Tag Archives: food

Apples & Honey: Jewish New Year Ritual

Age: 63
Occupation: Retired
Language: English

Informant Information:

Age: 63

Date of Performance: 2/18/2025

Language: English

Nationality: American

Occupation: Retired

Primary Language: English

Residence: Alameda, California

Text:

“Both my parents were Jewish, and at the new year—which, in Judaism, is a holiday in the fall when apples are in season—you cut apple slices, dip them in honey, and that will give you a sweet, prosperous new year.”

Context:

The informant, a California native from a fully Jewish background, grew up celebrating the Jewish New Year with her parents.

Analysis:

Eating apples dipped in honey is a Jewish tradition during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Their round shape symbolizes the cyclical nature of the year, while the honey’s sweetness represents hopes for a prosperous and joyful future.

Before eating, participants often recite a blessing expressing their wish for a “sweet new year,” reinforcing the ritual’s symbolic nature. For the informant’s family, this ritual was a celebration of their Jewish identity and means of passing down traditions to future generations. The timing, coinciding with apple season in the fall, also reflects the natural alignment between cultural customs and the regional produce available in California.

Taylor Ham vs Pork Roll

Nationality: American
Age: 47
Occupation: Homemaker
Residence: Morris Plains, NJ, USA
Language: English

Text:

“Taylor ham is North Jersey and Pork Roll is Central and South Jersey.  I grew up in Central NJ (Somerset County) so I grew up calling it Pork Roll.  There is no difference between the items.  I first heard it from my parents.  The Plaza diner in Morris Plains calls it Taylor ham but we are in North Jersey.”(LeRoy)

Analysis:

Knowing either of these is already a marker that one is from or has familiarity with New Jersey. This breakfast meat isn’t sold widely across the US, mostly in New Jersey and in a little bit of Pennsylvania. I interviewed my mother, who is a New Jersey native. She has moved around a little bit and gotten the whole experience of the importance of this debate. Where you are determines what it’s called and some people take it more seriously than others. This means if you order taylor ham/pork roll and call it by the “wrong” name for the region, some people won’t answer or will expect you to correct yourself. 

The importance of this debate is really a testament to where you are from. There is such a distinction between Central/South Jersey and North Jersey that this is part of the divide. There are many factors such as Mets vs Yankees, Jets vs Giants, Philadelphia vs New York, and Pork Roll vs Taylor Ham. There is pride in where you are from and where you live, so these debates are a healthier way to engage in this mock rivalry. Having pride for one’s home comes out in many ways, including healthy rivalry and one-upping. 

“Eddie’s Home”

Nationality: American

Age: 21

Occupation: Student 

Residence: Los Angeles, CA, USA

Date: 02/22/2025 

Primary Language: English

Language: English

Description: 

“In my family and other—I’ve heard it done other in other families too, but to like, signify or, like, tell somebody that they have something in their teeth, like at a dinner party or just like in public. You say that ‘Eddie’s home’. And you can be like Eddie’s upstairs, Eddie’s downstairs, Eddie’s upstairs in the left bedroom, etc.”

Subject’s opinion:

Subject:  I feel like that has a lot to do with, like Texas mannerisms and, like, politeness, because…you are like, very like, um…people pleaser, and, I don’t know.” 

Interviewer: Where did you first hear this? Do you remember? 

Subject: I think my family taught me, like, when I was little at the dinner table. Like I was told like, never to put my elbows on the table and that kind of stuff. So, like, as a…how to be polite, I guess.

Interviewer: Do you know why it’s called Eddie? 

Subject: No. I don’t. 

Analysis: 

Though the subject lives in Los Angeles, she noted that this piece of folk speech is deeply rooted in her family’s Texan tradition and highlights the American South’s great stress on social etiquette. The phrase itself—a code only understood by members of her community—reinforces presentation and politeness. It suggests that having something in one’s teeth is not only uncomfortable to oneself but also a violation of a collective commitment to cleanliness and sophistication. In this context, the phrase becomes a way to care for or protect someone, as it prevents them from potential embarrassment. It’s also clear that the subject was brought up in such an environment based on her reference to dinner table manners. The subject, however, displayed a degree of disillusionment towards her community, often putting on a dismissive attitude when discussing such practices. Though the subject did not elaborate further on these feelings, it’s reasonable to assume that she doesn’t entirely subscribe to her community’s commitment to upholding values on social etiquette. That said, the metaphorical code is incredibly vivid and engaging and left a strong impression on the subject. It’s an obscure yet potent piece of folk speech that not only reflects Southern values but also how and where the community engages in a rich oral tradition which “Eddie’s home” is only a small part of.

