Tag Archives: tradition

Double Happiness Red Paper- Chinese Wedding Tradition

Age: 54

Text:
Informant: “When people get married, friends and relatives help prepare for the wedding. They cut out the double happiness character, ‘双喜 (shuāngxǐ),’ using scissors. It means double happiness. They cut the character out of red paper, it has to be red paper. The character is 喜 (xǐ) for happiness, and the wedding version combines two of them to make double happiness. People only do this for weddings, they make both small and big ones and place them everywhere in the house of the bride and the groom, like entry doors, windows, gates, the bed board, and furniture.”

Context:

The informant is from China and and explained that this practice of cutting the 双喜 out of red paper is widely performed in China and considered a cultural tradition and blessing associated specifically with marriage. The informant also shared that they personally participated in this custom when they got married and when their friends and family married.

Analysis:

Wedding decorations like the double happiness character (双喜) are a form of customary folklore tied to an important life transition. Weddings mark the beginning of a new stage of life, and symbolic objects are often used to express hopes for the couple’s future. The repetition of the character for happiness represents the union of two people and the wish for joy and prosperity in their marriage.

The decoration also has elements of material folklore, since the character is physically created by cutting it out of red paper. In modern times, people tend to buy the paper pre-cut, but there are still people who cut it by hand. The process of preparing and displaying these decorations is often done collectively by family members and friends, which reinforces the communal nature of wedding celebrations and an overall community emphasis in China. Placing the symbol throughout the home not only signals to others that a wedding is taking place, but also symbolically invites happiness and good fortune into the new household.

End on a make

Text

“Anytime I’m playing basketball like whether I’m just shooting around or I’ve just played pickup or after practice, my last shot before I leave the gym has to be a make. Like even if you’ve missed a bunch in a row you have to keep shooting till one goes in and then you can leave. I think this is like a pretty common thing with everyone that plays basketball and it’s just something I’ve always done and will continue to do. If I don’t do it I “just feel off” and have a feeling something bad will come my way as a result. I think it is because the idea of a basketball going in the hoop is a good thing, and if you end on a good note, it will set the tone for the rest of the day.”

Context

“I don’t remember where I exactly heard this first, but if I were to guess, it was something I saw many other people I played casual basketball with do. Because its so simple and its representation is a positive thing, I think I picked it up quickly without thought. I never really thought about ending on a make in an academic sense because I feel it is something all real hoopers do by default.”

Analysis

This is an example of a ritual because it is an action taken that holds symbolic meaning. It is used to manifest luck and repeated in the same scenario every time, which in this case is at the end of a basketball session. His point that most hoopers just know this rule and do it without thought shows how it is not formally taught to them by coaches or elders. This reveals that often time folklore is spread by watching and copying with shared beliefs. Basketball players or “hoopers” land in the same folk group because of their shared love for the game. This ritual to prevent bad luck is one of many folkloric aspects of this basketball folk group. Since folklore can have many variations of the same idea this ritual can be a make from any spot on the court and different folk likely have their own takes on what is the right spot to shoot from.

Knock on Wood

Text

“Whenever predicting something positive to come or making a simple statement, I often say “knock on wood” after and knock on a surface such as a wooden desk. This practice ensures I do not put bad luck into existence and cause the exact opposite of what was said to happen, also known as jinxing something. One example is when I tell my friends something like “the Lakers are definitely going to win the playoff series” I would follow with saying knock on wood and knocking on a surface to ensure good luck. Sometimes when I am not near a table I will knock on anything such as my own thigh or head because the knock following the phrase is crucial to this folk ritual.”

Context

“I first heard this from my dad who would often say “knock on wood” to avoid jinxing a good thing he was talking about. I didn’t directly ask him what it meant but instead picked up the context clues of its usage as I heard more people around me also performing the ritual. While some of them believe it completely ensures good luck, most of the friends and family I know feel it is more for personal security to prevent any karma or bad luck. They described this action as a habitual part of their daily lives.”

