R.J. is a 21-year-old senior studying Economics at UC Berkeley. He was born in Houston, Texas but grew up in Shanghai, China. While living in China, he celebrated Chinese New Year every year with his family, participating in a variety of traditional festivities.
Contextual Data:
Cultural Context: Fish is an essential dish for Chinese New Year across most, if not all, regions in China due to its association with wealth and prosperity. Although fish can be cooked in many ways, it is usually steamed with a mixture of traditional ingredients like ginger, scallion, and soy sauce. Certain types of fish, like catfish, are sometimes chosen over others because their names have additional symbolic meaning. Many households impose their own rules regarding how the fish is served, e.g., the fish head must be oriented towards guests or elders.
Social Context: During Chinese New Year’s Eve, it is customary for an extended family to hold a large dinner gathering either at home or at a fancy restaurant, to share an assortment of traditional dishes including fish. Usually, the dinner gathering also features other activities such as toasting to the elders’ health and giving red envelopes which contain allowance money to the children.
Item:
Catfish is commonly eaten for Chinese New Year because of its auspicious name “nián yú” (鲶鱼), which is a homophone for the characters that mean “surplus year over year” (年余). Typically, catfish is cooked with the body, head, and bones intact as a symbol for the preservation of wealth. After all, people want to receive the entirety of next year’s surplus rather than just a fraction.
Audio Clip:
Transcript:
W.W. (collector): Right. Thank you so much. Um, so as I told you earlier, for this project, we’ll be talking about Chinese New Year, specifically, a special festival dish that’s eaten during Chinese New Year. Uh, yeah so, can you describe the name of your item?
R.J. (informant): Yeah, absolutely. So the dish I’ll be talking about today would be catfish. Um, yeah.
W.W.: Cool. Yeah. So um, go ahead and tell us about catfish.
R.J.: Yeah, sure. Um, so before I dive into, like catfish, specifically, I would first like to talk about why Chinese people like to eat fish in general. And the reason is because the word fish in Chinese sounds a lot like the word surplus in Chinese. So in Chinese, fish is pronounced “yú” (鱼). And in, um, the … yeah basically, surplus is also pronounced “yú” (余). So, Chinese people really like surplus because they believe that if you’re able to save up a lot of money, um, in the current year, then in the next year, uh, it’s a pretty good sign, and you’ll have more to work around with because he had that savings from the previous year, right. So at the end of the year, during Chinese New Year, when people eat fish in general, they’re basically praying that this year, they got surplus, and that that surplus will carry forward to, um, the next year. So specifically, with regards to catfish, people eat catfish, because catfish in Chinese is pronounced as “nián yú” (鲶鱼). Now “nián” (年) in Chinese means year. So basically, when you combine those two terms, it means, uh, yearly fish. So basically, going back to what I said earlier of how, like, fish means surplus, it basically means having surplus year over year. So that’s the particular reason for why Chinese people like to eat catfish. Um, and specifically with regards to how they make it, I think one common thing, I’m not too sure about it, is that they always ensure that the fish is whole, so they never cut up the fish into parts. And the main reason is because they want to like have all of the surplus and not have like just parts of it right? When you divide it up, it becomes less than the whole, so that’s why they tend to, um, you know, cook it whole, like head, body all in one, uh, for … yeah.
W.W.: Cool. Um, thanks for sharing. Um, so, catfish, is this something that you eat with your family members or your friends during Chinese New Year?
R.J.: Yeah, definitely. So, um, pretty much every single year, we try to get at least one fish dish, um, on the table, basically the day before the New Year’s. Um, so yeah, catfish is probably the most common one that I eat. Um, we’ve also had like, other fishes, um, just sort of like, depending on what we’re feeling like. But I’ll say that catfish is probably the most common fish I’ve had on Chinese New Year’s Eve for like the past, say 20 years of my life.
Informant’s Comments:
An additional tradition that may be unique to my family is that we always try to go for the fish eye. Because apparently, from my parents, they’ve told me that eating the fish eye is a good symbol of prosperity in the next year because the fish eye is kind of like the core part of the fish. It represents the spirit and the heart of the fish, I guess, so they’ve always told me that if you’re able to get the fish eye really quickly, then, uh, next year, you’ll have good fortune. So, you know, one thing that we would do at the dinner table would be to fight over the fish eye. Uh, sometimes it gets pretty ugly, but other times, it’s usually pretty fun. Yep.
Collector’s Comments:
For Chinese New Year, my family also eats fish but not catfish specifically. In my family, the fish eye is viewed as the most nutritious part of the fish and a symbol of wisdom. It is usually given to one of the younger children to help them grow smart and strong. This is an example of homeopathic magic.
Title: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
General Information about Item:
Verbal Folklore, Proverb
Language: Chinese
Country of Origin: China
Informant: CR
Date Collected: 11/21/2020
Informant Data:
CR is a Dartmouth student planning on studying philosophy and physics. He was born in California in November 2000, but moved to Chengdu and lived there for a year from 2010-2011. While he was there, he learned proverbs in school. He is of Irish, Scottish, English, and other European roots. However, he has been interested in Chinese culture, studying Chinese all throughout high school and even taking accelerated Chinese at Dartmouth.
Social Context:
Chinese schools always teach their older sayings to the younger generations in school. They are repeated many times until each saying is memorized, even indoctrinated, into the children.
Cultural Context:
Chinese culture is one that values hard work highly above everything else. This proverb teaches the younger generations to work extremely hard and to never give up, even when it is extremely difficult to move forward. It comes from the Chinese philosopher Laozi.
