They are all included on one document, in an arbitrary order.
Consent Forms (Julia’s interviews)
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Tag Archives: Gift
Conclusions on Gift-Giving traditions (Julia Cross)
While interviewing informants from 5 different states, it was interesting to see some overarching similarities:
- Presence of a tree
- Belief in Santa Claus (whether passive or active)
- Social function – the act of giving and receiving gifts are often a way to bring people together and convey affection to the recipient
Differences:
- How important Santa is (for some, it is important to convince younger children that Santa is real so certain actions are done to keep up the myth such as only laying the presents out when children are asleep. For other families, Santa does not play an active role, but his existence is still passively acknowledged)
- Time gifts are opened – either done the night of the 24th or the morning of the 25th
- Ways the tree is decorated – minor differences in technique and ornament type
Overall, many traditions are widely adopted, although they are made personal. For example, although most if not all participants mentioned a tree, Ora’s family has the tradition of using snail shells as ornaments which, as far as I know, is unique to their family. Stockings were mentioned a few times, but Theory’s family uses them for humorous purposes. In this way, widely adopted practices and beliefs are made personal and intimate to each folk group (in these cases the folk group is usually the family) and the result is sub-groups of similar, but new folklore.
Santa Figurine Gifts (Julia Cross)
General Information about Item:
- Material Lore, customary
- Language: English
- State of Origin: Massachusetts, USA
- Informant: S.M.
- Date Collected: November 10, 2021
Informant Data:
S.M. is a ‘24 at Dartmouth college, born and raised just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. His family has lived there for awhile and both he and his sister attend schools in New England. He actively enjoys Christmas, but gift-giving is a stressful thing for him because he often doesn’t know what to get for the recipient.
Contextual Data:
Social Context: This interview was planned and the informant knew the theme was Christmas beforehand. Spencer became aware of this piece of folklore when he was much younger. This practice is done by the women in his family and exclusively around Christmas time. The social function of this practice is that the figures represent an aspect of the past year whether its a travel destination or a global pandemic and is another way for the family to share in each other’s experiences
Cultural Context: One of the most widely adopted pieces of American Christmas lore is the idea of Santa Claus bringing gifts to children. He is believed to ride in a sleigh and deliver gifts over the night of the 24th by entering the house through the chimney. However, many families only put effort into perpetuating the myth for younger children (as in trying to convince them Santa is real). When children get older, the myth of Santa is understood to be a myth and so Santa’s role takes a backseat.
Item:
The item of folklore is the exchange of Santa-themed figurines. This exchange is currently done by S.M.’s grandmother, mother and has now been passed on to his sister as well, so I expect it to evolve into an ongoing practice. The Santa figurines are collected from a variety of sources, from stores while on vacation or even made by his sister herself. They often have themes, for example last year he mentioned his sister made a Santa statue with the theme of the Covid-19 pandemic and quarantine.
Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):
Transcript:
“My mom, grandma and now my sister, they all exchange a Santa every year. It’s like a little statue of a santa and it’s kind of a spoof on whatever they want. So a lot of times it’s from travelling um and so my mom will find some variety of santa and will gift it to some member of the family. My sister has gotten really hands-on with it and made a Covid santa.”
Collector’s Comments:
Why does this count as folklore? At the moment, I think it’s on the border of counting. While it is something that has been passed down from generation to generation, and the time of origin is unknown, the inventor is known to be his grandmother. However, I included this because I believe this is a folkloric seed for a future practice for generations of S.M.’s family. Additionally, the figurines are rooted in the folkloric belief of Santa. It is a fun interpretation of the idea of Santa in that instead of being the giver, he becomes the gift.
Collector’s Name: Julia Cross
Dartmouth College
RUSS13
Fall 2021
Christmas tree decorating technique (Julia Cross)
General Information about Item:
- Customary lore
- Language: English
- State of Origin: Kansas, USA
- Informant: B.F.
- Date Collected: Nov. 6, 2021
Informant Data:
B.F., now 24, was born and raised in Kansas until attending university at Stanford, where he now pursues his PhD. Religion, specifically Christianity, used to play a large part in Billy’s family, but has since taken a more minor role. B.F.’s parents and grandparents also come from the Midwest, and a lot of his Christmas traditions are specific to his family and extend back for generations.
Contextual Data:
Cultural: As far as American Christmas traditions go, the practice of decorating a tree is among the most widely adopted. The tree is usually a pine, and gifts are placed under them prior to being opened. The tradition of decorating a tree, with lights and ornaments, has an unknown origin but is one that many families participate in.
