Grace Lee is a female student-athlete at Yale University and is in the class of 2023. She is from Colorado and is currently 21 years old. She is living in Connecticut and is currently out of the lineup of her team due to a hamstring injury. She plans to pursue a career in business after college.
Contextual Data:
Cultural Context: The cultural context is being part of a group that participates in the chant that is passed down from team to team.
Social Context: The social context is chanting with a group of girls and saying the same words at the same time. They collectively put their arms around each other and say the words in unison.
Item:
This item is a customary type of folklore under the genre of magic superstition, and also includes verbal folklore. Grace performs this superstition before each home game.
Transcript:
“My coach calls each line into the hallway for a line meeting before each game, encouraging us to work together and we do a small cheer to bring up our energy levels. This allows us to feel motivated and have a positive attitude while working on communication.”
Informant’s Comments:
Grace described being part of group superstitions rather than individual, commenting that she recommends expanding groups to feel inclusive and more part of a team.
Collector’s Comments:
I thought it was unique that Grace only described this superstition and did not mention and individual ones, placing emphasis on how the meeting and chant created a uniqueness to her team that she has never felt before and if they met and did the chant together they had complete trust in each other and would play well.
Gabby Billing was born in Fergus Falls, Minnesota on October 18, 1999, however, she has lived in Corcoran, Minnesota her entire life. She is currently a senior on the Dartmouth Women’s Ice Hockey team and therefore a member of the graduating class of 2022.
Contextual Data:
Cultural Context: The cultural context is that putting on gear in a particular way is a common superstition among many hockey players in many different leagues and cultures.
Social Context: The social context is that Gabby shares this superstition with some of her teammates. The magic portion of the superstition is that if she does not put her gear on properly she will play poorly.
Item: This is a form of magic superstition which is a genre of customary folklore.
Transcript: “I always have to put on my gear in a very specific order. I put on my left sock, then my right, followed by my left skate, then my right. After that I put on my hockey pants and my left shin pad, followed by my right shin pad. This trend continues on with putting my left gear on before the right until I am fully dressed.
Informant/Collector Comments:
If I do not put on my gear in this specific order I feel like my pads are not on correctly which in turn makes me think I will have bad luck during the game and play poorly. It also serves as a distraction throughout the game, so if one of my pads doesn’t feel like it is on correctly I will be thinking about that instead of where I should be passing the puck or shooting.
Currie Putrah was born in Faribault, Minnesota which is where she played hockey at Shattuck St. Mary’s high school. She is now a member of the 2022 graduating class at Dartmouth where she plays forward on the Women’s Ice Hockey team.
Contextual Data:
Cultural Context: The cultural context is that putting on your gear in a specific order is a common superstition among hockey players. Most of the players on DWIH have a specific way of putting on their gear and that is how they’ve gotten dressed their whole lives. It helps them feel balanced and ready for the game, and if they don’t dress in their respective ways it can throw them off and make them play badly, as it serves as a distraction.
Social Context: The social context is that Currie is only one of many people on the Dartmouth hockey team that puts her gear on a certain way. The magic involved in this superstition is that if she does not put on her gear from left to right she will feel off and play badly.
Item: Currie putting on her gear in a specific order is in the genre of magic superstition which comes from the category of customary lore.
Transcript:
“I always have to put on my gear in a very specific order. I put on my left sock, then my right, followed by my left skate, then my right. After that I put on my hockey pants and my left shin pad, followed by my right shin pad. This trend continues on with putting my left gear on before the right until I am fully dressed.
Informant’s Comments:
Currie told me that if she does not put on her gear in this specific order she feels like her pads are not on correctly which in turn makes her think she will have bad luck during the game and play poorly.
Collector’s Comments:
I was able to resonate with Currie’s superstition because I do the same thing but in a slightly different order. This is also a common superstition among hockey players.
General Information: Title: Snowball Fight Form of Folklore: Customary, snowball-fight Language: English Place of Origin: Hanover, NH, United States Informant: R.A. Date Collected: October 26th, 2021
Informant Data: R.A. is a 21-year-old member of the Dartmouth class of 2022. She was born and raised in Armonk, NY. She is a cognitive science major, with minors in government and digital art, and she hopes to pursue graphic design after graduation. At Dartmouth, R.A. is a member of the dance group Sugarplum and works for the DALI lab. She currently lives in Hanover, New Hampshire.