Item:
Orally transmitted proverb:
千里之行,始于足下
Pinyin: Qiānlǐ zhī xíng shǐ yú zúxià
Literal Translation: A thousand mile journey by walking, starts to go by foot.
Translation: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Collector’s Comments:
I really like this proverb because it shows the importance of taking the leap of faith. Everything difficult starts with a single step forward, and if it were so easy, everyone would be doing it. Even the longest and most difficult ventures have a starting point.
Similar to many proverbs, it has the metaphor of a long journey, which can represent any task or goal. It shows the importance of one being able to go out of their comfort zone in order to achieve something.
Marcus Chang is a current sophomore at Dartmouth College. He enjoys playing musical instruments such as piano and violin, and loves playing tennis and skiing. He has a strong background in Chinese culture, in which his parents frequently speak to him in Chinese.
Contextual Data:
Marcus heard this proverb frequently when he was growing up. He had the tendency to try many new things, such as many different instruments or sports, before quitting and moving onto the next thing when he did not immediately excel in the area. His mother told him this proverb to inspire him to not give up and to pursue his goals with more vigor.
Social Context:
These proverbs are frequently used by an older generation to impart important lessons onto the younger generations. These proverbs usually come with profound wisdom that the younger generation may not realize the significance until later on in their lives.
Cultural Context:
In Chinese culture, it is extremely important to show one’s elders respect and take everything they say extremely seriously. Therefore, when an older generation tells a younger person what to do or offers advice, the younger person must follow. When a younger person learns a new proverb, they are expected to take it to heart immediately and put it into practice.
Item:
Orally transmitted proverb:
有志者，事竟成.
Pinyin: Yǒuzhì zhě, shì jìng chéng.
Translation: When there is a will, there is a way.
Informant’s/Collectors Comments:
Marcus has not heard this proverb in a long time, but understands the important message that his mother was trying to tell him. He has taken the proverb to heart. It follows the cause and effect structure, which seems to be universal in all the proverbs found across the world. Similar to many of the proverbs, it has a simple structure that makes it easy to remember. While none of the phonetic sounds are the same, the simple A then B structure still makes it memorable.
CH studies computer science at Dartmouth College and is a part of the class of 2023. He was born in July 2001 and has lived in northern Virginia his entire life. He has a strong Chinese background due to his grandparents visiting his home very often. He is second generation Chinese, does not speak Chinese at home, but understands the language well.
Contextual Data:
CH heard this proverb from her grandfather when he was young. It stuck with him because his grandpa told him when he broke a plate. He remembered it because that was one of the first memorable times when he had to face the actions of his consequences.
Item:
Orally transmitted proverb:
種瓜得瓜, 種豆得豆
Pronunciation: Zhǒng guā dé guā zhǒng dòu dé dòu
Literal Translation: If you grow peas,you get peas…. If you grow melons, you get melons.
Translation: You sow what you reap.
Transcript via Zoom:
MC: Wassup CH! Could you tell me what the proverb that your grandpa told you and what it means?
CH: Here you are: 種瓜得瓜, 種豆得豆 (Zhǒng guā dé guā zhǒng dòu dé dòu). It essentially means that you reap what you sow. I suppose the English equivalent would be you’ve made your bed, so now you must lie in it.
MC: Awesome, thanks so much! Could you describe the circumstances which led to him telling you this proverb?
CH: It was one of my earliest memories that I remember doing something wrong, and I had to be punished for it. I don’t remember the circumstances too well though; I was too young.
MC: When else would you hear this proverb?
CH: Basically when I did anything wrong and I had to face a punishment, they’d tell me this. As I grew up though, I suppose I grew out of hearing the proverb because I can’t remember the last time I was told this.
MC: Thanks so much bro.
Informant’s Comments:
CH: I hate this proverb but I can appreciate what it is trying to tell me.
Collector’s Comments:
I think this proverb is extremely fitting. The message behind it is simple, while the proverb is short and to the point. The repetition of each phrase while only changing ‘melon’ to ‘peas’ makes it easy to remember. I can appreciate the candidness of the idea that one must be able to live with the consequences of one’s actions. This is a very good proverb to live by in order to prevent the carrying out of unwise decisions, without thinking them through.
Translates as: the letterofthe patience of tolerancedoes100 pieces
English: There is a great value in tolerating adversity;
RH
Zoom
10/19/2020
Informant Data: RH has been in Japan for a year and a half after having lived in the USA for 10 years. She is half Japanese and works at an English cram school. She mainly works with elementary school kids. I have known RH since 9th grade and she and I have spoken a lot about Japan and she has personally helped me a lot in my pursuit of learning Japanese.
Contextual Data: RH went to highschool in the United States. I have known her for 4 years. RH was born in the US, moved to Japan when she was 3, and moved back to the US in about 6th grade. RH works 6 days a week from 1 pm to 9 pm. RH always uses this phrase with her students when she is teaching them new material and they get somewhat impatient because they cannot speak English super well yet and cannot express themselves in English. She uses that saying to help keep them motivated and prevent them from getting frustrated, which would further hinder their performance.