Social: This lore was collected in a casual conversation, and I unfortunately forgot to record it. The topic of Christmas came up and I asked further questions about the informant’s tree-decorating routine. The informant first learned this when he was little, he doesn’t remember when. The act of decorating a tree for this purpose only happens around the 25th of December (it can be up to a few weeks prior, but the reason it is decorated is for Christmas gifts). The specific technique of applying lights to the tree seems to be specific to B.F.’s family.
Item:
The item is firstly the practice of decorating a tree under which gifts are placed. This is a general practice adopted by many American families during Christmas time. This informant’s family has a very specific decoration technique in which colourful lights are added to the tree. This technique’s origin is unknown, but it has been used in the family ever since string lights were commercially available. The lights themselves need to be small, but colourful. Starting at the base of the tree, the lights are first wrapped around the base of the branch counterclockwise then worked up the branch. The wrapping of lights goes around the entire branch and then up the tree.
Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):
Transcript:
“How we put the lights on the tree is a big deal. It needs to be done just right, otherwise the whole tree is out of balance. I’m not sure when this method started, probably ages ago. Maybe even when our family started getting string lights. Basically you start at the bottom of the tree, pick a branch and then wrap it like crazy. The first wrap on the branch is counter clockwise, but the direction changes depending on the branch, sometimes the branch splits and you have to wrap each split individually. Basically, the whole thing takes ages, and usually involves the whole family because you get tired really easily. We usually go for a nice big bushy tree, so it can take up to 3 hours. At the end, though, it is so beautiful and bright.”
Informant Comments:
“This is a picture of my very bad attempt, but I was away from home and my mom wasn’t there to walk me through it, I’m a little ashamed that this is the only photo I have”
Collector’s Comments:
The photo seems misleading because although he said he usually uses big bushy trees, the one in the photo is quite sparse, probably a consequence of having Christmas in a dry area such as California. Even still, you can see how the lights extend to the base of each branch. Given more time, I would see if I could get a photo from their home where the lights are done properly. This also could fall under the category of decoration, but I figured since the tree is an integral part of American Christmas gift-giving, I thought I would include it. The question then is does a technique count as folklore? I would argue yes. The origin is unknown, it’s been passed down in a folk group for generations and it is only used under a specific context. It is both material and customary.
Collector’s Name: Julia Cross
Dartmouth College
RUSS13
Fall 2021
Coal for Christmas (Julia Cross)
General Information about Item:
- Material Lore, (with accompanying belief)
- Language: English
- State of Origin: Texas, USA
- Informant: A.K.
- Date Collected: Nov. 10, 2021
Informant Data:
A.K. is a Dartmouth Sophomore in the class of 2024. She grew up in a lot of states as she and her mother moved around, but now resides mostly in Texas, and part-time in New Hampshire. She is not outwardly religious and her Christmas experience is one that is informed by a variety of traditions throughout her up-bringing.
Contextual Data:
Cultural Context: This informant is American and grew up primarily in New England and in the south. While it is unknown if the informant is religious, the topic of religious or religious icons did not come up in the interview. Gifts are an important part of American Christmas, especially for children. They are often something to be looked forward to as a reward for good behaviour. There is a belief that Santa keeps a list of well-behaved children called the ‘Nice List’ and a list of poorly-behaved children called the ‘Naughty List’. Coal is believed to be the punishment for naughty children on the latter list.
Social Context: The informant initially learned this lore in her childhood. Coal for Christmas if one is naughty is a wide-spread belief across America, although it is rare for someone to actually get coal. As the informant mentioned in the interview, it is usually just an empty threat to children to encourage good behaviour. In the case of this informant however, giving coal for Christmas was used in a humorous setting as a prank instead of an empty threat.
Item:
The item is receiving coal for Christmas. While receiving coal itself is not folklore, the accompanying belief in Santa and the ‘naughty list’ makes it folkloric. Coal is usually not given, although many American families are familiar with the superstitious idea that if one is bad, they will only receive a lump of coal instead of a gift. In the case of this informant, coal is actually given to their brother, but in the context of a joke or a prank.
Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):
Transcript:
“stockings..I feel like my sister and I always got stuff and my brother would get coal every year”
“I think [the idea of getting coal on Christmas] is a thing parents would put in place before Christmas, like ‘if you’re bad then you’re going to get coal’ “
Collector’s Comments:
The belief in Santa wasn’t very important in my household so although I was aware of the idea of receiving coal, it never occurred to me that this was something that was done. I was interested in this interview because I learned how it was used not just as a warning to children, but as a prank gift.