Food and Clothing Traditions for Chinese Lunar New Year

Informant Details

  1. Gender: Female
  2. Occupation: Student
  3. Nationality: Chinese-American

Folklore Genre: Holiday Rituals and Superstitions, Calendar Year

  1. Text

The informant explained some traditions and superstitions associated with the Chinese Lunar New Year. During the Lunar New Year, it is traditional to place oranges around different rooms in your house for good luck and prosperity. On New Year’s Eve, you eat a vegetarian diet so that you don’t bring bad energy from hurting other forms of life going into the new year. On New Year’s Day, there is a big feast with a lot of specific lucky dishes. It is best to eat as a family because this brings good fortune and togetherness, but it isn’t considered bad luck if you are eating alone. During this feast, you have to eat some of each dish to ensure you are lucky in all parts of your life. Noodles are eaten to represent longevity. It is bad luck to cut these noodles because this implies that you will shorten your life. Chicken is eaten to ‘fly’ into a year of good fortune, fish is eaten for prosperity and good luck, and green vegetables are eaten for financial wealth and good fortune. Similarly, you are meant to wear colors that represent certain aspects of your life. Wearing red brings good luck, wearing green brings wealth, wearing gold brings success, and wearing yellow brings good health. You can wear more than one color to cover all these areas of life. It is considered very bad luck to wear black on New Year’s Day because this color represents death. The superstition is that if you wear black, you or someone in your life will die. 

2. Context

These traditions and superstitions are done during the Lunar New Year, which usually occurs around the end of January. The informant learned these rituals from her mother and grandmother. Her mother is Chinese-American and her grandmother is Chinese.

3. Analysis

Cultural values are reflected in the specific areas of life represented through the dishes and colors. Many of the traditions are meant to bring financial prosperity. This suggests that striving for wealth is viewed as admirable in this culture and wealth is viewed positively. Health and longevity are also highly prioritized. This suggests that growing old is seen as a blessing in this culture. Additionally, togetherness is valued, which indicates that family relationships are a priority. Overall, these rituals focus on bringing blessings into the new year, instead of reflecting on the past year, which suggests that this culture has a future-oriented viewpoint. These rituals also connect to the idea of homeopathic magic because you are meant to eat and wear things that symbolize the future you want. 

Southern-Irish Oyster Dressing

Text: 

“One family ritual we had growing up for Thanksgiving was that rather than having cornbread-based dressings [for Thanksgiving], we always had oyster dressing… Oyster dressing would have been a standard addition to our Southern-Irish Thanksgiving dinner growing up.”

Minor Genre: 

Holiday Ritual; Traditional Foods

Context: 

The informant explained in the interview, “My understanding is that [oyster dressing] has roots in my family’s Irish heritage rather than in Southern culture.” The informant grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, in a deep Southern setting, but her family immigrated from Ireland in the 1800s and maintained a strong connection with their Irish roots.

Analysis:

Although the informant believed the oyster dressing was connected to Irish culture, my research indicates that it actually became deeply embedded in Southern cuisine. The recipe was brought to New England from Britain in the 18th century, where it then migrated down the East Coast and took root in the deep South.

I think the most interesting part of this interview from a folkloric perspective is the informant’s belief that their traditional oyster dressing dish originated from Ireland. Although my research indicates the recipe was brought to America from Britain, it is entirely possible that the recipe was brought to the informant’s family from Ireland. The part of the family from Ireland lived in the coastal town of Dungarvan, which is located in one of the counties in Ireland that accounts for the highest production of oysters. Therefore, the informant is not necessarily incorrect in her belief that the recipe originated from Ireland –– though it is also possible that her family adapted the recipe from their Southern environment.

An additional note on oyster dressing is that the informant was specific in saying dressing rather than stuffing. Stuffing and dressing are terms used for the same traditional Thanksgiving dish, but “dressing” is specific to the South, and is the term the informant used before moving to California, where her husband’s family used the term “stuffing.”