament in the tree and whoever can find it first gets a jar of pickles as a prize.  She said that this is how they also initiate people into the family.  She remembered when her brother-in-law first came to the house for Christmas and he was very confused and thought that it was weird.  She says people always get this look on their face when they walk in the door and are told “Ok, now find the Pickle!”

While typically this tradition is for children on Christmas morning, my informant’s family has changed this to a family tradition that helps the test people who are new to the family such as a potential spouse.  The emphasis for this traction is on family ties and having a game that includes everyone, even the new comers.  It’s an initiation ceremony.

Children’s Jingle Bells

Nationality: American
Age: 57
Occupation: Finance (Retired)
Residence: Orange, CA
Performance Date: 4/15/12
Primary Language: English

To the tune of “Jingle Bells”

Jingle bells

Jingle bells

We will hear no more.

We have captured Butterballs

and nailed him to the floor.

 

Took his boots

and his loot

only left his socks.

We gave him a beach party

and dumped him off the docks

 

Splishy, splash

Splishy, splash

We will hear forever more

Now the Fat Man’s hauling toys

Across the ocean floor.

 

My informant learned this version of jingle bells from a friend of his in elementary school. He and the other “no talent brothers” sang a number of these songs throughout elementary school. This song is sung primarily at christmas time, especially in the car after a version of jingle bells is aired on the radio. The song originally demonstrated the children’s rebellion against parental influences as many children’s songs do. However, my father only introduced this song to my brother and I after we had entered high school, past the point that we would sing it ourselves, so now it reflects more his desire to show that he is still a child at heart.