Title: Dinner of the Week (Garden City FD)
General Information:
- Place of collection: Garden City Fire Department – Garden City, NH (via phone call from Hanover, NH)
- Date of Collection: November 4, 2019
- Informant: Cody George
- Genre: Customary Folklore – Ritual
Informant Information:
Cody George is a volunteer firefighter for the Garden City, NY fire department. He is currently 24 years old and lives in Garden City while commuting to downtown New York for his day job during the week. Cody was born and raised in Garden City, New York. He is currently in training and holds the title of Firefighter at the Garden City Fire Department but has already been a crucial member of the team and assisted in over 100 calls.
Context:
- Cultural Context:
- The firefighters at the Garden City Fire Department use this Monday night dinner as something consistent in their week to week job. Because their job can be so unpredictable they use this as an opportunity to all eat together and to keep the mood light amongst each other.
- Social Context:
- This ritual or tradition was brought up when the interviewee was asked about anything the department does on a consistent basis. Unlike some of the other department we analyzed, this department puts a heavy premium on dinners and events like this because it unifies the firefighters but it also allows for a positive environment in the firehouse, just in a different manner than some of the other departments do.
Item:
Every Monday night the group holds a dinner and changes the chef each week.
Associated Audio:
Informant’s Comments:
The informant, when spoken to in person and unrecorded, mentioned that he very much enjoyed these dinners as it is a way to break up a very chaotic week.
Collector’s Comments:
I thought this weekly ritual was very neat and interesting and I wish I had something similar among my friend groups. Although the fire department may have to jump into action while eating at these dinners, I thought it was a great way to build team cohesion without getting too carried away.
Collector’s Name: Albie Austin
Tags:
- Ritual, Dinner, Garden City