Monthly Archives: November 2017

Lei

Title: Lei

 

General Information about the item:

  • Genre and sub genre: Customary and material folklore: custom, arts, clothing
  • Language: Hawaiian/English
  • Country: USA

 

Informant data:

  • Zoe Leonard ’19 from Honolulu, O’ahu. Born in Hawaii and grew up their until coming to Dartmouth.

 

Contextual data:

  • Social context: fiving is a way that people adorn others for congratulations or aloha (love). Often times when someone accomplishes something great or are celebrating something important.
  • Cultural context: The lei is a symbol of festivity, accomplishment, and happiness and marks someone who is loved or important. It is a custom because leis are carefully crafted and beautiful adornments and because they are time consuming to make, are only for special occasions.

 

Item:

  • The act of lei (flower necklace) giving. The act of lei (flower necklace) fiving is a way that people adorn others for congratulations or aloha (love). Often times when someone accomplishes something great or are celebrating something important.

 

Collector: Aaryndeep Rai

Blessing

Title: Blessing

General Information about the item:

  • Genre and sub genre: Customary folklore: custom
  • Language: Hawaiian/English
  • Country: USA

Informant data:

  • Zoe Leonard ’19 from Honolulu, O’ahu. Born in Hawaii and grew up their until coming to Dartmouth.

Contextual data:

  • Social context: A blessing is a rite of passage and social ceremony.
  • Cultural context: Blessing a place uses magic to expel bad spirits or energy and cleanse the area to have good energy. The ancient tradition has been carried down for generations.

Item:

  • When a new business, school, or establishment opens in the islands it is almost always along with a blessing ceremony where a kahu, or Hawaiian priests, blesses the place.

Collector: Aaryndeep Rai

 

The Ha’a

 

 

Title: The Ha’a

General Information about Item:

  • Genre/Sub-genre: Customary and Verbal folklore: Tradition
  • Language: Hawaiian/English
  • Country: USA

Informant Data:

  • Bun Straton
    • From Honolulu, Hawaii
    • Age 20
  • Kamana Hobbs
    • From Honolulu, Hawaii
    • Age 20

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: Polynesian culture is rich in art and various types of expression, especially through body movements and dance.
  • Social Context: While not used in war anymore, the Ha’a is most often preformed before football games by the University of Hawai’i football team with the same aim of intimidating their opponents.

Item:

A branch of an ancient dancing tradition that stems from the collective Polynesian islands and cultures. It is performed primarily before battle to intimidate opponents, and can also be done before weddings and funerals. It is seen as a farewell and greeting dance at times. The Ha’a is a  dance that varies across cultures but has the same basic elements of War or Death, Sun or Warmth, and Life or Living. Components  of the dance are identifiable by bent knees, heavy use of facial expressions and strong, aggressive movements. In New Zealand it goes by the Haka to the Maori people, in Samoa it is referred to as the Manu Siva Tau and in Hawaii it is called the Ha’a

Collector: Nigel Alexander 20′

Tags/Keywords: dance, war,Haka, Ha’a, tradition, Hawaii, Maori, Samoa

Must open stockings before presents

Title: Must open stockings before presents

General Information about Item:

  • Genre and Sub Genre: Superstitions
  • Language: English
  • Country where Item is from: USA

Informant Data:

  • Clay is 22 from Southern California and is a ’18 at Dartmouth College. His father is from Arizona and his mother is from Los Angeles. His family believes that opening the stockings before the presents brings them good luck and their presents will be exactly what they wished for.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: Many families who celebrate Christmas have heard of this superstition and have other superstitions as well.

 

  • Cultural Context: Superstitions evolve differently in different cultures because of the stigma that exists. Homeopathic and contagious magic is at the root of these superstitions and these associations differ based on what country you are in.

Collector’s Name: Alec Vaules

Tags/Keywords:

  • Superstition, Gifts

Always get the Christmas tree from the same place

Title: Always get the Christmas tree from the same place

General Information about Item:

  • Genre and Sub Genre: Superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country where Item is from: USA

Informant Data:

  • Eric Stolt provided us with what his family eats every year for Christmas Dinner. He is 21 years old, currently a ’19 at Dartmouth College and lives in Minnesota. Both his parents are from Minnesota. His family practices Christianity. They buy their tree from the same place because they believe that their tree will stay green for a longer time and will bring them good luck during the holiday season

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context:  Families who buy Christmas trees have not necessarily heard of this particular superstition but usually buy their Christmas tree from the same vendor. This superstition has been passed down from past generations
  • Cultural Context: Superstitions evolve differently in different cultures because of the stigma that exists. Homeopathic and contagious magic is at the root of these superstitions and these associations differ based on what country you are in.