Contextual Data: – Social Context: The annual Dartmouth snowball fight was brought up by R.A. when asked to think about other fall traditions she participated in as a freshman. It is arranged by the school and open for all students and staff who want to participate, and it takes place on the Dartmouth Green. It takes place on the night of the year’s first snowfall, which typically occurs in the fall (although sometimes it takes place in the winter if it doesn’t snow during fall term) – during Rachel’s freshman year it occurred during her fall finals week. Because all students are invited, students never know how many will attend until they show up to the Green. However, as a once-a-year tradition, a lot of students value attending. – Cultural Context: Dartmouth highly values traditions, and even the administrative organization takes steps to organize and execute traditions every year. The invitation to the snowball fight is disguised as an invite from Dr Seuss, which is a fun twist for students that references Dartmouth history. Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr Seuss’) was an undergraduate at Dartmouth and graduated in 1925. Because of this reference, the tradition becomes even more culturally tied to Dartmouth. Furthermore, the tradition informally marks the beginning of the Dartmouth winter term, and acts as a precursor to the tradition rich winter that features the annual Winter Carnival, the polar plunge, and an ice-carving contest.
Item: On the night of the school year’s first snowfall, all undergraduate students receive a school issued email from the email address of ‘Dr Seuss’ addressed to Robert Frost and the rest of campus, inviting everyone to engage in a snowball fight on the Green at midnight. At midnight, the Green is filled with students from all over campus, and everyone runs around throwing snowballs at each other. The fight typically lasts until there is no snow left to make snowballs from.
Associated File:
Image courtesy of Dartmouth Admissions
Transcript: Collector: “Are there any other traditions we haven’t discussed that you think are important to freshman fall at Dartmouth?”
Informant: “I distinctly remember the snowball fight as a very fun end to my freshman fall. I received the email from Dr Seuss which I thought was pretty funny and I got really excited. I was a little nervous that people wouldn’t go since it was at midnight and it would be a little weird if only a few students gathered on the Green to throw a few snowballs, but I went and there were so many people! It was super fun and packed with students, and it was nice to see that so many people were awake at the time and took the time to go share the experience together.”
Collector Comment: I also participated in the snowball fight my freshman fall, and it made me very excited for the upcoming winter term.
Collected By: Una Westvold Oslo, Norway Hanover, NH Dartmouth College RUSS 013 Fall 2021
General Information: Title: Running Around the Bonfire Form of Folklore: Customary, bonfire festival Language: English Place of Origin: Hanover, NH, United States Informant: H.A. Date Collected: November 1st, 2021
Informant Data: H.A. is a 21-year-old member of the Dartmouth class of 2022. He studies neuroscience and wants to be on the cutting edge of mental health research, eventually pursuing a PhD. He was born in San Francisco, but moved to Washington DC in 2004. At Dartmouth, H.A. is the co-founder of the recently approved Dartmouth Undergraduate Psychedelic Society, and otherwise pursues neuroscience research with mice. In his free-time, H.A. enjoys reading scientific articles, listening to scientific podcasts, cooking, and spending time with friends.
Contextual Data: – Social Context: Every term Dartmouth has a ‘big weekend’ of celebrations, and in the fall this is ‘Homecoming Weekend’. While many instantiations of traditions are aimed at the freshmen during this weekend, the whole weekend stands as a yearly tradition for all students and a lot of alumni who will come back and visit for the weekend. The weekend features Dartmouth’s football team playing the ‘homecoming game’, and the school organizes parades, speeches, and a large bonfire that all alumni and students gather around. The bonfire itself is used as part of a freshman-specific tradition every year, where the freshmen class walks a lap around the fire in front of the audience. It is the first ‘big weekend’ that freshmen get to experience, and because they typically hear a lot about it from upperclassmen they often look very forward to it. – Cultural Context: The bonfire, specifically, features a freshman specific tradition where the whole class walks a lap around the bonfire. Typically, they are heckled by upperclassmen who are watching the bonfire lap, and these upperclassmen were again heckled by their seniors when they were freshmen. Notably, Henry is a member of the class of 2022, the first class to participate in this tradition after Dartmouth updated the safety restrictions surrounding the event. The class of 2022 was the first class who was prohibited from running their lap around the fire and were instructed to only walk one lap. Past classes were both allowed to run around the fire, and they ran the same number of laps as their class year. The bonfire lap is a once-in-a-Dartmouth-career experience, and because all students have participated once it stands as a well cemented and anticipated tradition every year.
