Informant: 51

Title: Lucky Number 27

General Information about Item:

• Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
• Language: English
• Country of Origin: United States
• Informant: M.W. Male
• Date Collected: November 4, 2020

Informant Data:

• 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’s Name: Zack Milko

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.

Collector’s Name: David Alino

 

 

 

 

Customary/Ritual

American 50^th Birthday

Stephen Meade

Seattle, WA.

November 10th, 2020

Informant Data:

Stephen was born in Washington, D.C. in 1958 and had three siblings and two parents. He moved all around the country due to his dad’s military service. He moved to Seattle, WA in the later 80s and had four children. He has lived there ever since. He has worked in the military, product development, finance, and retail. He currently owns a chain of gift stores with his wife.

Contextual Data:

Cultural Context: In the United States, the 50^th birthday is significant because it is the decade birthday halfway to 100. Decade birthdays represent the start of a new stage in somebody’s life. For example, the 30s are for settling down, the 50s is when someone becomes middle-aged, and the 60s is when someone becomes a senior. These transitions are important in American culture and are celebrated accordingly, with large parties and gift-giving.

Social Context: The 50^th birthday is regarded as celebrating somebody making it halfway through life. Decade birthdays are often celebrated with lots of people, but the 50^th is very significant because it is considered the halfway mark. In the fast-paced modern world, it is hard to see many friends from the past, but friends and family from all over the country and world will come to celebrate this rare occasion. People will rent out venues or host large gatherings in their house to celebrate. The celebration includes eating the birthday person’s favorite foods and drinks, giving gifts, and dancing. Usually, this party is for adults, but some children in the family come.

Item:

When Stephen turned 50, his wife hosted a surprise birthday in a brewery in downtown Seattle. There were around 200 people in attendance, including friends and family from around the world. The catered food including his favorite pasta dish that his dad used to make him, his favorite beers from around the country, and the music played throughout the night was a CD playlist of his favorite songs that his wife made for him and gifted everyone at the end of the party. Guests brought meaningful gifts, such as wooden handmade sculptures, paintings, and items from their shared pasts that were filled with meaning to Stephen. After dinner, a giant chocolate cake came out and everybody in the room sang happy birthday.

Mitchell Meade

Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College

RUSS 13 Fall 2020

Customary/Ritual

Hawaiian 1^st Birthday

Eric Dreyer

Mercer Island, WA.

October 25^th, 2020

Informant Data:

Eric was born in Seattle, WA in 1998 to a Hawaiian mother and a German father. Eric grew up in Mercer Island, WA, and currently attends the University of Washington, where he is studying biology. He visits his mother’s family in Hawaii about once a year but has lost touch with much of his Hawaiian culture.

Contextual Data:

Cultural Context: In the Hawaiian culture, the baby’s first birthday is considered a very significant milestone. The tradition itself arises from ancient ceremonies called “aha’aina” which means “gathering for a feast.” First birthdays were a segment of these large ceremonies because children who beat the odds of childbirth were presented with large feasts. Nowadays, the first birthday, or ‘baby luau,’ is more centered around starting a long and healthy life for the child. Also, the term ‘luau’ arose in the 1850s, referring to the food being served on luau leaves.

Social Context: The ‘baby luau’ is centered around the large feast that feeds the large number of people attending the celebration. Many people of the extended family bring smaller plates of food to add to the traditional servings, like the roasted pig. The food is served buffet-style on a big table called a ‘pupu line.’ Often these celebrations have a party theme, something kid-related like certain toys, cartoons, or sports. People will bring gifts related to this theme or possibly monetary gifts.

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When Eric was much younger, he attended an extended family member’s baby luau in Kauai, one of the smaller Hawaiian Islands. He recalls seeing hundreds of people attending the ceremony and lots of food lining a long table. However, his most significant memory of the baby luau was the sports-themed party. He recalls napkins with sports balls on them, balloons with team logos, and lots of other kids playing around the party, passing soccer balls and footballs. This theme even extended into the clothing that the hosts and the baby were wearing. Eric knew of the luau themes but has never seen another luau dedicate so much effort to consolidating so many celebration aspects around the theme.

Mitchell Meade

Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College

RUSS 13 Fall 2020

Customary/Ritual

Jewish 13^th Birthday

Susanne Sherman

Seattle, WA.

November 3^rd, 2020

Informant Data:

Susanne was born in Czechoslovakia in 1935 in a Jewish family of four and moved to Seattle, WA to escape persecution during WWII. She moved with her sister and parents, arriving with little belongings. Susanne graduated from the University of Washington in 1957 and worked as a speech pathologist for her entire career. After her husband’s passing, she raised her three kids alone for several years before remarrying. She is now retired and lives in a suburb of Seattle.

