Genre Joke, Prank; Tradition, Rite of Passage
Language English
Country of Origin United States
Informant Adam Burnett
Date Collected March 7, 2018
Collected by Laura Jeliazkov and Robin Jayaswal
Informant Data
Adam Burnett is a senior at Dartmouth College. He grew up in New Hampshire, and is very pleased to have done so. When indoors, at Dartmouth, he studies physics and takes jazz piano lessons. When outdoors, he is an avid birder and a savant of local plants and wildlife. He is greatly involved in the Cabin and Trail community. He has led a First-Year hiking trip two times. His favorite thing about being outdoors is being in the presence of such an abundance of fine, beautiful detail, at such a wide range of scales.
Contextual Data
Before coming to Dartmouth, students are encouraged to go on ‘First-Year Trips’ – these are four-day treks into the wildernesses of New Hampshire. Hiking trips carry a strong tradition of prank-playing. The upperclass Trip leaders have a collection of tricks – all traditions – which they will pull on the Trippees along the way.
Item
One of these is entitled, ’Canadian ground fruit.’ Leaders bring along with them a pineapple. At some point along the trip, they will find an opportunity to escape the group, hike ahead, and bury this pineapple somewhere alongside the trail, within sight. When the group eventually passes by this point, the leader will point it out excitedly. “Look, a Canadian ground fruit!” They will proceed to try to convince the Trippees that this is a very rare plant, endemic to the White Mountains. The leader may dig it up, and cut it open, and offer them all a taste. They aim to keep the Trippees unsuspecting for as long as possible.
Our informant has successfully carried out the ‘Canadian ground fruit’ two times. He himself has significant knowledge of true plant lore of the White Mountains, and so was able to properly plant the seeds of deception among the group by use of ethos. The students did believe him.
Significance
This is pure tradition, that makes the culture and lore of First-Year Trips what they are. Sustaining the pranks is a rite of passage for the incoming Dartmouth students.