Item: The homecoming bonfire is organized by the College, and it is built in the middle of the Dartmouth Green. The wooden panels are decorated by various student organizations, who send their freshmen members to paint a panel. The top of the wooden structure is decorated by wooden numerals of the graduating year of the freshmen. Surrounding the bonfire is a large audience of current students and alumni. While the fire burns on the Friday of homecoming, the freshman walk a lap around the fire and are heckled by upperclassmen. Various traditional heckles are yelled, like “you are the worst class ever” and “touch the fire”. The latter emerged a few years ago, when the school took strict action to ensure that students didn’t run close to the fire.
Associated File:
Image courtesy of Dartmouth, the Dartmouth Review
Transcript: Collector: “What is your attitude towards Homecoming Weekend and the Bonfire tradition?”
Informant: “I really enjoyed the bonfire tradition and generally thought it was a lot of fun. But I had heard a lot about the bonfire tradition from upperclassmen and I learned that we [the class of 2022] were the first class who only were allowed to walk one lap around the bonfire, instead of the traditional running the number of laps of your class year which all the students before us had done. I learned the school implemented this measure for safety reasons, but it sucked having to be the first class to experience it. It felt like a rupture in the lineage of Dartmouth student experiences that is passed down from one class to the next. To be on the other edge of that tradition break was an odd position and I was left always wondering what it would be like to run 22 laps and what I missed out on. I felt that I was getting a different experience than all the students who preceded me and had gotten the Dartmouth experience.”
Collector Comment: As a fellow class of 2022, I felt very similarly about being the first class ever to only walk one lap around the bonfire. I remember a lot of upperclassmen commenting on how we were ‘missing out’ and ‘not getting the real experience’, and it made me feel slightly isolated from the Dartmouth experience, especially as this was my first term at Dartmouth.
Collected By: Una Westvold Oslo, Norway Hanover, NH Dartmouth College RUSS 013 Fall 2021
G.G. is a sophomore at the University of Vermont School of Nursing and she is from Dover Plains, New York. When she isn’t studying, she pursues the fine arts as both a dancer and a studio artist. She is also from a Catholic family.
Contextual Data:
Cultural Context: There are historical symbolisms of both the tree and the lights that go on it that are celebrated internationally. The tree is believed to represent growth and continuation through dark times while the lights are a symbol of the returning lights in the days to come after the solstice.
Social Context: This practice was brought up when asked about notable traditions or events she has during Christmas time. Tree lightings are popular in town and city settings as a way to instill hope on both an individual and communal level.
Item:
The tree lighting festival, much like many other festivals, is a night long celebration with activities and food that all lead up to one grand moment: turning on the lights of the Christmas tree. The festival specific to G.G.’s town, Dover Plains, consists of all the stereotypical westernized Christmas activities. This includes starting with a small parade of the Claus’ along with sitting on Santa’s lap, hot chocolate drinking, and ice skating. However, the true moment of unity is the lighting of the tree itself that represents the beginning of the Christmas season and the return of light.
Transcript:
“Every year my town hosts a tree lighting event at the local park to signify the start of the Christmas season. It is usually held at the beginning of December around the time the big tree is lit up in New York City. Just off of the parking lot, there is a path of glowing nutcrackers that leads to an area under the pavilion where the main event occurs. There, hot chocolate is served along with a bunch of other pastries provided by the town’s recreational department. Being that it is usually very cold at the time that this event is held, holding the cups of hot chocolate is the only thing that keeps most people warm as they walk around and talk to friends. Something that I have remembered happening at the tree lighting since is a Christmas parade that starts in the driveway of the elementary school across the street and ends in front of the tree. The girl scouts and boy scouts march across the street followed by two fire trucks and Santa in the hood of a truck with Mrs. Claus. The parade is headed by snowmen and polar bears who then spend the night walking around talking pictures with all the kids. From the parade, Santa and Mrs. Claus goes into the recreational building the tree lighting is held outside of. Kids line up outside of this building, write a letter to Santa, and give it to him prior to sitting on his lap and telling him what they want for Christmas. What is cool about this event is that each kid who writes a letter will get one back a week or so letter from “Santa” himself. The night ends with the lighting of the tree. Frozen at this point, everyone bundles together and stands around the tree decorated with lights and all sorts of decorations. A countdown starts, and when we hit one the tree lights up. Because the tree is so massive, it shines all across the town . The tree will stay lit up until the end of the Christmas season, and this event is something I’m sure will happen in my town for years and years to come. ”
Informant’s Comments:
“I don’t think anyone in our town participates in any other event as much as this one. It’s especially odd to see how many people actually want to wear the snowmen and polar bear mascots.”
