Tag Archives: Superstition

Sweeping Over Feet

Nationality: United States
Age: 20
Occupation: Student/Digital Artist
Residence: Queens, NY
Performance Date: 04/11/2021
Primary Language: English

BACKGROUND: My informant, OR, was born in the US. Her parents are both immigrants from Grenada. OR often talks about how superstitious her Caribbean family is and this piece is one example out of our long conversation about how her family’s beliefs dominate how they behave. 

CONTEXT: This piece is from a conversation with my friend to discuss the role of superstition in Caribbean culture. 

OR: This other one actually happened the other day. I was sweeping the floor of um, the living room and my mom was sitting on the couch and I accidentally swept over her feet. Like, my family believes that if you sweep over someone’s feet then they’ll never get married. So my mom got really mad at me and said that she’ll never marry —

Me: (laughs) Isn’t your mom married? Like what happened to your dad?

OR: I guess if something happened to my dad (laughs) I guess she would have no plan b.

THOUGHTS: The thing that is the most interesting to me about this superstition is the fact that despite being exempt from the superstition, OR’s mom still abided by it. With nothing to fear from the superstition, having already been married, it gives off the impression that OR’s mom is superstitious just to be superstitious. Or rather that superstition is so ingrained in Caribbean culture that the preservation of its importance is more significant than the meaning itself.

The unlucky arches

Nationality: United States
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Seattle, WA
Performance Date: 04/12/2021
Primary Language: English

BACKGROUND: My informant, AC, was born in the US and attended boarding school in NH. As we were talking about our different high school customs, AC remembered this superstition held by many of the students. It is a superstition that is passed down from upperclassmen to lowerclassmen.

CONTEXT: This piece is from a conversation with my friend where we talked about our time at boarding school.

AC: And I just remembered about the arches too. Like how everyone at [NH Boarding School] would avoid crossing under the big arches because they thought that if you were under there an odd amount of times you wouldn’t graduate. I’m not even superstitious but — I remember when [redacted] got kicked out and he lived in [dorm near the arches]. He was like the only one who would do it. (laughs) And it got him on the ass.

THOUGHTS: It was interesting to me how even in a high school, where people are decidedly not as superstitious about school fables as they are in middle school, most students were avoidant of the big arches. Even I would walk around the arches instead of under it and I didn’t even believe it was real. That leads me to believe that the fear surrounding the arches wasn’t a mystical one but a social one. People avoided the arches in order to fit in with the widely accepted school tradition rather than deviate from the tradition and be labeled as an outsider.

Warding off rain

Nationality: Italy
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Valle de Bravo, Mexico
Performance Date: 04/17/2021
Primary Language: English

BACKGROUND: My informant, GO, is an international student from Italy who has spent most of her life living in Mexico. She and her family are fluent in both Spanish and Italian. Interested in her unique upbringing, I asked GO if she learned any superstitions or stories during her many travels. GO responded with this piece, a Mexican tradition she learned from her friends. 

CONTEXT: This piece is from a text conversation with my friend to discuss any superstitions she’s learned during her time in Mexico.

GO: A superstition in Mexico is that’d [if] you’re hosting a lunch outdoors, like in a garden or something, you have to stab four knives onto the corners of the garden bc otherwise, it will rain.

Me: Do you think it works?

GO: Lmao it hasn’t rained yet so yea

THOUGHTS: This superstition is something that I’ve heard in the past from another friend of mine. Though I think this fear of rain is interesting because, with other people I’ve spoken to, rain is a symbol of good luck and is welcomed at gatherings like weddings and parties. Particularly for my family, rain symbolizes change and growth and its appearance suggests that there are good things on the way.

Minnesota Loon Folk Belief

Nationality: American
Age: 21
Occupation: College Student
Residence: Alabama, USC
Performance Date: 04/18/2021
Primary Language: English

Context:

Although Informant AA has lived in Alabama for most of their lifetime, they frequently return to their hometown in Minnesota to visit their family that still lives there. AA’s family live on one of the many lakes in Minnesota and they frequently take their boat out on the water.

When speaking with AA, they told me of a superstition that is shared between many boaters in Minnesota. The Minnesota state bird is the Common Loon. Loons can swim underwater in search of food for up to five minutes.

Text:

The belief is that if your boat hits and kills a Loon while it is swimming underwater your boat becomes cursed.

I asked AA how boaters would respond if they were to kill a Loon while boating or if there were any ways to reverse this curse. AA did not have any answers to these questions, but they did say that their family is careful to avoid any Loons while they are boating.

Analysis:

Since the Loon is recognized as the state bird, it serves as a symbol for Minnesota. After hearing this folk belief, I am led to believe that it not only functions to protect the Loons themselves but also the identity of Minnesota. With increased boat activity comes an increased risk of damaging the native Loon population. In accepting the belief that a boat becomes cursed once it kills a Loon, citizens are simultaneously supporting and sustaining a facet of their Minnesota identity.

Hands on the Plane – Travel Superstition

Nationality: American
Age: 21
Occupation: College Student
Residence: Alabama, USA
Performance Date: 04/18/2021
Primary Language: English
Language: n/a

Context:

Informant MW lived in America at the time of this collection. MW frequently travels to Zambia to work for her family’s ministry located there. Traveling to Zambia requires multiple flights. When speaking with MW, they shared with me a travel superstition that they learned from their parents.

Text:

The belief is that “you must touch the outside of the plane with your right hand or it will go wrong.”

As Christians, MW’s family regularly pray to God for protection and safe travels. Just as they were stepping into the plane to board, MW was raised to say a prayer of blessing and protection over the plane while touching its exterior with her right hand. Over time, MW explained how this belief became an almost enjoyable superstition. They told me how they would wait eagerly on the jet bridge until they could finally touch the plane.

Analysis:

After hearing about this belief, I have come to understand it as a way of self-identity and expression. MW identifies as a Chrisitan and believes that God hears their prayers and protects them. This travel superstition is an outward expression of identity that serves as a reflection of MW’s beliefs. In the Bible, there are several mentions of Jesus Christ’s powerful and healing touch. Additionally, the Bible mentions the right hand or the right side as being more righteous/holy than the left. I believe that it is likely that these mentions found in the Bible have contributed to crafting the belief in which MW’s family participates in.

Annotation:

Another version of similar travel superstitions can be found in the USC folklore archives. See here:

Wolf, Max, and Max Wolf. “University of Southern California.” USC Digital Folklore Archives, 20 May 2019, uscfolklorearc.wpenginepowered.com/get-on-the-plane-with-your-right-foot-travel-superstition.