Social Context: Cram school is school after school. People go to cram school to study extra content that they cannot study at school. RH works at an English speaking cram school which students attend once a week. One of her students goes to Japanese Language cram school from 9 am to 10 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Cultural Context: Japan is known for its cultural importance of hard work, with many men placing the importance of work above the demands of homelife. Japan also has a culture of working overtime and work-related drinking activities. This idea of going above and beyond in Japan is a key part of Japanese culture and is instilled in everyone from the time they are a child. A good example being the attendance of cram school, which typically starts in elementary school and continues until the end of high school.
Genre: Material Lore – food, Customary Lore – celebration
Language: English, Chinese
Country of Origin: China/Canada
Informant: A.Z.
Date Collected: November 7, 2020
Informant Data:
A.Z was born in China and spent half her life there before moving to Canada. As far as she knows, she is full Chinese. She has strong ties to her family as her mother and grandmother have passed down many recipes to her. She always spends Chinese New Year with family. Currently, she is a second year student at Dartmouth College studying computer science.
Contextual Data:
Cultural Context: Rice is a staple food in China as it is an ingredient found in countless dishes. In its purest form, rice can just be steamed and used eaten as a side to other meats and vegetables, rice can be fried, rice can be used in congee or porridge. However, rice can also be used to make noodles and cakes. Because of its versatility, rice can be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and can even be used in various desserts.
Social Context: Chinese New Year is a widely celebrated festival by Chinese people around the world, and it typically includes a large meal with family and many other festivities.
Item:
8 treasure rice (八宝饭) is a Chinese New Year dish that dates back 2000 year ago to the Zhou Dynasty and it typically eaten as a dessert. The reason why it is called 8 treasure rice is because it contains 8 fruits that are considered very therapeutic in Chinese Medicine, including Red Dates, Red Bean, Plums, Winter-melons, Nuts, Longan, Lotus Seeds, etc. There are many variations of what ingredients are added depending on who makes it as some form include canned tangerines, winter melons, and more. These “treasures” are considered the toppings to the main component being glutinous rice.
Audio Clip:
Transcript:
C.C. (collector): So what is one particular Chinese New Year dish that you would eat and enjoy?
A.Z. (informant): So one of my favorites is 八宝饭, which translates in English roughly to 8 treasures rice. This is a sweet dessert we usually have during Chinese New Year after our main courses as kind of a finishing plate. And the history behind it is that this dessert has over 2000 years of history dating back to the Zhou dynasty and the reason why its still so popular and has been popular throughout these 2000 years is that it is a very beautiful looking dessert rice dish that contains 8 treasures, that’s the name, 8 treasures rice. And each of these treasures or fruits and vegetables are believed to have medicinal and therapeutic properties according to Chinese medicine. So these fruits usually vary depending on the region of China, but basic and common fruits put into 八宝饭 include red dates, lotus seeds, plums, winter-melons, longan, red bean paste, nuts, and yeah these are the common ones we put.
C.C.: Ok that’s it. Thank you.
A.Z.: You’re welcome.
Informant’s Comments:
She would typically eat this dessert at restaurants instead of preparing it at home, and each place she had that dish at, the 8 treasure rice would be made differently with some of the “treasures” varying.
Collector’s Comments:
I have never tried this dish or heard of it before this interview, however, I am familiar with rice-based desserts. I think this dish would be similar to the rice desserts I tried in the past.
Informant Data: SR is a sophomore at Barnard University. She is 19 years old and was born and raised in the Philippines. Her family is an affluent Filipino family of Spanish descent.
Contextual Data: SR learned this proverb at a very young age from her grandmother. While visiting her family-owned farm, she was fascinated with the diverse array of crops that her family grew each year. After expressing interest, her grandmother told her about the proverb and how it is applicable to all she can do in life.
Social Context: SR’s family is one of the Philippine’s most affluent agriculturally dominant families. That being said, generations of her family have continued to grow the family business, providing new strands and a diverse set of crops to be harvested. SR would spend her summers on the farm, raising cattle, hanging out with friends, and interacting with the farmers. Here, she’s learned how to find her own peace of mind and strive for what she truly wants to do in life.
Cultural Context: One of the largest industries in the Philippines is agriculture. Many consider an agriculturally export-led country to be developing and inferior due to the lack of complexity of the goods they produce. Despite that, millions of rural farmers in the Philippines have shaped their livelihood from the income generated from agriculture. Thus, an agriculturally based proverb is a metaphor for the agriculturally centered Philippines. In line with the proverb, the proverb is passed on through many familial generations and has tapped into how families share values with one another. If a farmer works hard, he can put more food on the table for his/her family, and potentially expand what they can do in the agriculture sector. The rhyming consonance of “tinanim” and “aanihin” come from the evolution of the language and how groupings of similar categorized verbs sound similar – plant, harvest.
Item:
Kung may tinanim, may aanihin.
Literal Translation: If you plant something, you’ll harvest it
Meaning: Your future will be the result of the effort you put in today.
Informant’s Comments: “This proverb is something that I tend to think about on a daily basis. It’s sort of… not really about hard work but I think it reflects the outcomes of putting hard work into things that you want to do. The way I see it is that if I’m willing to put a lot of effort into perfecting a certain thing, that is like planting the seed for which will be harvested and can be a good grade or to perform well for what I was working towards … Because it’s really vague, I think it allows for different interpretations of it so that that all align with the fact that nothing of value can be achieved without dedicating time and effort to making it happen.
Collector’s Comments: This proverb has a similar structure throughout. The use of indirect rhyming and repetition of words help create fluidity in the saying. Furthermore, consonance is used in the key verbs as they are paired actions. This is a classic example of Tagalog sentence structure, pairing similar meaning verbs with the pronunciation. Because of this, it helps make phrases and sayings more and more memorable for individuals.
