Tag Archives: money

One For the Money…

Nationality: White
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Ageles
Performance Date: April 23, 2012
Primary Language: English
The informant is recounting a rhyme/chant her and her cousins would recite when they were younger:
One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to go!
Uh, I learned it from my cousins, It’s what we’d say right before jumping into this lake we went to every summer. Basically, it made it harder for people to chicken out when we had this whole chant thing going. What it means, I don’t really know, but that’s the context i’ve used it in.
The informant chanted this before doing something frightening and it’s purpose was to bring her group of cousins closer together.
This shows the power of folklore that, by sharing this chant, they are capable of assuaging their fears since they are all experiencing it together.

Annotation:

Part of this phrase was used as the title of the popular Janet Evanovitch novel One For the Money. This use plays on the audience’s familiarity with the phrase. It is used there as a play on words though since it is actually about doing one bounty hunter job literally for the money.

Irish Purse Superstition

Nationality: Irish-American
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 2007
Primary Language: English

My informant’s Irish ancestry has a belief about women’s purses. It is seen as bad luck for a woman to leave her purse on the ground, even for a second. Many believe that setting one’s purse on the ground will cause all the money in that purse to “run away”, leaving the owner with nothing. According to my informant, taking care of one’s money is very important to the Irish people, and to set it down, leaving it out of one’s attention and control, is seen as practically throwing money away for the very reason that without a hold on one’s purse, it could easily get lost, or worse be stolen by someone taking advantage of one’s neglectfulness. It seems like putting one’s purse down is about as much bad luck as being ignorant is.

Red Packets (红包 or 利市)

Nationality: Singaporean Chinese
Occupation: Journalist
Residence: Singapore
Performance Date: February 2007
Primary Language: Chinese
Language: English

During Chinese New Year, children are given red packets filled with money. In the past, the red packets were placed under the pillow for good luck in the New Year and to ward off evil spirits from invading the dreams. The money inside of the packets is always an even number like 8, 10, and 20 because good luck comes in pairs. The packets are red because red is a lucky number.  Only unmarried people can receive these and only married people can distribute it, regardless of age.

                  My informant has been receiving these packets since birth and was required to pass these out in Singapore since the 1960s. Most people in Chinese communities all over the world practice this particular custom. Most Chinese kids see it as a way to get money during the New Year season.  To get one of these red packets, kids need to greet their elders with auspicious phrases and wishing them good luck.

                  This is not just limited to the Chinese, but there are many other countries that have variations of this custom as well. The Malays also give money after Ramadan, during Hari Raya, but in green packet with odd numbers. The Vietnamese giver something similar to these red packets and the Japanese have white packets with the names of the receiver written on the outside. It’s interesting how customs like this are spread all throughout Asia because it is an example of diffusion and adopting customs.

Holiday Tradition – China

Nationality: Chinese-American, Mexican-American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Seattle, WA
Performance Date: April 29, 2008
Primary Language: English

Holiday Traditions

Chinese New Year/Traditions, Red Envelopes

Marissa described the Chinese New Year as a very family-oriented holiday, celebrating the beginning of a new year. Every year, a close friend or relative of hers has a party consisting of a big meal and a variety of little traditions.

The biggest tradition is when the older generation gives the younger generation red envelopes with money inside. Marissa said the amount depends on the person giving it and his or her relation to the recipients. The closer you are to a person, the more money will be inside the envelope. She has seen a range of everything from one dollar to $20. The reason behind this tradition is simply to kickoff a person’s good fortune for the upcoming year, she said.

In order to receive a red envelope, you must say (in Cantonese) “Kung hei fat choi,” which loosely translates to “Congratulations and be prosperous” in English.

Red is an important color on this holiday. People, decorations, and the envelopes are all adorned with red, as it is the color of good fortune and happiness

The meal consists of the typical traditional Chinese dishes of meat, vegetables and rice. Marissa also mentioned that sweets play an important role, and there is always a tray of candies, mooncakes (pastry), mochi (pounded rice balls), and crackers, though she can’t remember why or what they mean.

Because Marissa grew up with this tradition, she often does not know the meaning behind certain things. However, she said she truly enjoys it.

The Chinese New Year is a widely publicized occasion that is a good example of how foreign celebrations can become assimilated into a different culture entirely. I was taught the Chinese New Year traditions in my California elementary school, for example.

Annotation:

Bae, Hyun J. New Clothes For New Year’s Day. South Korea: Kane Miller Book Pub, 2007.