Tag Archives: family

A Long Goodbye

Nationality: American/Cameroonian
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Arlington, VA
Language: English

TEXT: “In my Cameroonian culture, funerals usually last several days so that everyone has time to come together and support the grieving family. It’s not just a quick one day service and burial, it’s a time for the whole family and the community to gather, share memories, sing, pray and be present with eachother, to remind the grieving family that there is still joy in life. I remember one funeral, a family friend’s, where people came from different parts of the world, just to offer their condolences and stay with the family to offer more support. The long funeral helped the family feel less alone, and it became a time for not just mourning, but celebrating the person’s life and the legacy they leave.”

CONTEXT: The tradition shared by F during a discussion about how cultures handle grief and funeral customs. F explained that in Cameroon funerals are major events that can last days, even weeks. These gatherings give everyone a chance to travel, attend and offer comfort to the family for long periods of time. F recalled a time when people traveled long distances just to be present for the family, showing how important it is for community support to be available during difficult moments like loss. The focus is on both honoring the dead and helping the grieving family.

ANALYSIS: This is both an example of a funeral custom, and a communal ritual that helps people deal with grief together. In Cameroonian culture, funerals aren’t rushed, and services are far from short. The extended mourning period allows the family and community to have more time so that no one feels left out or unsupported. The extended mourning period allows for further emotional healing, sharing memories and a display of respect for the deceased. It also shows how community bonds are both strong and unbreakable, since these traditions help keep those bonds alive, even during hard times.

Hair and the Moon

Nationality: American/Ecuadorian
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Washington, DC
Language: English

TEXT: “Whenever my older sister needs a haircut, she asks my mom since she knows how to cut people’s hair pretty well. I remember my sister asking my mom to trim her hair down a little bit, but my mom said no since the moon wasn’t full. Confused, I asked her why she couldn’t cut my sister’s hair if there weren’t a full moon, and she told me that her hair wouldn’t grow back fast or evenly if it wasn’t trimmed during a full moon day.”

CONTEXT: This story was shared by the informant, A.J, during a conversation about family traditions and superstitions passed down through generations. A.J talked about a moment when their older sister asked for a haircut, but their mother refused because it wasn’t a full moon. When A.J asked why, their mom explained that hair grows back better, that is faster and more evenly, if it’s cut during a full moon. A.J mentioned that their mother is Hispanic, and this belief appears to be common among many Hispanic families.

ANALYSIS: This is an example of a folk belief connected to nature and timing, specifically involving the lunar cycle. In many Hispanic cultures, it’s believed that the moon has an influence on natural processes, including hair growth. Even though it’s not scientifically proven, the belief continues to be passed down and practiced. It shows how traditions and superstitions can shape everyday routines like haircuts, and how cultural wisdom combines natural observation with caregiving habits in the home.

Family Christmas Tradition

Age: 19

Story: “Every year my family always has the same Christmas tradition. On Christmas Eve, we go to my grandma’s house, we decorate cookies, and we open gifts. This is a day where all of my family gets together, even the family from out of Washington, and we can finally see each other after many months. Another layer of this tradition is that we open gifts from youngest to oldest. So, this past year, my 2 year old niece opened her presents first, and we ended with my 93 year old grandfather. Then, we head back home, open some more gifts, and finally leave cookies out for Santa. The next morning, we wake up, and there’s some more gifts to be opened, and there’s always board games for our entire family to play. I know this isn’t a super unique or special tradition, but it’s special to me, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Analysis: This story beautifully shows how even widely practiced holiday rituals, like decorating cookies and exchanging gifts can hold deep personal and cultural significance. From a cultural standpoint, the repetition of familiar activities like leaving cookies for Santa or playing board games the next morning contributes to the everlasting traditions that many families share during Christmas. I know that this person doesn’t say that they think this experience is unique to them, but something I’ve always found is that family traditions, no matter how widely practiced, are always unique, always different, and always special.

Free Hot Cocoa!

Age: 19

Story: “There’s this tradition my family and I started doing a couple of years ago during Christmas time, and it’s something that involves the entire neighborhood back home, so it’s super sweet. But essentially, there’s this one house that lives down the street and they have this little window on their front porch, and every night of the week before Christmas, they leave their window open and put up a sign that says “Free Hot Cocoa!” So, one day, my dad and I were walking our dog, we passed the sign, and we thought we oughta take advantage of this free hot chocolate situation. We ended up bringing our entire family back, and now every year, we go back to this house and we get some hot chocolate. We actually even started to create a relationship with the older man and woman that live there, and my dad mows their lawn in the summer.”

Analysis: This person’s experience reflects how everyday spaces, like a neighbor’s front porch, can be transformed into the most memorable and special of places. The tradition started just from a casual walk, but it grew into an annual outing that now holds a lot of value for this person’s family and reinforces a sense of belonging within their community. What I really love here is the evolving relationship between this person’s family and the couple who offers the cocoa. It’s so cool to see how a simple act of kindness, like giving out free hot chocolate around the holidays, can evolve into a beautiful relationship, where this person’s dad now mows their lawn. 

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.