Collector’s Name: Clay Chatham 

Tags/Keywords:

  • Christmas, Tree

Wait as long as possible to decorate

Title: Wait as long as possible to decorate

General Information about Item:

  • Genre and Sub Genre: Superstitions
  • Language: English
  • Country where Item is from: USA

Informant Data:

  • Alec is 19 years old from Pittsford New York and a ’20 at Dartmouth College. Both his parents are from New York and believe that waiting as long as possible to decorate brings them good lucks and heightens the Christmas spirit. This belief has been passed down from his parents.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context:  Not many families who celebrate Christmas have heard of this superstition but this belief has been passed down from past generations.

 

  • Cultural Context: Superstitions evolve differently in different cultures because of the stigma that exists. Homeopathic and contagious magic is at the root of these superstitions and these associations differ based on what country you are in.

Collector’s Name: Clay Chatham 

Tags/Keywords:

  • Superstition, Decorating

Kissing Under The Mistletoe

Title: Kissing Under The Mistletoe

General Information about Item:

  • Genre and Sub Genre: Superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country where Item is from: United States

Informant Data:

  • Allie is 19  from Boston Massachusetts and is a ’20 at Dartmouth College. Both her parents are from Boston and they believe that you have to kiss under the mistletoe or they will have bad luck.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: Many families who celebrate Christmas have heard of this superstition and have other superstitions as well.
  • Cultural Context: Superstitions evolve differently in different cultures because of the stigma that exists. Homeopathic and contagious magic is at the root of these superstitions and these associations differ based on what country you are in.

Item:

  • if two people find themselves underneath the mistletoe they kiss or they will have bad luck during the holiday season.

Collector’s Name: Alec Vaules

Tags/Keywords:

  • Kiss, Christmas, Superstition

Traditional Chinese Meal

Title: Traditional Chinese Meal

General Information about Item:

  • Genre and Sub Genre: Familial Folklore
  • Language: English
  • Country where Item is from: China

Informant Data:

  • Marshall Peng provided us with what his family eats every year for Christmas Dinner. He is 19 years old, currently a ’20 at Dartmouth College and lives in Wisconsin. Both his parents originate from China. Tyler’s family practices Christianity.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: On large holidays families typically have a traditional meal that they will make for that holiday. Christmas is no exception as all of the people we interviewed spoke about a traditional meal that they have every Christmas.
  • Cultural Context: Steamed Dumplings is a very popular Chinese dish. Marshall’s parents are both from China and they brought this traditional meal to the U.S. and incorporated with their celebration of Christmas.

Item:

  • His mother makes his favorite meal, steamed dumplings. She makes this every single year and he has eaten it every Christmas he can remember. It is traditionally a Chinese New Year dish but his mother makes it for Christmas.

Collector’s Name: Clay Chatham

Tags/Keywords:

  • Food, Tradition, Christmas,

Traditional Jamaican Meal

Title: Traditional Jamaican Meal

General Information about Item:

  • Genre and Sub Genre: Familial Folklore
  • Language: English
  • Country where Item is from: Jamaica

Informant Data:

  • Tyler Neath provided us with what his family eats every year for Christmas Dinner. He is 19 years old, currently a ’21 at Dartmouth College and lives in Jamaica. Both his parents originate from Jamaica. Tyler’s family practices Christianity

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: On large holidays families typically have a traditional meal that they will make for that holiday. Christmas is no exception as all of the people we interviewed spoke about a traditional meal that they have every Christmas.
  • Cultural Context: Jerk chicken, cormeny porridge. This is a very popular dish Jamaica.  Tyler and his parents are from Jamaica and they make this meal at home to celebrate Christmas.

Item:

  • His mother makes his favorite meal, Jerk chicken and cormeny porridge for Christmas dinner. She makes this every single year and he has eaten it every Christmas he can remember.

Collector’s Name: Clay Chatham

Tags/Keywords:

  • Food, Tradition, Christmas,

Traditional American Meal 2

Title: Traditional American Meal 2

General Information about Item:

  • Genre and Sub Genre: Familial Folklore
  • Language: English
  • Country where Item is from: United States

Informant Data:

  • Eric Stolt provided us with what his family eats every year for Christmas Dinner. He is 21 years old, currently a ’19 at Dartmouth College and lives in Minnesota. Both his parents are from Minnesota. His family practices Christianity.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: On large holidays families typically have a traditional meal that they will make for that holiday. Christmas is no exception as all of the people we interviewed spoke about a traditional meal that they have every Christmas.
  • Cultural Context: Steak and potatoes is a very common American dish. both his parents are from America and celebrate Christmas with a traditional American meal.

Item:

  • His father cooks the steak and his mother prepares the mashed potatoes for Christmas dinner. They make this meal every Christmas.

Collector’s Name: Clay Chatham

Tags/Keywords:

  • Food, Tradition, Christmas,