Analysis:

This is a strong example of a folk ritual that acts as a form of American folk belief. Its usage is varied based on how different individuals came to learn about the practice. Some knock on physical wood, others any object, and others who simply say the phrase. This folk ritual is a form of comfort for folk to alleviate stress from uncertain outcomes and bad luck in day to day life. While some believe in it completely, others like to habitually do it to feel like they are in control of their lives. This ritual reveals that in American culture, simple traditions can hold strong cultural value through causing positive outcomes and passing down to other generations. It is a form of homeopathic magic because the action is meant to create good outcomes and prevent bad ones. By the idea that like affects like, the actions is positively performed to ensure positive results.

The Star and Crescent

Text

“In my fraternity, Kappa Sigma, every new member must memorize a historic passage called the Star and Crescent. Besides other responsibilities as new members such as getting to know every brother in the house and earning their trust to become their fellow brother, the Star and Crescent must be memorized to perfection and able to be recited aloud. Once we can repeat each line to the brothers and have fully earned their respect, we are free to be initiated as official members of the Kappa Sigma chapter. I remember me and my boys, particularly —- and —–, would stay up late at night in one of our dorms just reciting it together. Not only was it something every brother has to do but it taught us how to be a good member of the frat. I remember my anxiety as the day to recite it in front of our executive came. I was so scared to mess up that even after I memorized it I still would practice at least 30 minutes a day following that.”

Context

I first learned about this passage when one of the brothers, —-, told us we had to have this memorized by heart before we could be initiated into the chapter. I remember seeing a large print version of the text framed on the wall. When I read it I knew it was specific to every Kappa Sigma, so I was not surprised when we were told to memorize it. After reading it over and over I came to appreciate its message about the honor of being a Kappa Sigma and the fact that not everyone is suited to be initiated into this chapter. It tells you that a man must be intelligent, honorable, truthful, and worthy to wear the star and crescent.

Analysis

Rites of passage such as this account of his fraternity shows how certain folk groups around the world require initiation rituals that are either physical or verbal. Shared knowledge of passages by memory create shared culture and identity between members of these groups. In knowing each and every member went through the same process and held the same requirements, they can share mutual respect because each knew what it took to join. Shared experiences that are turned into folklore help those in the folk group bond and create memories for life. This rite of passage is an example of an initiation ritual that represents members commitment to the fraternity. Beyond just memorization, is the history and shared journeys behind reciting these words, distinguishing the brothers as one folk group. This process before becoming a brother reveals a folk concept known as liminality because it is the middle ground between a non-member and a brother of this fraternity.

New Years First-Footing

Text: 

“Right when the clock hits 12, before anyone else can go in the house—because, um, for my family, my dad’s the only man in the family—so before we can go anywhere else in the house, besides, like, the couch where we are watching the New Year’s Eve countdown, my dad has to walk through every single room. Like, you have to be the 1st person in every single room. And I don’t know where this tradition started or like how it started, but that’s just what my family does.”

Context:

The informant is a 20-year-old college student who shared this New Year’s tradition when reflection on family customs she grew up with. Her father, being the only son on his father’s side, is a central factor to why he carries out this role each year. The tradition has been practiced for as long as she can remember, experiencing both affection and mild dissonance — recognizing what she called its “patriarchal undertone,” but resolved that the spirit of the practice is one of care and protection for the household. 

Analysis:

This tradition closely resembles a Scottish custom, “First-Footing”, in which the first person to cross a threshold after midnight on New Year’s determines the household’s fortune for the year ahead. The gendered dimension reflects a broader folk belief that masculine presence is recognized as protection or a domestic blessing. The informant’s example, in particular, is compelling because of her own ambivalence: partaking in a ritual she neither fully understands nor uncritically accepts. This speaks to the binding power of informal family traditions. Unlike institutionally maintained folklore, family customs without explicit cultural ties derive their authority from the intimacy of the folk group itself. The informant doesn’t need to know the ritual’s origin or logic, as her being part of the family is meaningful enough to trust its intention and carry it forward.