Age: 20

Date: 03/27/2025

Language: English

Nationality: Taiwanese/ Chilean

Occupation: Student

Primary Language: Spanish

Residence: United States

1. Text:

“My little sister used to swear that a haunted sock lived under her bed. Every time she lost a sock in the laundry, she’d blame it on the ghost sock that was ‘collecting friends.’ One time, she left out a cheese stick as an offering. When it was gone in the morning, she said, ‘See? He was hungry. And now I won’t lose any more socks this week.’”

2. Context:

The informant says her sister created the haunted sock story when she was around six. It became a running family joke that they still mention when socks go missing. She says it helped her deal with small fears — and now it’s part of their family’s shared sense of humor.

3. My Interpretation:

This joke functions as a playful child-created legend, giving magical explanation to mundane annoyances. It’s rooted in imagination and control — assigning personality to mystery. Over time, it transformed into a humorous family tradition, illustrating how folklore can emerge from the logic of a child and evolve into shared myth.