Sweeping at Night

General Information about Item:

Informant Data:

Jennifer Lopez was born in Chicago but her parents originate from Mexico. She is currently studying Studio Arts modified with Digital Arts at Dartmouth College. Jennifer only speaks Spanish at home with her parents and siblings. Although Jennifer grew up in America, her parents made sure to instill the Mexican culture in her upbringing.

Contextual Data:

Cultural Context: Many of Jennifer’s family members who live in Mexico are predominantly of low-income and live in places where the luxury of light is not as prevalent. Thus, when it is the night time, people’s ability to see clearly decreases.
Social Context: This superstition was passed down from Jennifer’s aunty who currently lives in Mexico to her at a young age. This superstition was passed down to discourage the behavior of sweeping at night. She believes this superstition serves as a way to prevent household properties from getting destroyed. This is because if one is unable to see clearly at night due to the lack of electricity, the chances of sweeping away valuable items rises.

Subgenre: bad luck superstitions

Item (translation)

You should not sweep at night or else you will be sweeping away your money.

Collector’s Name: Ama Kyerewaa

Dartmouth Folklore Archive