Collector’s Comments:
Much like the other festivities around Christmas, a lot of the stereotypical and westernized traditions happen in large settings while the cultural roots are seen on more of a familial or more intimate setting. However, it is quite notable the the means of the celebration often don’t matter at all because the symbols and ideas behind them are all similar in the sense that they emphasize hope and togetherness.
General Information: Title: DOC Trips Form of Folklore: Customary, outdoors trip Language: English Place of Origin: Hanover, NH, United States Informant: G.M. Date Collected: October 29th, 2021
Informant Data: G.M. is a 22-year-old member of the Dartmouth class of 2022. He is a history major with a focus on global economic history, and a member of a fraternity on campus. He grew up in New York City and enjoys being able to enjoy the nature of New Hampshire. In his spare time he enjoys hiking, snowboarding, and swimming in natural waters.
Contextual Data: – Social Context: The first thing G.M. experienced at Dartmouth was the Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC) First-Year Trips Program. The Trips program is organized and run by upperclassmen students through the DOC, and takes place prior to students moving into their dormitories and attending ‘Orientation Week’. The program is a collection of organized seven-day trips, and is aimed at giving students a brief introduction to some other freshmen and upperclassmen, and to give students a taste of Dartmouth before formally moving in and starting the orientation program. Groups of five to eight incoming students are paired with two upperclassmen, and each group is assigned an activity to do over the course of three to four days, ranging from hiking to canoeing to farming to arts and crafts. G.M. participated in the ‘Hiking 4 Trip’, a hiking trip for students with prior hiking experience. Students are randomly assigned their upperclassmen leaders and fellow group of freshmen (their ‘trippees’), and because students are arriving from all over the country (and the world) the students are exposed to people from varying backgrounds and interests. At the time of collection, George is a senior reflecting back on his freshman year experience. – Cultural Context: Participating in the DOC Trips program is an important experience for most students, particularly because roughly 90% of the freshmen participate every year. It is a common experience the incoming freshmen share, and it serves as a commonality among all students to discuss during the first weeks at Dartmouth. It is also an important tradition as it introduces students to the DOC, a very large organization on campus that oversees a lot of smaller sub clubs. One of Dartmouth’s unique selling points is the opportunity to use the surrounding outdoors, and the DOC offers students of all experience levels the opportunity to engage in all sorts of outdoors activities in New Hampshire, Vermont, and beyond. Because Dartmouth markets itself as an outdoors-oriented school, the widespread participation in DOC Trips cements Dartmouth’s image as a place where you can enjoy and learn to enjoy nature.
Item: During the weeks before the freshman orientation program, Dartmouth’s freshmen participate in the DOC Trips. The freshmen arrive on campus and meet outside Robinson Hall (DOC headquarters) where they are greeted by upperclassmen dressed in colorful and flamboyant outfits. They meet their upperclassmen leaders and their trippees, and spend the first night preparing for their trip. Early the next morning they embark on their activity, and for the next three days they only interact with the members of their group. G.M. and his trippees spent four days hiking mountains in New Hampshire. The last night, all the various trips groups unite at the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge, regardless of what activities they have been doing over the past few days, and they all participate in songs and dance before returning to campus the next day.
Associated File:
G.M. and his ‘trippees’ at the summit of Mt Moosilauke during their Hiking 4 trip
Transcript: Collector: “What do you remember most about DOC Trips?”
Informant: “We got lost on our hike and didn’t end up making it to our campsite on time. It was pouring rain and we just had to put tarps up on the trail and the whole thing was miserable. But, you know, good friends are made in misery. I knew that the people on my trip weren’t going to be my close friends, but it felt really nice having people to text during the first few weeks when I had no one to hang out with. Eventhough you are randomly assigned your trippees and it can put you in an awkward ill-fitting social circle, it puts you in a social circle nonetheless.”
Collector Comment: I had the flu during my assigned trip, so I was unable to participate in the trips program. However, I can understand G.M.’s sentiment that while your trips-friends might not become your best friends, you have met people and spent enjoyable time with them nonetheless.
