Tag Archives: FamilyRituals

Fresh Paper and New Beginnings: A Mississippi School Ritual

Nationality: American
Age: 73
Occupation: Retired
Residence: Alameda, California

Informant Information:

Age: 73

Date of Performance: 2/26/2025

Language: English

Nationality: American

Occupation: Retired

Primary Language: English

Residence: Alameda, California

Text

“There were lots of customs and rituals around holidays in my family, all of them pretty standard fare. Christmas had a visit from my Aunt and Grandmother bringing coconut cake and boiled custard; Birthdays involved having to share one thing you wanted to do, learn, or have before your next birthday. And the first day of summer vacation involved a fishing trip with our Father. But one that had ritualistic qualities, but no associated holiday, was the trip to the department store to ‘get ready for school.’ It always involved new shoes and clothes, really boring when you are a 10-year-old fidgety boy. But my favorite part was the school supply junket that followed. It was before day packs, so the best thing was the three-ring binder, tricked out with color-coded dividers and little plastic zip-up pockets for pencils and such. As I got a little older, exotic equipment became a part of the ritual, like compasses (with the mandatory warning that it could put an eye out, so ‘be careful, it’s not a toy’), protractors, which seemed to add precision to life that it had lacked before, and even things that had magical properties, like slide rules. All of these were great, but the thing I loved best and still remember was the collection of aromas. New textbooks (in Mississippi, you had to provide your own in 1958), fresh binder paper, and is there anything more heavenly than that smell of a newly opened box of crayons?”

Context

The informant reflects on the many family traditions and rituals they experienced growing up. Many of these rituals were associated with holidays like Christmas, where family members would visit with special treats like coconut cake and boiled custard, or birthdays, which involved sharing personal goals for the year ahead. However, one ritual that stood out for the informant was the back-to-school shopping trip, which had no particular holiday association. Each year, this trip involved buying new clothes and shoes for the school year, which the informant found boring as a 10-year-old boy. However, the school supply shopping afterward became the highlight of the ritual. The informant eagerly anticipated picking out three-ring binders with color-coded dividers, compasses, protractors, and even slide rules. As the informant grew older, the supplies became more complex, symbolizing the increase in academic responsibility. Despite the excitement of the supplies, what remained most memorable were the smells—the fresh textbooks, binder paper, and crayons—that filled the air. These smells symbolized the start of a new chapter, the excitement of a new school year, and the informant’s connection to learning and growth.

Analysis

This ritual highlights how sensory experiences, particularly smell, can create lasting memories and emotional connections. While the back-to-school shopping trip might have seemed mundane to the informant as a young boy, the school supplies became a powerful symbol of new beginnings, knowledge, and growth. The ritual was not just about obtaining physical items; it was about the feelings and anticipation associated with the new school year. The distinct smells of fresh supplies created an almost magical experience for the informant, and these sensory memories helped shape the meaning and significance of the ritual. The ritual also reflects how material items, like school supplies, can carry cultural and personal significance. For the informant, these items represented learning, precision, and creativity. The mention of “magical” slide rules also speaks to the wonder and awe that the informant felt toward these tools as a child. Overall, this ritual became a means of connecting with education and family, reinforcing the idea that even seemingly routine practices can have a profound impact on one’s childhood memories and personal development.

California Lemon Ritual: Visiting Family On The East Coast

Nationality: American
Age: 63
Occupation: Retired
Residence: Alameda, California

Informant Information

Age: 63

Date of Performance: 2/18/2025

Language: English

Nationality: American

Occupation: Retired

Primary Language: English

Residence: Alameda, California

Text

“If you grew up in California and all your family lives on the East Coast, you grow a lemon tree. When you visit family there, you bring lemons because it’s very exotic because you can’t grow lemons on the East Coast. You put them in a bag and then pack them in your suitcase. Eventually, some family members began visiting us on the West Coast when they got older, and they’d pick their own lemons from our lemon tree. I have a lemon tree in my backyard as a present for my husband because he’s from the South, and you also can’t grow lemons there.”

Context

The informant was born and raised in California, while her extended family remained on the East Coast. Her parents were originally from the East Coast, and she made frequent visits throughout her life. As part of those visits, she carried a seemingly simple but meaningful gift — fresh California lemons. This act became ritualized within her family, rooted in the regional differences in agriculture and climate. Lemons, while technically possible to grow in parts of the East and South, are far more common and thriving in California’s mild climate. In colder or more humid regions, lemon trees are vulnerable to environmental damage and rarely flourish.

For her family, receiving these lemons symbolized a piece of California, a vibrant, fragrant token of the West Coast lifestyle. When family members later visited her in California, they cherished the opportunity to pick lemons from her tree themselves. The ritual became a two-way cultural exchange, a reflection of rootedness and connection to place. Later, she planted a lemon tree in her own backyard as a housewarming gift to her Southern-born husband, making the tree not only a familial tradition but also a personal and romantic gesture.

Analysis

This lemon-gifting ritual illustrates how everyday items can carry deep cultural and emotional meaning, especially across geographic boundaries. What begins as a practical act of bringing fresh produce to family transforms into a ritual that marks identity, nostalgia, and care. The lemon tree functions as a living symbol of California, and its fruit becomes a physical expression of home, warmth, and abundance.

The act of transporting lemons across coasts shows the significance of regional differences in agricultural production while also emphasizing how natural resources can become symbolic commodities in family relationships. The ritual communicates more than just gift-giving. It speaks to the longing for home, the pride in one’s origin, and the desire to share that with loved ones who live far away. Furthermore, the informant’s continuation of the tradition by planting her own tree and offering it as a gift to her husband reflects how rituals evolve to include new meanings. The lemon tree is now both a bridge to her past and a symbol of unity in her marriage, showing how folklore adapts to new contexts while preserving its emotional roots.