Collector’s Name: Julia Cross
Dartmouth College
RUSS13
Fall 2021
Stockings (Julia Cross)
General Information about Item:
- Material Lore
- Language: English
- State of Origin: California, USA
- Informant: T.M.
- Date Collected: Nov. 5, 2021
Informant Data:
T.M. is a Dartmouth Student in the class of 2024. He was born and raised just outside of Los Angeles, California, and has lived there his whole life until coming to Dartmouth. He and his family love the holidays and have many family traditions to bring the family together.
Contextual Data:
Cultural Context: The informant is American and not religious. While this may seem confusing, as Christmas is a Christian holiday, American Christmas traditions are often only loosely related to its original religious roots. Gifts, the purchasing, wrapping and giving of them, is a very important part of an American Christmas. The presentation of these gifts are equally as important to uphold other Christmas lore, such as the belief in Santa Claus.
Social Context: This folklore was collected in a planned interview, the informant knew the subject was going to be on Christmas beforehand. Before I decided I wanted to focus on gifts, I asked a wide variety of questions and decided the relevant bit of folklore was the use of stockings. The folklore was originally learned when the informant was a child, and since the practice stockings has been in the family for awhile, the first family member to use them is unknown. The social function of stockings, and the gifts that come inside them, for this informant is primarily humour.
Item:
Although the interview covered much more than just stockings, I will only focus on this one item for this post because many of the things mentioned were lovely family traditions, but I couldn’t make a strong case for them being ‘folklore’. Stockings are large sock-shaped bags in which smaller presents are placed into. The original inventor or location is unknown, but many families across America use stockings for storing gifts in addition to putting gifts under the tree. While gifts under the tree may be more ‘intimate’ and a lot of thought goes into them, gifts in stockings tend to be more light-hearted, and in this case, humorous.
Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):
Transcript:
Please listen to the audio recording for more detail, but here is a relevant paraphrasing about stockings:
“Stocking gifts are usually smaller and more funny than intimate…there’s usually some sort of nude calendar for some member of the family”
Collector’s Comments:
I’m not American, but I also use stockings with my family, although our stocking gifts aren’t humorous. They are more trinket-like, for instance I used to get little candies or fun-shaped erasers. I think stockings count as material lore because they are “things people make with their hands” (Wilson) for a specific occasion, for entertainment. Although they aren’t commonly made by hand anymore, they still exist as a folkloric relic of that era.
Collector’s Name: Julia Cross
Dartmouth College
RUSS13
Fall 2021
Advent Calendars (Dylan Lawler)
General Information About Item:
- Material Lore, Item
- Customary Lore, yearly practice
- Language: English
- Country of Origin: United States
- Informant: A.T. Age 18
- Date Collected: 11-06-2021
Informant Data:
- A.T. is a male senior high school student. He is from a non religious family and lives in Wingdale, New York. When not studying and going to school, A.T. enjoys being in the band and performing as an actor of the theater department.
Contextual Data:
- Cultural Context: An advent calendar is a German originated item and practice dated back at least a century. It’s a calendar numbered 1-24 for each day of December up to Christmas. With each day, the recipient is given a piece of chocolate that they pop out of the calendar itself.
- Social Context: This practice was brought up when asked about notable traditions or events he has during Christmas time. The calendar is often bought as a gift for another person. It’s a way to show kindness and care, but it also keeps the Christmas spirit by having a small consolation to look forward to each day.
Item:
- An advent calendar is a December calendar numbered 1-24 for each day before Christmas. With each day, there is a piece of chocolate that the recipient pops out to eat on that given date. A.T. was taught this tradition from his mother, who was also taught by her mother, making the practice a passed down family tradition. For the Tracey family, the advent calendar is not only a way for the parent to connect their child to their lineage, but it also excites the kid with a treat they may not otherwise be allowed to have. It’s the epitome of Christmas Spirit as it shows care and affection while practicing small scale traditional gift giving.
