Background provided by BR: BR was raised in Miami, Florida. They are Dominican and have experience with the Hispanic culture in Miami. They were raised in a Catholic household.
Context: BR was approached about folklore, which they shared in the middle of the day. They explain how they were baptized later on in their life.
Main Piece Transcription of interview (contains the context of particular performance and additional background information):
BR: “ I didn’t get baptized when I was a baby, I got baptized when I wa about 13 years old. And … umm … that was very interesting because I didn’t think that, that many kids hasn’t gotten baptized yet, there were lots of kids, my age that had gotten baptized, yet … there were a lot of people. And I was in a Catholic Church. And we wore … the ritual was, we go to mass. We kinda pray a bit and we are wearing all black robes. You go to get baptized in the water with the priest, and he … like dunks us in the water three times. Takes us out and and we’re officially baptized and we go to change into white robes … and that’s the end of the ceremony, really. The meaning of the dark robes is that you’re full of sin. You come into the world full of sin cause The Original sin … of Adam and Eve and then once you’re baptized you’re cleansed of all sin.
Me: “Did you have to … uhh … do anything … before the actual, baptism, ceremony … or ritual to … uhh prepare for it?”
BR: “ Umm … not really, no. It was kinda just a spiel on what we’re gonna … do. And just classes to learn about Catholic religion.”
Me: “And … just … umm … a … like … a couple questions that you think that your Dominican background … or …. maybe other influences … that influenced when… or … how you got your baptism … performed”
BR: “Ummm … I’m not exactly sure about that, I feel like my culture did really have anything to do with it, I feel like it was my parent’s decision not to baptize me early.”
Analysis: The use of water as a form or baptism can be considered very symbolic because water is considered a fundamental element. The baptism is a literal and figurative representation cleansing ones sins by washing them away with water. This spiritual ceremony has multiple perfomative aspects such as the classes and changing robes. The classes may aid in educating, but may not change spiritual stances. The classes also seem to have less importance than other apsects of this ceremony. The changing robes is another representation of purity. After the baptism BR was cleansed of all sin and allowed to wear the white robe, which is representative of purity.