General Information about Item:

• Customary Folklore: Greek Superstition (Bad luck)
• Language: English
• Country of Origin: Greece
• Informant: Gregory Angelos
• Date Collected: November 1, 2018

Informant Data:

• Gregory Angelos is 43 year-old man from Allentown, PA. Gregory’s adopted father was born in Greece, where he attended medical school before moving to the United States. His father’s family still resides in Chania, Greece. As a child, Gregory often traveled to Greece to visit his father’s family and explore the country. His adopted mother has roots in central Europe, but she enjoys practicing many Greek traditions shared by her husband and their family. Despite being adopted in the United States, Gregory’s parents have raised him to practice many Greek traditions and customs. Gregory does not know the cultural origins of his biological parents, but he hopes they were both Greek.

Contextual Data:

• Social Context: The informant was interviewed over FaceTime regarding the cheers with coffee superstition. He said that he first learned the superstition from his parents. It is commonly passed from older to younger generations. Avoiding cheering with coffee may be done in any situation where coffee is being consumed.

• Cultural Context: In 2011, Greece was ranked 15th among all countries, despite its small size, in annual coffee consumption per capita. Drinking coffee is a daily event that can be enjoyed alone or in the presence of friends to relax and reflect. Coffee has been celebrated and endowed in Greek culture. Traditional Greek coffee, “ellinkós kafés” is similar in consistency, richness, and serving style to Turkish coffee. The strong, black coffee is served in a small cup and is meant to be consumed slowly during congenial conversations. Conversely, Greeks drink alcohol, wine, or beer at a fast pace, and begin their consumption by saying cheers, “Gia mas!” The practice of drinking the two types of beverages is vastly different. Coffee is meant to be respected and savored.

Item:

• Clinking two glasses together and saying “cheers” is a common tradition to celebrate an event, relationship, or moment; however, it is bad luck to cheer with cups of coffee.

Associated file:

(“Ellinikos Kafes” – traditional Greek coffee)

• Gregory is currently living at home in Pennsylvania. He was interviewed over FaceTime.

Transcript of Associated File:

• “I never really noticed the superstition until I went to cheer cups with my brother, and my father scolded us and explained it was bad luck…. Growing up, my family ate every meal together at the dinner table. At dinner, my family would always clink cups and say “Cheers!” We have never once did that while drinking coffee in the morning or after dinner.”

Informant’s Comments:

• “Coffee is a big part of Greece’s culture. It is a means of casual socializing. You will often see people sitting in cafes for hours sipping on a two ounce cup of coffee.”

Collector’s Comments:

• Gregory has really assumed many aspects of Greek culture despite having no biological relation to Greece.

Collector’s Name: Kira Koehler

Tags/Keywords:

• Greek. Superstition. Coffee. Cheers. Customary Folklore. Magic Superstitions.

General Information about Item:

• Customary Folklore: Greek Superstition (Bad luck)
• Language: English
• Country of Origin: Greece
• Informant: Katherine Spanos
• Date Collected: November 2, 2018

Informant Data:

• Katherine Spanos is a junior studying Biology at Dartmouth College. She participates on the Dartmouth Field Hockey team and is hoping to pursue a career in medicine after graduation. Katherine was born in Hummelstown, PA, but her father is originally from Neohari, a town in Greece. Her mother is not from Greece, but the family practices many traditions and superstitions of the culture. Many of Katherine’s family members still live in Greece, and she believes her grandparents have been the most significant factors in instilling Greek practices in her daily life.

Contextual Data:

• Social Context: The informant was interviewed in person regarding the cologne and perfume superstition.She said that she first learned the superstition from her grandparents at Christmas. It is commonly passed from older to younger generations. In order to prevent bad luck, the recipient of the cologne or perfume must be the one to give the coin.

• Cultural Context: Perfume has played an instrumental role throughout the culture and history of Greece. Perfume was first made on the island of Crete in the 4th century, and the accessory quickly spread throughout the country. Made from herbs, spices, and flowers, perfume was thought to be a gift of the gods and was commonly worn by men and women throughout society. It composed a massive industry in ancient Greece and became known as a positive omen for marriage and childbirth. Perfume and cologne was kept in small containers shaped as animals. Giving perfume as a gift is a popular practice today, as it is a sign of affection and an item that is not often purchased.

Item:

• When an individual gives cologne or perfume to someone as a gift, that person must give a coin in exchange for the gift. If a coin is not reciprocated, then evil will follow the two individuals and threaten their relationship.

Associated file:

Transcript of Associated File:

• “Coins have a lot of significance relating to luck, and my Papou, my grandfather, used to have a large collection of coins. We would come look at them, and they were supposed to be lucky.”

Informant’s Comments:

• “When we visited my Papou’s house for holidays, he would often show us the coins and told up that they were good luck. One year at Christmas, my Yaya, my grandma, handed my Papou a gold coin from his collection. He knew he would have to give it back to her after opening his gift because he got cologne. They are very superstitious.”

Collector’s Comments:

• Katherine’s family practices many superstitions.

Collector’s Name: Kira Koehler

Tags/Keywords:

• Greek. Superstition. Cologne. Perfume. Coins. Customary Folklore. Magic Superstitions.

General Information about Item:

• Customary Folklore: Greek Superstition (Bad luck)
• Language: English
• Country of Origin: Greece
• Informant: Evangelia Constantine
• Date Collected: November 2, 2018

Informant Data:

• Evangelia “Lia” Constantine is a sophomore studying Neuroscience at Dartmouth College. She is on the Dartmouth Field Hockey team and engaged in medical research with one of her professors. Lia was born in Fredericksburg Virginia, but her family is of strong Greek origin. Her father lived in Greece before coming to the United States, and her mother’s parents were both born and raised in Greece. As a child, her grandparents were extremely influential in instilling aspects of Greek folklore in her life. Her favorite Greek custom is the roasting of a goat on Easter Sunday. Her family practices many greek traditions on a daily and annual basis.

Contextual Data:

• Social Context: The informant was interviewed in person regarding the crow superstition. She said that she first learned the superstition from mother after a dead crow was found on their front porch. It is commonly passed from older to younger generations. Seeing a crow or interacting with a dead crow in any situation is said to bring misfortune and death.
• Cultural Context: Crows are birds that are generally thought of in a negative context within Greek culture and mythology. The ancient Greeks claimed that the crow symbolized Apollo, God of Prophecy. In a Greek legend, Coronis betrayed Apollo, and a crow delivered the news to him. Although crows are black, it is believed that Apollo punished the birds by tainting their original, pure color, white. Ancient Greeks then began interpreting the crow’s color and direction of flight to predict foreboding omens.

Item:

• Seeing a crow fly is an omen of bad luck, misfortune, death, and disease. When a crow caws, it is generally thought that someone will die in the near future.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Transcript of Associated File:

• “My mom claims that if a dead, black crow shows up anywhere near our house, that mean someone she knows is about to die. One time, a black crow ended up on our doorstep, and she thought that my great grandma was going to die that week.”

Informant’s Comments:

• “I always think back on when my mother found the dead crow and laugh. She really reacted emotionally to the experience. I think she was being a bit overdramatic, but her parents taught her to believe very strongly in this superstition.”

Collector’s Comments:

• Despite the evil undertones surrounding the Greek superstitions of crows, Lia seemed to recount stories about crows with excitement. She clearly values her family’s traditions and beliefs.

Collector’s Name: Kira Koehler

Tags/Keywords:

• Greek. Superstition. Crows. Customary Folklore. Sign Superstitions.