This proverb is very relevant to indigenous and rural Philippine culture as the agriculture industry is most dominant in those regions. There is a belief to be in touch with the crops you grow as that will represent your fortune and how well you are committed to taking care of life. The manual labor of planting and harvesting analogizes hard work and doing what needs to be done even in the hottest of conditions.
Title: Ang karukhaan ay hindi hadlang sa pagtatagumpay
Informant: EC
Phone Call
11/2/20
Informant Data: EC is a junior at Yale University. He is 20 years old and is the older brother of two younger siblings. EC grew up in Hong Kong for 16 years, spent a year abroad in China, and lived in the Philippines for 3 years.
Contextual Data: EC learned this proverb when he was interning at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 2017. In this internship, he was working in the poverty alleviation sector where many of his co-workers firmly believed in this proverb. Hence, EC had to think outside of the box for how they can help alleviate poverty without individuals and communities believing that they are stuck in the poverty.
Social Context: The Asian Development Bank is a developmental bank focused on social and economic development throughout Asia. Headquartered in the Philippines, ADB has done many outreaches to help alleviate poverty through educational classes, volunteer events, and policy-based ways to help those living below the poverty line have more access to life-changing opportunities. As a result, ADB needs to remain optimistic for the wider Philippine community that there is a way to get out of poverty and it just needs heart, drive, hard work, and a vision.
Cultural Context: Though being trapped in the poverty cycle for over half a century, the Philippines is known for its dramatic income inequality and poverty gap. The word “karukhaan” directly means poverty and is a popular symbol of hardship in the Philippines. Despite these conditions, Filipinos remain positive in the work that they do. Through song, dance, games, and comedic jokes, Filipinos collectively can stay positive even in the darkest of conditions. This is reflected in this proverb that there is always a positive outcome ahead, it’s just a matter of finding the right way to it. When the proverb is put together, the consonance of the “h” and “a” in this proverb is a common characteristic of the Philippine language to make pronunciation more memorable and easier for individuals to say.
Item:
Tagalog: Ang karukhaan ay hindi hadlang sa pagtatagumpay.
Literal Translation: “Poverty is not an obstacle for success.”
Meaning: Where there’s a will, there will always be a way.
Informant’s Comments: “I think this proverb does two things. One, it gives a lot of insight into how the idea of poverty is perpetuated in the Philippines and how it limits the morale of communities living below the poverty line. Second, suggests that anything is achievable if one truly believes it is possible. These two strands of thinking are significant to me and my career interests the idea of achieving success applicable to anything, but it also sheds light on the fact that if one truly believes in something, it certainly is achievable as long as one is willing to put the effort in … I think this proverb also has a lot of overlap with a common Tagalog saying of “puso” which directly means “heart.” In the context in which many Filipinos use this phrase, they are implying that the best way to approach challenges is by putting your heart into what you need and want to do.”
Collector’s Comments: I personally really like this proverb. Not only is it optimistic in tackling societal issues that the entire world faces, but it also speaks about resilience and the need for one to be driven to achieving anything regardless of circumstances. While I don’t use this proverb in verbatim, I have similar proverbs that touch upon the idea of believing one can achieve anything and this proverb encapsulates just that. Whether it’s on the field or in my academics, putting your heart into all that you do is crucial for success and becoming the person you want to be. In addition to representing the idea of committing to everything you do, it also is a beacon of hope that if we help reorient the mindset of the larger impoverished community of the Philippines, we can break the cycle.
M.W. is a member of the class of 2023 and the football team as well. He resides in Glendale, Arizona and spent this last term off campus living with friends.
Contextual Data:
Cultural Context: nothing cultural in his reasoning, just a preference
Social Context: This interview was recorded over the phone due to the pandemic. When M.W. entered high school, he took on the same number that his father once wore. His father was a great athlete in high school, but his coach never helped him get recruited so he never ended up going. Wearing 27 is a reminder of his father and what he was not able to do, which has kept M.W. focused on his goal of playing football in college.
Item:
His lucky number has been 27 since it was passed down to him from his father’s high school football days. He looks to carry on his legacy and accomplish everything that his father was not.
Transcript:
“When I wear 27, I am reminded of him…..wearing 27 is me continuing his legacy and being accepted to college was exciting so 27 is really important to me.”
Collector’s Comments:
I thought it was so cool that he was able to take on the responsibility of his dad’s legacy. Not only did he take it on, but he has exceeded expectations, now being a division one athlete at Dartmouth.
Collector’s Name: Zack Milko
Informant: 52
Title: Lucky Number 32
General Information about Item:
Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
Language: English
Country of Origin: United States
Informant: J.S Male
Date Collected: November 4, 2020
Informant Data:
J.S. is a member of the class of 2023 and the football team as well. He resides in Bluepell, Pennsylvania and spent this last term living at home with his family and taking remote classes.
Contextual Data:
Cultural Context: nothing cultural in his reasoning, just a preference
Social Context: This interview was recorded over the phone due to the pandemic. J.S. has been wearing 32 for as long as he can remember. It was his Dad’s college football number, and now a student athlete at Dartmouth college, J.S. is looking to carry on the tradition.
Item:
In hopes of carrying on his Dad’s legacy and playing college football himself, J.S. has worn 32 for as long as he can remember. He is excited to continue this tradition in college.
