Tag Archives: good luck

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.”

Folk Ritual/Superstition – Los Angeles

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: San Diego, CA
Performance Date: April 30, 2008
Primary Language: English

Softball Clothes Ritual

While on the softball team, it was customary that, after the team had won a few games, for each individual player to dress in the same clothes and in the same way each game.  We had to wear the same uniform, socks, shoes, underwear, and sports bras (of course all these things could be washed for each game).  For example, I (the informant), would put on underwear and bra first, then yellow compression or sliding shorts, and then put red mesh shorts on over those shorts.  Then I would put on my jersey, right sock first, then left sock.  The right sock was red, “red for right,” and the left sock was yellow, “lellow for left.”  Then I would put my sliders on, right then left.  Then shoes, right then left.  Then she had to braid her hair in pigtails and put one red ribbon and one yellow ribbon on each pigtail.

The informant did this age ten to twelve before softball games.  She believes it to be superstition and thought that dressing the same way each time would bring good luck.  Since they had won dressed in a certain way once, they thought dressing in that same way would help win more games.  According to the informant, her team won the nationals when she was ten, and got second place when she was twelve, so, something must have been working.  The informant went on to explain how she thought the ritual was more of a mental preparation: “As long as you feel like you’re prepared for the game, and you think you’re lucky, then you will make your own luck and play well because you think you’re going to play well.  It might have been a mental thing, but it seemed to work for us.”

I agree with a lot of what my informant thought about the superstition.  Often superstitions act as self-fulfilling prophecies, and this softball ritual for winning is a good example.  Having the ritual probably helped give the team confidence which would help the team play at their best and give it their all.  After winning in the same clothes, with the same ritual several times, it’s clear that the players think the clothes had some kind of power and doing the ritual right would help win games.  However, alternately, the ritual also gives the players something to blame if they do badly.  They could qualify a lose and think, “oh, it’s not my fault, maybe I just accidentally put my left sock on before my right sock, which ruined my luck for the whole game.”  So, the ritual acts both as a confidence booster and a scapegoat, displaying one of many ways in which a person may try to rationalize good and bad things that happen to them.

See Also:

Burger, Jerry M and Lynn, Amy L.  “Superstitious Behavior Among American and Japanese Professional Baseball Players.”  Basic and Applied Social Psychology.  Vol 27.  Issue 1. Page 71.

Festival – Romania

Nationality: Caucasian
Age: 25
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 19, 2008
Primary Language: Rumanian
Language: French, English, Spanish, Swedish

Festivalul Danitinlor de Iarna

One of the grandest winter spectacle, taking place in Romania’s northwestern corner, is the “Festivalul Datinilor de Iarna” (Winter Customs Festival), organized in the town of Sighetu Marmatiei on December 27.

Masks hang from lamp posts and people pack the streets. More masks — part demon, part animal, part indescribable — hide the faces of young men who run through the streets as oversize cowbells hanging from their waists clang loudly. Far from idle Halloween fun, masks, here, are an old tradition, symbolizing fertility, the passing and renewal of time and the good and bad aspects of human nature. By the time the procession gets underway, everyone has caught the excitement and the anticipation matches that of teens at a rock concert. Accompanied by music and “colinde” (carols), some 40 to 50 groups representing virtually every village in Maramures region (Northwestern Romania) pass along the main street. All are in traditional dress, meaning, for girls and women, stiff white blouses with fancy work and puffy sleeves; white or flowered skirts partially covered by striped woven front and back panels; head scarves; embroidered black woolen vests; thick knee-high socks; a stiff ballet-type shoe called “opinci,” which laces criss-cross fashion over the socks; and white or black wool jackets. Large homemade bags, usually of a black and white checked design, hang by long twisted wool from shoulders. Some walkers reach into these bags to toss rice or grain toward the viewers which represents both prosperity and ridding oneself of bad fortune. Boys and men don similar jackets or a white, long-haired cloak, wide white pants, loose shirts, tooled leather belts, boots and tall hats of curly black or gray wool.

When a group reaches the reviewing stand, they earn a few minutes in the spotlight for a carol, a folk dance or a tune on old instruments such as the “trambita,” an extremely long horn, or the “buhai,” a small barrel through which horsehairs are pulled. Some young men ride beautiful horses with evergreen and ribbons braided into the mane and tails and red tassels hanging from the bridle. Gorgeous handmade saddle cloths are ablaze with patterns of colorful flowers. Signaling the end, a horse-drawn sleigh filled with white-jacketed youths, musicians and of course, Santa Claus passes by the crowd. Throughout the afternoon, folk musicians, singers and dancers perform from a stage set up by city hall.

The purpose of this festival seems to be to attract good luck for the new year and prevent bad luck. I also believe it is a way of welcoming the new year which is approaching soon.

Reference:

Oxford Business Group. The Report Romania 2008. p. 189

Superstition – Italy

Nationality: Italian
Age: 38
Occupation: Professor
Residence: Venice, CA
Performance Date: April 07, 2008
Primary Language: Italian
Language: French, English, Latin, German

In bocca lupo

In the mouth of the wolf

—Crepo!

–Might the wolf die

This is a way of wishing someone good luck without actually saying it. According to Francesca, it is similar to the English “Break a leg”. This is said right before an exam, a performance, or any other kind of activity wish one needs to be wished good luck for. She first heard this when she was a college student in Italy. She believes it became popular because agguri, the former way of wishing luck, was too formal, and students are always looking to be different. It is now believed that saying agguri brings the person it was said to misfortune.

Francesca says this phrase to her students before every quiz or exam she gives. My previous Italian professor said this to me when I mentioned I was getting married during the break. The phrase seems to be applied to almost every situation.

As opposed to Francesca, I do not believe that this phrase is similar to “break a leg”. “In bocca lupo” can be applied to many different situations unlike “break a leg” which is usually used in theatrical performances. It also differs because a person must answer “Crepo!” while with the other nothing has to be said. I do believe that they both serve a similar purpose, not conforming to the norm which society has previously decided. I heard this phrase before from another Italian professor at the University of Southern California. It seems that this phrase is part of college folklore or more specifically Italian speaking college students.