Bouquet for the Blessed Mother

Title: Bouquet for the Blessed Mother

General Information about Item:

Informant Data:

Leona was born December 7, 1931. She was raised as a Catholic and attended a Polish Catholic school until she was in fifth grade. Leona’s ancestry is entirely Polish, and her grandparents moved to the U.S. after they got married. Leona’s Polish and Catholic upbringing affected much of her life, including her wedding traditions, current religious beliefs, and her career as an elementary teacher at a Catholic school. Her family moved around a lot because her father was a corporal in the army, and she didn’t have her first permanent home, which was in Bellwood Illinois near Niles, until she was in high school.

Contextual Data:

Cultural Context: Leona was raised in a very traditional Catholic household. Her parents firmly followed Catholicism and practiced Catholic traditions such as prayers.
Social Context: Leona was given a bouquet of flowers from her mother, which she brought to the altar of the Blessed Mother. Leona said a prayer asking for the Blessed Mother to provide guidance and her blessing for their marriage. The bride praying to the Blessed Mother is a Catholic wedding tradition that Leona’s family has done for generations. Performing this provided a sense of security for Leona and her Polish relatives.

Item:

The folklore item collected is the act of placing a bouquet of flowers at the altar of the Blessed Mother during a Catholic wedding ceremony. I took notes of what Leona told me during my interview with her via a phone call. These are not direct quotes from Leona but rewritten notes from our interview to provide organized content.

Collector’s Comments:

Leona is my grandmother. I found this Catholic tradition to be interesting because Leona became a non-denominational Christian so I rarely hear about the Catholic traditions that have affected her life.

Collector’s Name: Claire Burner

Tags/Keywords:

Dartmouth Folklore Archive