Transcript:
“32 was my Dad’s college football number, and has been my number for sports for as long as I can remember, so it has always been a number that has meaning to me.”
Collector’s Comments:
I think it it so awesome that he has been wearing 32 for over ten years, meanwhile never lost sight of the ultimate goal, and has accomplished it as well. It has to be so awesome to be wearing your father’s number in a division one uniform.
Collector’s Name: Zack Milko
Informant: 53
Title: Lucky Number 17
General Information about Item:
Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
Language: English
Country of Origin: United States
Informant: N.H. Male
Date Collected: November 4, 2020
Informant Data:
N.H. is a member of the class of 2023 and the football team as well. He resides in Green Bay, Wisconsin and spent this last term living in Florida with some friends.
Contextual Data:
Cultural Context: nothing cultural in his reasoning, just a preference
Social Context: This interview was recorded over the phone due to the pandemic. N.H. was born on the seventeenth day of the month, which has since created a special stigma surrounding 17 for N.H. He has worn 17 for his entire high school and college career and loves how it looks.
Item:
17 has been special to N.H. since he was old enough to remember his birthday. He has worn it in every sport he has played, and looks to continue doing so in college. He also loves the aesthetic of the number and enjoys that there are very few other people who would call 17 lucky.
Transcript:
“My birthday is on the seventeenth day of the month, I have worn seventeen for all of my high school and college football career, it’s unique and I really like how it looks.”
Collector’s Comments:
I thought it was really cool how N.H. takes pride in not only the number because of his birthday, but even more so for how unique it is. I really enjoyed this interview because it was the only 17 I came across.
Collector’s Name: Zack Milko
Informant: 54
Title: Lucky Number 2
General Information about Item:
Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
Language: English
Country of Origin: United States
Informant: G.M. Male
Date Collected: November 4, 2020
Informant Data:
G.M. is a member of the class of 2023 and the football team as well. He resides in Greenwich, Connecticut and spent this last term living off campus with teammates.
Contextual Data:
Cultural Context: nothing cultural in his reasoning, just a preference
Social Context: This interview was recorded over the phone due to the pandemic. G.M. was born on May 2nd, and when he was a young boy, the quarterback at his high school wore number 2. All he wanted was to be a great quarterback for his high school one day, and follow in the footsteps of the number 2 he looked up to.
Item:
The number 2 has been special to G.M. since he was born, considering his birthday is May 2nd. What made it even more special was that the high school quarterback in his town wore number 2, and G.M. strived to be just like him.
Transcript:
“My birthday is May 2nd, and when I was growing up, the quarterback at my high school wore 2”
Collector’s Comments:
I think it is really awesome that G.M. has a lucky number in which he’s always been motivated by. It is definitely a cool combination of luck and motivation to have!
Collector’s Name: Zack Milko
Informant: 55
Title: Lucky Number 14
General Information about Item:
Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
Language: English
Country of Origin: United States
Informant: P.W. Male
Date Collected: November 4, 2020
Informant Data:
P.W. is a member of the class of 2023 and the football team as well. He resides in Marietta, Georgia and spent this last term off campus living with friends.
Contextual Data:
Cultural Context: nothing cultural in his reasoning, just a preference
Social Context: This interview was recorded over the phone due to the pandemic. When P.W. started playing football in sixth grade, he was randomly assigned number 14. Since then, the number has stuck with him and he has worn it on every sports team he has ever been on, and uses it in all his usernames and passwords.
Item:
P.W.’s lucky number is 14, but more because of fate than preference when he was younger. Since the moment in sixth grade it was given to him, he has only found a ton of success with it, and will keep using it hoping for the same outcomes in the future.
Transcript:
“In sixth grade, 14 was given randomly to me by my football coaches, but from then on I have always worn it for sports and if I ever needed a number for a password or something I would use it.”
Collector’s Comments:
I found this interview really cool because I have a lucky number for a similar similar reason. I was given 22 at a young age and have since just stuck with it and found a lot of success with it.
Collector’s Name: Zack Milko
Informant: 56
Title: Lucky Number 12
General Information about Item:
Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
Language: English
Country of Origin: United States
Informant: D.C. Male
Date Collected: November 4, 2020
Informant Data:
D.C. is a member of the class of 2023 and the football team as well. He resides in Frisco, Texas and spent this last term taking on off term and interning in his home town.
Contextual Data:
Social Context: This interview was recorded over the phone due to the pandemic. D.C was born on the 12th day of the month, and since then has just felt like the number is his.
Cultural Context: Being a spiritual person, he believes it was given to him by those greater than him, and he must embody it to the fullest extent as it is their wish.
Item:
D.C.’s lucky number is 12 because it is not only the day he was born, but he feels that because of it, it is his god given right to wear 12 as his number.
Transcript:
“It is the day that I was born, and I feel like it was the given to me by powers that are greater than me, and you can’t really change your birthday, so I feel like it was meant for me.”
Collector’s Comments:
I really enjoyed this interview because I was really excited to find someone who’s reasoning is backed by cultural context, and more specifically spirits and religion.
Collector’s Name: Zack Milko
Informant: 57
Title: Lucky Number 25
General Information about Item:
Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
Language: English
Country of Origin: United States
Informant: E.N. Male
Date Collected: November 4, 2020
Informant Data:
E.N. is a member of the class of 2023 and the football team as well. He resides in Cincinatti, Ohio and spent this last term off campus living with friends.