Contextual Data:

Cultural Context: In the Jewish culture, the 13^th birthday is the age at which boys and girls host a bar or bat mitzvah, a coming of age ceremony. This ceremony represents the transition to religious adulthood. This event consists of both formal and informal rituals and ceremonies. After completion of the bar/bat mitzvah, the boy or girl is considered a ‘man’ or a ‘woman’ and is expected to continue actively participating in Jewish rituals going forward.

Social Context: There are several important aspects of the bar mitzvah: the night-before dinner with close family, the official bar mitzvah ceremony, and the celebration after the ceremony. During the night-before dinner, the entire extended family comes together to celebrate the bar mitzvah and bequest significant gifts to the bar mitzvah. This is a more intimate celebration than the one that occurs after the ceremony. During the official ceremony itself, the bar mitzvah recites the Torah portion he/she has been practicing for months or years in advance to demonstrate their dedication to the Torah. They then give their modern interpretation of the portion in front of the entire audience, which can be hundreds of people. The bar mitzvah wears formal clothes, often with a Tallit (shawl) or kippah (small circular hat for boys). The celebration afterward consists of a night of food and dancing with all family and friends of the bar mitzvah. Often, classic Jewish dances are spread throughout the party. Friends and family usually bring gifts for the new adult, either something physical of significance or money.

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All of Susanne’s children and grandchildren have held bar or bat mitzvahs when they turned thirteen. For their formal outfits, all three used her same Tallit during the ceremony which had been passed down to her from her parents and has recently been passed down to one of her grandchildren. In addition to this common Jewish article of clothing, almost every monetary gift she, her children, or her grandchildren received was an amount that was a multiple of $18, such as $36, $72, or $180. She said that the number eighteen represents life in the Jewish culture, so the gift in that multiple represents giving the new adult life. In all the post-ceremony celebrations she has attended, she recalls that at one point, the Horah was performed, which is where the bar mitzvah gets lifted into the air on a chair and the people dance around them in a circle. She notes that this dance is rooted in marriage ceremonies, but because of how enjoyable the dance is, it has spread to other celebrations in Jewish culture, such as the bar mitzvah.

Mitchell Meade

Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College

RUSS 13 Fall 2020

Customary/Ritual

American/Czech 18^th Birthday

Susanne Sherman

Seattle, WA.

November 3^rd, 2020

Informant Data:

Susanne was born in Czechoslovakia in 1935 and moved to Seattle, WA to escape persecution during WWII. She moved with her sister and parents, arriving with little belongings. Susanne graduated from the University of Washington in 1957 and worked as a speech pathologist for her entire career. After her husband’s passing, she raised her three kids alone for several years before remarrying. She is now retired and lives in a suburb of Seattle.

Contextual Data:

Cultural Context: In the United States, the 18^th birthday represents legal adulthood. This is cause for celebration as this birthday comes with certain privileges, including voting rights and the ability to buy certain products (cigarettes, fireworks, tattoos). These privileges are considered less significant than being able to drink alcohol when turning 21 but are still significant enough that people will go out and utilize their new privileges on their 18^th birthday solely because they can. These are often compounded with parties to celebrate adulthood, often with friends and family.

Social Context: Although the 18^th birthday in America presents people with new opportunities that come with legal adulthood, often these opportunities are not taken advantage of or immediately relevant, such as voting, where most people have to wait months or years to use their voting rights. To accommodate for this people will often host parties to celebrate the general milestone of becoming a legal adult. This can include hosting family and friends or having a smaller party with more significant activities or gifts. Usually, these activities or gifts will hold special value for the birthday boy or girl or represent a family tradition.

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When Susanne was young her mother used to make a special birthday cake for her and her sister’s birthdays. This cake was special because it didn’t contain any flour, but ground nuts, which was considered very fancy in Czechoslovakia at the time. When they moved to the United States, they left a privileged life behind as they were not able to bring many belongings with them. In hopes of continuing this Czech birthday tradition, Susanne would make this fancy cake for her children’s 18th birthdays. Although most Americans celebrate birthdays with cakes, this one was significant to her and her family because it represented the ancestors they lost, which made it more special than any gift she could give. The cake would take many hours to make, so it was not reasonable to make it every year for each of her kids. Her kids knew how much effort she put into the cake and how significant the cake was to her and to the family in general.

Mitchell Meade

Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College

RUSS 13 Fall 2020

Customary/Ritual

Chinese 18th Birthday

EC

Massachusetts

November 9th, 2020

Informant Data:

EC is a senior at Dartmouth College majoring in chemistry and on the pre-med track. She was born and raised in Massachusetts, though her parents both immigrated to the U.S. from China and most of her relatives live there. She grew up with a younger sister who is also applying to Dartmouth, and plans to be a doctor after med-school.

