General Information about Item:

• Mexican Superstition
• Language: Spanish
• Country of Origin: Mexico
• Informant: Thalia Dominguez Bautista
• Date Collected: 11-03-18

Informant Data:

• Thalia Dominguez Bautista was born in the state of Washington but her parents originate from Mexico. She is currently studying Digital Arts at Dartmouth College. Thalia only speaks Spanish at home with her parents. Although Thalia grew up in America, her parents made sure to instill the Mexican culture in her upbringing. Thalia is the last child of her parents.

Contextual Data:

• Cultural Context: In Mexican culture, red symbolizes blood and power. Thalia’s family members practice this superstition as they have seen the effects Aloe Vera has. It is believed that within the spirit world, Aloe Vera prevents accidents
• Social Context: The Aloe Vera plant has many medicinal uses. In addition to its many medicinal uses, it can be used to treat burns, cuts, and scrapes. It is also known to reduce inflammation, pain, and redness quickly. When ingested, Aloe Vera can reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics. Due to the many beneficial uses of the plant Aloe Vera in society, Thalia believes it is fitting that the Aloe Vera plant is used as a precautionary item to ward off bad energy.

Subgenre: good luck superstitions (preventing bad luck)

Item (Transcript):

“Since I was little my family has this superstition where you tie a red ribbon around an Aloe Vera leaf and it is supposed to ward off evil and bad spirits and bad luck and anything bad that is trying to get you or your family and it is supposed to replace that with good energy.”

Collector’s Name: Ama Kyerewaa

Tags/Keywords:

• Mexican. Superstition. Tying Red Ribbon on Aloe Vera. Homeopathic Magic

General Information about Item:

• Mexican Superstition
• Language: Spanish
• Country of Origin: Mexico
• Informant: Jennifer Lopez
• Date Collected: 11-02-18

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: In Mexican culture, long hair is seen as the standard for beauty. It considered highly valuable for women to keep their hair long as this signifies that they spend time on maintaining it and thus have “good hair”.
• Social Context: In many Latin American countries, having short hair is deemed bad hair. This superstition essentially instills fear into people to discourage them from cutting their hair at night as they may not be able to see clearly how much they may be cutting away. This superstition is essentially told as a means to promote the western world’s standard of beauty.

Subgenre: bad luck superstitions

Item (translation)

If you cut your hair at night, it will not grow back.

Collector’s Name: Ama Kyerewaa

General Information about Item:

• Mexican Superstition/Folktale
• Language: Spanish
• Country of Origin: Mexico
• Informant: Jennifer Lopez
• Date Collected: 10-17-18

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 parents use a lot of horror stories like this to keep children from being rebellious.
• Social Context: The purpose of this folklore is to keep children from going out at night and to keep them in the sight of their parents.

Subgenre: bad luck superstitions

Item (summary translation)

This is a story of a mother who drowned her two children in the river because her husband left her.

Collector’s Name: Ama Kyerewaa

General Information about Item:

• Mexican Superstition
• Language: Spanish
• Country of Origin: Mexico
• Informant: Jennifer Lopez
• Date Collected: 10-17-18

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 cultures around the world have different new year traditions members must do to usher in the blessings of the new year and forgo any misfortune the previous year brought.
• Social Context: This superstition is a norm for Jennifer as every new year, her family gathers around for each person to eat 12 grapes. In terms of a social context, this superstition can be said to bringing families together to start the new year as one entity. In addition to this, it serves to encourage hope as they enter the new year. Unlike other superstitions discussed thus far, this superstition encourages the performance of an action. As a matter of fact not observing this practice is believed to bring bad luck.

Subgenre: bad luck superstitions

Item (translation)

You must eat 12 grapes right after the clock strikes 12 (midnight) on New Year’s. Each grape represents a wish for each month. Not doing so brings bad luck.

Collector’s Name: Ama Kyerewaa

General Information about Item:

• Mexican Superstition
• Language: Spanish
• Country of Origin: Mexico
• Informant: Jennifer Lopez
• Date Collected: 11-03-18

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

General Information about Item:

• Mexican Superstition
• Language: Spanish
• Country of Origin: Ancient Egypt
• Informant: Rosa Mendoza
• Date Collected: 11-01-18

Informant Data:

• Rosa Mendoza was born in Texas but her parents originate from Mexico. She is currently studying Biology at Dartmouth College. Rosa mostly speaks Spanish fluently at home with her parents and sister. Although Rosa grew up in America, her parents made sure to instill the Mexican culture in her upbringing.

Contextual Data:

• Cultural Context: Although this superstition originated from Ancient Egypt, it is very dominant in America and many parts of the world. Because Rosa’s parents have lived in America for such a long time, they have been able to assimilate some different superstitions of various originations and passed it on to their children.
• Social Context: This superstition was passed down from Rosa’s father to her at a young age. She believes this superstition serves as a way to prevent household properties from getting destroyed. Umbrellas are mostly used when it rains and thus have droplets of water on them even when they are close. Thus, opening them indoors may cause these droplets of water to fall on different items on the room and cause a mess. In addition to this, opening an umbrella in a room depending on how big the umbrella is or how small the room is may cause items in the room to fall over and break if the umbrella makes contact with them.

Subgenre: bad luck superstitions

Item (translation)

You are not supposed to open an umbrella inside the house because doing so brings you bad luck.

Collector’s Name: Ama Kyerewaa

Title: Passing Salt (Version 1)

General Information about Item:

• Mexican Superstition
• Language: Spanish
• Country of Origin: Mexico
• Informant: Rosa Mendoza
• Date Collected: 10-17-18

Informant Data:

• Rosa Mendoza was born in Dallas, Texas but her parents originate from Mexico. She is currently studying Biology at Dartmouth College. Rosa mostly speaks Spanish fluently at home with her parents and sister. Although Rosa grew up in America, her parents made sure to instill the Mexican culture in her upbringing.

Contextual Data:

• Cultural Context: Like many other cultures of the world, the Mexican culture is deeply rooted in superstitions. Superstitions are told with the purpose of encouraging a certain kind of behavior over others. Although Rosa does not know why this superstition exists or why her parents said lifting the salt container while passing it to someone else would bring bad luck, she continues to still do it as it is part of her cultural upbringing and said she will also pass it on to her future family.
• Social Context: This is a superstition like many other superstitions in other cultures was passed on from Rosa’s parents to her as a child. Rosa believes in it strongly and till this day she makes sure to pass salt without lifting the container off the table. Rosa shares this practice with her family. Perhaps this behavior is encouraged as a sign of respect to others or maybe it is simply encouraged to prevent the possibility the salt spilling and making a mess.

Subgenre: bad luck superstitions

Item (translation)

When passing the salt at the dinner (food) table, you are to pass it without lifting it from the table. It is bad luck if you lift the salt off the table while passing it.

Collector’s Name: Ama Kyerewaa