Contextual Data:
Cultural Context: nothing cultural in his reasoning, just a preference
Social Context: This interview was recorded over the phone due to the pandemic. Interestingly enough, both of E.N.’s parents were born on the 25th of a month. Considering he is their offspring, he always felt that 25 had to be his lucky number.
Item:
E.N.’s lucky number is 25 because he is an only child, and the offspring of two parents whom share a birth date of the 25th. he actually wears 75 in football because it is triple his lucky number and there are three members in his family.
Transcript:
“My mom was born on August 25th, and my dad was born on May 25th. I wear 75 for football because it is three times 25.”
Collector’s Comments:
This interview was another one of my favorites because it was the only person that I interviewed who doesn’t wear their lucky number when playing. What makes it even cooler to me is that the number he does wear is still correlated with his lucky number.
Collector’s Name: Zack Milko
Informant: 58
Title: Lucky Number 78
General Information about Item:
Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
Language: English
Country of Origin: United States
Informant: L.G. Male
Date Collected: November 4, 2020
Informant Data:
L.G. is a member of the class of 2023 and the football team as well. He resides in Charlotte, North Carolina and spent this last term off campus living with friends.
Contextual Data:
Cultural Context: nothing cultural in his reasoning, just a preference
Social Context: This interview was recorded over the phone due to the pandemic. When L.G. was in fifth grade, his older brothers best friend passed away from an accident on a spring break trip. He has worn his number since then and has found a ton of luck with it, winning championships in high school and at the collegiate level.
Item:
L.G. wears 78 in an effort to honor his brother’s late best friend. He was an incredible football player and L.G. wanted nothing more than to follow in his footsteps.
Transcript:
“When I was in fifth grade, my brother went on a spring break trip with his best friend who wore 78 on the football team. He had offers from almost ever college in the country, but there was unfortunately an accident on the trip in which he died, and I have worn 78 since then. It is my lucky number because I have won three states championships and one ivy league championship while wearing this number.”
Collector’s Comments:
This had to be my favorite interview out of all of them because it was easily the most meaningful reasoning and an incredible story that more people need to hear about!
Collector’s Name: Zack Milko
Informant: 59
Title: Lucky Number 2
General Information about Item:
Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
Language: English
Country of Origin: United States
Informant: W.E. Male
Date Collected: November 4, 2020
Informant Data:
W.E. is a member of the class of 2023 and the football team as well. He resides in Manhattan, New York and spent this last term off campus living with friends.
Contextual Data:
Cultural Context: nothing cultural in his reasoning, just a preference
Social Context: This interview was recorded over the phone due to the pandemic. There has just been something special about the number 2 for W.E. from the start, and it is not quite easy to put into words. He loves it for reasons that are not only hard to explain but even harder to feel. W.E. just has such a positive and awesome association with it that its became his number over time.
Item:
W.E.’s lucky number is 2 for many subjective reasons, but ultimately because of his positive and important association with it. It is his go to, and that will likely never change as he uses it to regulate things in his life like staying organized and going over things twice.
Transcript:
“I have always liked it and that is a little more nebulous; I like the symmetry, putting things in pairs, double checking things, doing things more than once, things that are repeatable. I also wore it for any sports team I played on. I have always liked it for less defined reasons but now have a positive and significant association with it.
Collector’s Comments:
This was another one of my favorite interviews because I was pleased to find someone who has thought so in depth about their lucky number, and is completely aware of its significance.
Collector’s Name: Zack Milko
Informant: 60
Title: Lucky Number 13
General Information about Item:
Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
Language: English
Country of Origin: United States
Informant: Z.C. Male
Date Collected: November 4, 2020
Informant Data:
Z.C. is a member of the class of 2023 and the football team as well. He resides in Tampa, Florida and spent this last term off campus living with friends.
Contextual Data:
Social Context: This interview was recorded over the phone due to the pandemic.
Cultural Context: The number 13 is thought to be unlucky by many cultures across the world, especially in America. This derives from the bible, which is why 13 is universally known as unlucky. Z.C. takes pride in that, and loves how it is lucky to him while everyone else hates it.
Item:
Z.C. chose 13 as his lucky number because it is universally regarded as unlucky. He takes pride in loving a number that most fear, and loves making it his lucky number because of how everyone else feels about it.
Transcript:
“People always say unlucky number 13 and I kind of like the idea of having a number that everyone fears and nobody likes and I think that makes me special and unique.”
Collector’s Comments:
I thought Z.C. had a really cool interview because of how unique it was. My group did happen to find that 13 was the most unlucky number from interviewed participants, so it is so cool that it still ended up as a lucky number too.
Collector information: Dartmouth College, RUSS 013, Professors Mikhail Gronas and Valentina Apresjan, Fall 2020. Informants 51-60 collected by David Alino
Informant 61
Title: Lucky Number 19
General Information about Item:
Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
Language: English
Country of Origin: South Africa
Informant: A.S, Male
Date Collected: November 11, 2020
Informant Data:
A.V is a 21 year old from Capetown, South Africa and is a sophomore at Dartmouth College. He attended a boarding school in New York after moving from Capetown and is a current member of the Dartmouth Soccer team. He is currently living at home, now Capetown. Both of his parents are South African.
Contextual Data:
Social Context: This interview was done over the phone because the informant wasn’t available in person. A.V’s lucky number is 19, and this is because of the personal success that he has had throughout his soccer career while wearing it.
Culture Context: He picked this number due to a personal preference and success with it. He does not believe that his culture plays a role in his selection of this lucky number.