Collected By: Una Westvold Oslo, Norway Hanover, NH Dartmouth College RUSS 013 Fall 2021
R.H. is a sophomore and Western Connecticut State University and is studying literature and education. She is a devout christian who volunteers at the church and is also an avid advocate for immigrant rights and equality.
Contextual Data:
Cultural Context: Candlelight services are generally intended to be a means for groups of people, large or small, to quietly reflect, pray together, or simply show support for one another. On Christmas Eve, it has a more positive connotation of spirit and hope.
Social Context: This practice was brought up when asked about notable traditions or events she has during Christmas time. Though hosted in a religious context, many community members, religiously affiliated or not, attend just to have a sense of community and light a candle symbolizing brighter times.
Item:
Christmas Eve candlelight services have been a cherished tradition for churches around the world for many years and it’s believed the tradition of candlelight services itself traces back to Europe in the 1600s. Christians host this ceremony hoping that it will offer a meaningful way to symbolize the light of Christ coming into the darkness in the world. The wreath with the Christ candle in the center emulates “the light of Christ” which is then taken to light everyone’s candle and the reflected light into the faces of the people is meant to symbolize the light of Christ reflected in believers.
Transcript:
“There is a candle lighting event that my church does every Christmas Eve. It’s open to the whole community but basically everyone gets a candle that they light in church and it’s just a time of prayer and singing Christmas hymns. That’s like the main thing that’s considered a ‘gathering’.The candle represents the light which is Jesus, prayer, hope, and faith.”
Informant’s Comments:
“The candlelight illuminating inside the church is just so warm and comforting, I always get the exact feeling intended by the ceremony. Although the fire inside does scare me sometimes.”
Collector’s Comments:
Though the rest of America has gradually filtered religious intentions out of Christmas tradition, within the church, they still hold strong belief and faith. However, I believe it is especially interesting in this case that the interviewee noted the attendance of non believers, which furthers the overarching theme using a time of darkness and flipping it to celebrate togetherness.
Izzy Daniels is a female athlete at Cornell and is in the class of 2024. She is from Edina, MN and has lived there her whole life. She is currently living in Ithaca, NY and is playing for the women’s ice hockey team. She is involved in many things on campus and loves spending time with her teammates.
Contextual Data:
Cultural Context: The cultural context is that many teams pass down superstitions from one class year to the next.
Social Context: The social context is being in a small group of people participating in the same action of wearing the bracelet.
The magic substances in these superstitions are the bracelets.
Item:
These items are customary types of folklore under the genre of magic superstition. Izzy wears the bracelet with her teammates before and during each home game.
Transcript:
“Every other year three seniors hand down special bracelets to three juniors on the team. I received one this year along with my three closest friends and we have to wear them for each game or we will not play well. This has been going on for as long as I can remember.”
Informant’s Comments:
Izzy adopted these superstitions from teammates before her who she was friends with, and now does these things with two of her closest friends on the team.
Collector’s Comments:
I think it is very unique that a group of three people has the opportunity to wear these bracelets each year, and it is a superstition that is passed on to new teammates every other year that helps players gain confidence in their new teams and feel connected to the people that came before them.
Lily Delianedis is a female athlete at Cornell and is in the class of 2025. She is from Edina, MN and moved there when she was in middle school from Cape Cod. She is currently living in New York and is undeclared for her major. She plans to get her Master’s Degree after Cornell and wants to live on the East Coast when she is older.
Contextual Data:
Cultural Context: The cultural context is that many hockey players go to coffee shoes before games and re-tape their sticks as well.
Social Context: The social context is interacting with people who participate in the handshakes and re-taping their sticks together.
The magic substances in these superstitions are hot chocolate, tape, and the team sign.
Item:
These items are customary types of folklore under the genre of magic superstition. Lily performs these before each home game.
Transcript:
“I have to drive to a coffee shop and get a hot chocolate, then drive around and listen to music. When we have our team warm ups I have to tap a certain wall during warmups, and do a specific handshake with one of my teammates. I have to tape my stick before our team warm ups and tap our team sign in the locker room with my stick on the way out to the ice before the first period. If I do not do these things then I will feel off and I will not have a good game.”
Informant’s Comments:
Lily said she adopted these superstitions from teammates before her who she was friends with, and now does these things with two of her closest friends on the team, recommending others to do so as well.
Collector’s Comments:
I was interested that their team does not have any collective superstitions or group superstitions, but they do have rituals that they like to complete before games such as playing spikeball or participating in a race. However, these things are not cause and result and are not necessary to be completed in order to play well.