Contextual Data:

Cultural Context: In China, the 18th birthday represents a coming-of-age. It marks the year an individual can legally drink and is considered a legal adult. Similar to India, the 21st birthday is not very significant in China, as the 18th birthday takes its place.

Social Context: For the 18th birthday in China, the celebration revolves around family, drinking, and food. One common Chinese ritual is eating enough eggs to count one’s age, though this usually is impossible to actually accomplish.

Item:

This information is paraphrased from notes taken during EC’s Zoom interview.

EC celebrated her 18th birthday twice, in both the U.S. and China. In the U.S., she celebrated with her family at home. Food is a very important part of the celebration, and her parents made soup, noodles, eggs, dumplings, and sticky rice with bean paste. After dinner there was a break period before a cake celebration. For a Chinese birthday, fruit cakes are traditional.

In China, EC’s relatives threw a large party with many of her extended family, including very distant cousins. The festivities occur at night, and there’s a lot of food and drinking, with an emphasis on local dishes. Though EC didn’t do this herself, there’s also sometimes a religious element related to Buddhist traditions, in which the birthday person visits a few temples in the area to pray for good fortune.

Gift from relatives use include traditional red packets with money inside, or jewelry that’s related to EC’s Chinese birth year, like a rabbit jade necklaces.

 

Allison Hufford, 21

Dartmouth College

RUSS 13

Fall 2020

Customary/Ritual

Indian 18th Birthday

SC

India

November 9th, 2020

Informant Data:

SC is a senior at Dartmouth College majoring in computer science and economics. He’s an international student, born and raised in India in a big house with many of his extended family, including a large number of cousins. He grew up with two older sisters who now reside in London and Canada, and plans to move to Chicago after graduation to work in finance.

Contextual Data:

Cultural Context: In India, the 18th birthday represents a huge coming-of-age, as it marks the year an individual can legally drive, legally drink, is graduating high school, and is considered a legal adult. It fills the role of both the 18th and 21st birthday in the U.S., as the 21st birthday in India is not usually considered significant.

Social Context: Drinking is the major element of the Indian 21st birthday. Birthdays are generally a bigger deal in India than in the U.S., according to SC. Throughout childhood, ‘return gifts’ during birthday parties are common, much like goodie bags. According to Indian tradition, rather than the friends treating the birthday person, the birthday person must treat their friends, throwing the party and buying all the drinks and dinners. That’s their social responsibility as the birthday person.

Item:

This information is paraphrased from notes taken during SC’s Zoom interview.

On SC’s 21st birthday, his friends came over to his house exactly at midnight, and that was when the party began. The moment it started, at midnight, they smashed a cake directly in his face – a tradition for all Indian birthdays. Then, they took a bottle of alcohol and made him start chugging, and the rest of the night was spent drinking and encouraging SC to drink as much as he could. Even though SC’s birthdays was during final exams, a very busy and stressful time, it was still celebrated to its full potential, as that is how important birthdays are in India. By the morning, everyone had gotten very drunk and was extremely hungover.

 

Allison Hufford, 21

Dartmouth College

RUSS 13

Fall 2020

Customary/Ritual

American 21st Birthday

WB

Virginia, U.S.

November 7th, 2020

Informant Data:

WB is a senior at Dartmouth College majoring in computer science. He was born and raised in Massachusetts by two Christian parents and with an older brother. Last winter, he spent his off-term interning at a large company in D.C., during which time he turned 21.

Contextual Data:

Cultural Context: In the United States, unlike in other cultures, individuals cannot legally drink until they reach the age of 21. Because of this, the 21st birthday is a milestone birthday in that it marks a person’s ‘first legal drink’ within the United States, though many individuals have likely drank beforehand.

Social Context: Drinking is the major element of the American 21st birthday. Often, individuals go out with friends or coworkers to bars in order to order their first legal drink. Sometimes they are goaded by their friends to take ’21 shots for 21 years,’ or even repeatedly ‘iced’ – a ritual in which drinks are hidden randomly around a common area, and the person who finds them has to finish the drink.

Item:

This information is paraphrased from notes taken during WB’s Zoom interview.

WB worked on his 21st birthday, and though his coworker had asked him offhandedly when his birthday was a few weeks beforehand, nobody brought it up to him. However, at the end of the day WB left the team room and entered the kitchen, where all of his coworkers jumped out and shouted “surprise!” They had bought him an array of alcoholic beverages: champagne, and a few kinds of beers. They threw him a small party, popping the champagne and sharing it with all his coworkers. This was on a Tuesday, and on the following Friday night he had a party at his house with all his friends, where they drank, iced each other, and played party games.

 

Allison Hufford, 21

Dartmouth College

RUSS 13

Fall 2020