Item: A.V’s personal lucky number is 19, which is also the number he wore in high school and endured success with.
Transcript: “19… I needed a break-through season and when I wore 19 that was probably the best season I had”
Recording:
Collector’s Comments:
I found that when an athlete has a preferred lucky number, it is common for them to feel strange when they have to wear another number. The lucky number is a form of identity for them.
Collector’s Name: David Alino
Informant 62
Title: Lucky Number 5
General Information about Item:
Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
Language: English
Country of Origin: Bermuda
Informant: A.S, Male
Date Collected: November 10, 2020
Informant Data:
A.S is a 21 year old from Bermuda and is a junior at Dartmouth College. He attended Berkshire school in Sheffield, Massachusetts and is a current member of the Dartmouth Soccer team. He is currently living in Bermuda. Both of his parents are Bermudan.
Contextual Data:
Social Context: This interview was done over the phone because the informant wasn’t available in person. A.S’ lucky number is 5. It was one of the last numbers available for his high school team. While wearing it, he went on to achieve a great deal. His name has 5 letters in it and also his mother’s name. Therefore, it is very special to him.
Culture Context: He picked this number due to its significance. He does not believe that his culture plays a role in his selection of this lucky number.
Item: A.S’ personal lucky number is 5, his name has 5 letters in it and so does his mother’s name. He found great success in his soccer career while wearing it.
Transcript: “I don’t really know… I like to think that 5 is my lucky number”
Recording:
Collector’s Comments:
I found it very fascinating how his lucky number coo-related to his name having five letters in it and also his mothers’. It is rare but very interesting that this happens.
Collector’s Name: David Alino
Informant 63
Title: Lucky Number 10
General Information about Item:
Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
Language: English
Country of Origin: United States
Informant: J.M, Female
Date Collected: November 11, 2020
Informant Data:
J.M is a 20 year old from Oklahoma and is a sophomore at Dartmouth College. She is a current member of the Dartmouth Women’s Soccer team. She is currently living at Dartmouth for the fall term. She is from both South African and Middle Eastern descent. She describes herself as a superstitious person.
Contextual Data:
Social Context: This interview was done over the phone because the informant wasn’t available in person. J.M’s lucky number is 10, she grew up wearing this number in soccer. She has felt the most comfort with it and talked about how she disliked even numbers all except for it. Believes it represents a wholistic and stable division. Relates it to greatness in work.
Culture Context: She picked this number due to a personal preference and also its significance. She does not believe that his culture plays a role in his selection of this lucky number but relates it more to the significance of it as opposed to the personal preference.
Item: J.M’s personal lucky number is 10, which is also the number he wore in high school and endured success with.
Recording:
Collector’s Comments:
I find that many athletes enjoy wearing the number ten. In a sense it represents greatness and determination. I remember growing up and kids would fight just to be able to wear it on their back.
Collector’s Name: David Alino
Informant 64
Title: Lucky Number 18
General Information about Item:
Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
Language: English
Country of Origin: United States
Informant: G.S, Male
Date Collected: October 24, 2020
Informant Data:
G.S is a 19 year old from Virginia and is a sophomore at Dartmouth College. He attended Norfolk academy and is a current member of the Dartmouth Mens Soccer team. He is currently living in Virginia. Both of his parents are American.
Contextual Data:
Social Context: This interview was done over the phone because the informant wasn’t available in person. G.S’ lucky number is 18. When he was very young playing soccer, the number 18 was given to him. He did not like it at first but it grew on him, he wore it throughout his high-school soccer career.
Culture Context: He picked this number due to his personal preference. He does not believe that his culture plays a role in his selection of this lucky number.
Item: G.S lucky number is 18, he did not like it at first but it slowly became the number that he identified himself with.
Transcript: “My lucky number is 18… when I was 8 or 9 I joined my first childhood soccer team and the number that I was assigned was 18”
Recording:
Collector’s Comments:
I found it very fascinating how his lucky number was one that he grew into. Most people are able to identify with it from the start.
Collector’s Name: David Alino
Informant 65
Title: Lucky Number 1
General Information about Item:
Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
Language: English
Country of Origin: United States
Informant: C.A, Male
Date Collected: October 24, 2020
Informant Data:
C.A is a 19 year old from Connecticut and is a sophomore at Dartmouth College. He is currently living in Virginia with family. Both of his parents are American.
Contextual Data:
Social Context: This interview was done over the phone because the informant wasn’t available in person. C.A’ lucky number is 1. Growing up, he loved being first. He loved starting things off. In his eyes, he saw “1” as the leader and it represented strength and perseverance. He has kept with it.
Culture Context: C.A’s father is a businessman and a great leader, someone that he looks up to. That is partially why he identifies with “1” it represent his father and someone that he would like to be.
Item: C.A’s lucky number is 1. He identifies it with leadership and perseverance in life
Transcript: “My lucky number is 1… when I was younger I always wanted to be first in everything…. lines…. lunch tables”
Recording:
Collector’s Comments:
I liked how he related it to his father. It goes to show how much being a good role model can impact someone’s life.
Collector’s Name: David Alino
Informant 66
Title: Lucky Number 8
General Information about Item:
Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
Language: English
Country of Origin: United States
Informant: G.A, Male
Date Collected: October 24, 2020
Informant Data:
G.A is a 19 year old from New Jersey and is a junior at Dartmouth College. He grew up in New Jersey but later moved to New York and attended York School Prep and is a current member of the Dartmouth Mens Soccer team. He is currently living in New York. Both of his parents are from Lebanon.
