Tag Archives: good luck

Ritual – Chinese

Nationality: Chinese-American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 20, 2007
Primary Language: Chinese
Language: English

Notes:

Every birthday the subject eats either a meal of noodles or one single noodle. The noodle symbolizes good luck for the upcoming year. The subject’s mother also practices this ritual on her own birthday as well as the subject’s grandmother. The subject say’s that she learned the ritual from her mother and that the ritual stems from a “Chinese tradition rooted in one [their] staple foods.”

The ritual of eating noodles is very important to the subject in that she has repeated the ritual every year since the age of three. To prove this point, during my conversation with the subject she remembered that she had forgotten to eat a noodle on her birthday (just two days prior). She immediately prepared Ramen noodles and ate them.

When asked if she actually believed that something bad would happen to her if she did not eat a noodle/noodles on her birthday she said no but she has not gone through a birthday before without eating noodles and would “rather not risk it.”

It is also important to note that the variety of noodle does not matter (i.e. egg noodles, spaghetti, rice noodles, glass noodles, etc.) According to the subject, it is the act of eating anything “noodle like” on one’s birthday that is important. Upon further research the length of the noodles can also be a factor in whether the person will live a long life.

Ritual – German

Nationality: German, Norwegian, French
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Katy, TX
Performance Date: April 20, 2007
Primary Language: English

Notes:

In order to usher in the New Year the subject’s family eats a meal comprised of sauerkraut, sausage, black-eyed peas at midnight on New Year’s Eve. The meal is supposed to bring good luck throughout the year. The subject identified the traditional meal as uniquely German and that the tradition has been kept up through many generations.

For the subject the meal has become less and less important to her and more of something she feels she has to do in order to not upset her grandmother. However she enjoys the fact that the meal symbolically brings her family together like other occasions (i.e. Christmas, Easter, etc). When asked if she would continue this tradition with her own family she said that it would first be up to her husband and secondly it the continuation of the traditional meal would hinge on if she ever learned how to properly prepare the sauerkraut that is required for the meal.

Black-eyed peas as part of a traditional/ritual meal can also be seen in the Italian culture. The appearance of sauerkraut in the meal, however, makes the meal uniquely German.

Ritual – Hawaii

Nationality: Czech, English, Irish
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Avalaon, Catalina, CA
Performance Date: April 24, 2007
Primary Language: English

Notes:

The subject learned this ritual from her best friend Brenna, who’s mother learned of the tradition on a vacation in Hawaii. On New Year’s Eve @ midnight you must jump over 7 waves for good luck. The subject has successfully attempted this feat.

The subject described the experience: “It connects me with the ocean which is a big part of living in a sea-side town.” Both the subject and her family now participate in the ritual Furthermore, the subject comes from a very superstitious family.

The number seven itself, is very significant in her family because it is considered the number of completion and is considered good luck. The subject was not aware of any other cultural implications of the ritual because it was not originally her own but her friend’s.

Upon a conversation with someone else about this tradition, that subject said she had seen the ritual take place in Brazil and that it was possibly brought over to brazil by African slaves during the slave trade. It seems as though this ritual is a classic example of the Khron’s “historic geographic” theory.

Tradition – Russian

Nationality: Irish
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Quicny, MA
Performance Date: April 01, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Russian

Traditionally, in Russian weddings receptions there is a tradition to determine who the head of the household will be. The bride and the groom both are given bread and salt from their parents. Together they (the bread and salt) are supposed to symbolize good health. The bride and groom have to take a bite of the bread and whoever takes the biggest bite of the bread supposed to be the head of the household or family. Sometimes the bread and salt are given after the civil ceremony, depends on the family.

Tom first heard about this custom from his Russian professor here at USC. Although he has never attended a traditional Russian wedding his professor has talked extensively about the differences between Russian weddings and American weddings. Tom thinks that the bread and salt were first used during the communist regime when bread and salt were scarce items and highly prized. Giving bread as a gift came to symbolize wealth, prosperity and good health (if you could afford the bread and salt you were probably in good health is the assumption Tom made).

Similarly Tom thinks that who ever can take a bigger bite of the bread, symbolizing a bigger part of health and prosperity and therefore heading the family. Usually this would be the man as men tend to have larger jaws. Tom also mentioned that if a woman took the bigger bite it might mean that she would have lots of children. Because she would be home with the children most she might be seen as the head of the household. Tom says this tradition is still carried on today but is merely for entertainment and fun rather than a means to predict a couple’s life together.

Traditions and customs in weddings are usually meant more for entertainment and are usually taken lightheartedly. This attitude however, differs depending on the religious association with the wedding. In Russia, the government does not recognize religious weddings therefore a civil ceremony is required. Because religion is removed from the ceremony, I think, Russians take more liberty in providing entertainment for entertainment’s sake rather than rituals based on religious orders. The Russian wedding traditionally is more focused on the reception and the playful nature between the bride and groom, the families, and friends. This tradition exemplifies the nature of the Russian attitude towards weddings.

Superstition – Milpitas, California

Nationality: American
Age: 47
Occupation: Engineer
Residence: Milpitas, CA
Performance Date: April 26, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: German, French

Bird Poop Superstition

“My Mom always said bird poop is good luck.  One time fishing off a dock in Eureka (I was about 12) there were a lot of seagulls around.  I received a big splash on my head.  I was so disgusted and grossed out that I started crying.  My Mom laughed and insisted it’s very good luck to have a bird poop on you.  She helped me wipe off my head with a tissue.   Well I don’t remember catching a fish that day, but at least I didn’t break a leg, so who can say my luck isn’t good?”

As you can see, although grossed out by the superstition, she seems to really believe that having a bird poop on you is good luck.  She thinks also it could be a superstition adults tell kids in such situations to make them feel better, although they might not be necessarily believe it themselves.

I’d agree with my informant, I think that adults probably use this superstition to make unfortunate kids feel better about a gross situation.  This teaches children to find the good in bad situations, teaching healthy optimism.  This superstition has an emphasis on how people should always try to have a good attitude.  I also thought the informant’s take on good luck was interesting, emphasizing we should be happy with what we have.  Sometimes having good luck means nothing bad happens.  This reminds me of the proverb, “No news is good news.”