Contextual Data:
Social Context: This interview was done over the phone because the informant wasn’t available in person. G.A’s lucky number is 8. G.A was the eighth child to be born in his family. He has 3 older brothers and 4 older sisters. In soccer, he grew up wearing this number. Although he wore the number in soccer, the reason it is his lucky number mainly has to do with how he is the eighth child.
Culture Context: He does believe that the cultural that he adopted through playing soccer at a young age played a part on him identifying with 8. It made him work harder when he thought about the number.
Item: G.A’s lucky number is 8, he was the eighth child in his family and grew up wearing the number in soccer.
Transcript: “My lucky number is 8”
Recording:
Collector’s Comments:
A common thing I noticed about athletes is that their lucky numbers are usually decided during their childhood. They carry it on and make it their own.
Collector’s Name: David Alino
Informant 67
Title: Lucky Number 8
General Information about Item:
Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
Language: English
Country of Origin: United States
Informant: A.N, Male
Date Collected: October 24, 2020
Informant Data:
A.N is a 19 year old from Boston, Massachusetts and is a sophomore at Dartmouth College. He attended the Newman School where he worked long and hard to attend his dream school: Dartmouth College. He is currently living in Boston. Both of his parents are of Nigerian decent.
Contextual Data:
Social Context: This interview was done over the phone because the informant wasn’t available in person. A.N’s lucky number is 8. This is for three reasons. His birthday is on the 8th of August. Whenever he was asked to pick a number he would always choose 8, whether in sports, school etc. And lastly, when he grew up learning multiplication, the 8’s table came the easiest to him.
Culture Context: He picked this number due to his personal preference. He does not believe that his culture plays a role in his selection of this lucky number.
Item: A.N’s lucky number is 8, he was born on the eighth and always picked the number whenever given the choice. He also found the 8’s table in multiplication to be the easiest to understand.
Transcript: “My lucky number is 8… it is my lucky number for 3 reasons…”
Recording:
Collector’s Comments:
It was interesting how A.N had three reasons why his lucky number is 8. Most of the time there is only one reason for it.
Collector’s Name: David Alino
Informant 68
Title: Lucky Number 35
General Information about Item:
Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
Language: English
Country of Origin: United States
Informant: T.S, Male
Date Collected: October 24, 2020
Informant Data:
T.S is a 19 year old from Colorado and is a sophomore at Dartmouth College. He attended Kent Denver academy high school and is a member of the Dartmouth Swim Team. He is currently living at Dartmouth. Both of his parents are American.
Contextual Data:
Social Context: This interview was done over the phone because the informant wasn’t available in person. T.S’ lucky number is 35. It was the number that he grew up wearing for sports. As he wore it more and more he exuded more confidence and it inspired him to do swimming.
Culture Context: He picked this number due to his personal preference he wasn’t inspired by any cultural contexts. He does not believe that his culture plays a role in his selection of this lucky number mainly because in America, that is not the case.
Item: T.S’ lucky number is 35, he grew up wearing the number when playing sports.
Transcript: “My lucky number is 35 because when I was younger that used to be my number for sports”
Recording:
Collector’s Comments:
His lucky number was high, I found it to be different. Most of the lucky numbers were low never exceeding 20.
Collector’s Name: David Alino
Informant 69
Title: Lucky Number 3
General Information about Item:
Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
Language: English
Country of Origin: United States
Informant: J.E, Male
Date Collected: October 24, 2020
Informant Data:
J.E is a 21 year old from LA and is a senior at Dartmouth College. He attended Granada Hills Charter and is majoring in engineering. He is currently living at Dartmouth for the fall semester. Both of his parents are American.
Contextual Data:
Social Context: This interview was done over the phone because the informant wasn’t available in person. J.E’ lucky number is 3. When he was younger, he was usually given three chances to complete things and on the third try he would always find success. Sometimes it was sports, sometimes it was school and other times it might have been at home or with friends.
Culture Context: He picked this number due to his personal preference. He does not believe that his culture plays a role in his selection of this lucky number.
Item: J.E’s lucky number is 3. When younger, he was usually given three tries to do things and he would always pull through on the third try.
Transcript: “If I had to pick a number.. I guess I would go with 3”
Recording:
Collector’s Comments:
I know that three is a common lucky number in the world. I would always hear about three leaf clovers when I was younger, and they represented good luck.
Collector’s Name: David Alino
Informant 70
Title: Lucky Number 7
General Information about Item:
Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
Language: English
Country of Origin: United States
Informant: A.J, Male
Date Collected: October 24, 2020
Informant Data:
A.J is a 20 year old from Pennsylvania and is a junior at Dartmouth College. He is majoring in economics. He is currently living at Dartmouth for the fall semester. Both of his parents are American.
Contextual Data:
Social Context: This interview was done over the phone because the informant wasn’t available in person. A.J lucky number is 7. He associated it to a time when he was younger. During a raffle he picked the number 7 and it ended up being correct. Although this was the moment he realized it was his younger number, he began to use it in every other aspect of his life when given the opportunity.
Culture Context: He picked this number due to his personal preference. He does not believe that his culture plays a role in his selection of this lucky number.
Item: A.J’s lucky number is 7. When younger, he won a raffle using the number. He then associated himself with it throughout his childhood and young adulthood.
Transcript: “My lucky number is 7”
Recording:
Collector’s Comments:
7 was the most common lucky number amongst my interviewees, its fair to say that it is popular.