Transcript:
- “Every December first, our mother gives my brother, sister, and I and advent calendar. It’s just a a calendar for December with a piece of chocolate we can eat each day before Christmas. When I was a kid I always got so excited just because I got to eat chocolate in the morning but when we got older she told us our grandma did the same for her, and her mother before her. The chocolate part was cool and all, but this added such a nice sentiment to it and it always is amazing to think about my mom being a kid just like me getting excited for chocolate in the same exact way. I always hear stories from my mom and grandma and it’s always nice to learn about my family, but this makes me always feel so connected with with my ancestors, even the ones I didn’t even know”
Informant’s Comments:
- “Before I learned about the heritage of the calendar, it was always just a way to embrace the Christmas spirit. The little shapes of the chocolates as stockings or Christmas trees or whatever are always so cute to me and make me so happy.”
Collector’s Comments:
- Much like the idea of Santa and even Christmas as a whole, advent calendars have fallen victim to American commercialization. However, the roots of the folk item still linger throughout society as families and small cultures continue to follow decade long traditions that continue to hold sentimental value to them regardless of the increased westernization.
Collected By:
Dylan Lawler
Dover Plains, NY
Hanover, NH
Dartmouth College
RUSS013
Fall 2021
North America Initiation Rituals: Gifts and Dresses at the Quinceañera a Symbol of Marriageability
Title: North America Initiation Rituals: Gifts and Dresses at the Quinceañera a Symbol of Marriageability
General Information about Item:
- Initiation Rituals
- Culture: Latinx and Catholic
- Language: English
- Country of Origin: Mexico/America
- Informant: Serena De La Cruz
- Place Collected: Dartmouth College Library, Novak
- Date Collected: 11-2-18
Informant Data:
- Serena De La Cruz, age 21, is a female Dartmouth student in the class of 2019. She was born and raised in San Diego, California. Her ethnic background is Hispanic and Mexican American. She went to a public high school in the city. At Dartmouth, Serena is in Kappa Delta sorority, is a Spanish drill instructor and works at the library. She is planning to major in Geography modified with Medical Communities.
Contextual Data:
- Cultural Context: The U.S. Latinx culture has deep roots in respecting their cultural customs, traditions, and religion from the past. The main religion practiced by this cultural community is the Catholicism. In the U.S. a way many their Latinx families continue to pass down their cultural and religious customs is through the Quinceañera. The Quinceañera is an important way for a girl of Mexican American decent to stay connected to their ethnic history. After completing theQuinceañera a girl becomes incorporated into the cultural community in a meaningful way.
- Social Context: The Quinceañera is practiced by most self-identifying Latinx members no matter their economic and geographic situations. TheQuinceañera can vary in how elaborate the ceremony and party is, depending on the particular socioeconomic state of the individual family and community. This coming of age ceremony is not only important to the girl and her family, but also the cultural and Catholic community she is a part of.
Item:
- Receiving and opening gifts at birthdays is a common custom across many cultures. For theQuinceañera the gifts have an additional meaning associated with them. The Quinceañera originated as a symbolic transition from childhood to a status of womanhood. Thus in the community she is considered marriageable after her fifteenth birthday. The gifts brought to the girl were for her dowry. Additionally, the dress worn was traditionally white to symbolize her new marriageable status. The symbolism behind the gifts and dress are unique to the Latinx culture. Now, the customs are still used, but the meaning of the overall ceremony is not necessarily about the marriageability anymore.
Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):
Transcript:
- “Quinceañeras I think like a lot of coming of age things for women kind of originated like this women is marriageable, she’s a women now. Like the gifts were originally supposed to be for the women’s dowry when she got married. And the dresses were always traditionally white.”
Informant’s Comments:
- She notes that though gifts and dresses are important aspects of the Quinceañera, the idea that this ceremony is a mark of marriageability is not necessarily the case anymore. The traditions are passed down and still continue but the meaning is now more about a tradition from childhood to adolescence.
Collector’s Comments:
- It never knew that the gifts and dresses had a historical symbolic meaning behind them. It is interesting that modern the Quinceañera and Sweet Sixteen use these old traditions, but did not continue the symbolism behind it.
Analysis:
- All initiation rituals consist of three main stages: separation, transition, and incorporation. For the North American Sweet Sixteen and Quinceañera, the separation stage consists of the girl getting prepared and planning for the ceremony. This includes, for many girls, their first time wearing tall high heels, getting the makeup professionally done, and wearing elaborate gowns. The transition stage is marked by the various ceremonial traditions. The ceremonial traditions include the opening of gifts, the dance between the father and daughter, reading of speeches, and blowing out candles. The incorporation stage of the Sweet Sixteen and Quinceañera is the party after all the ceremonial traditions are completed. The girl celebrates becoming a women with her friends, family, and community.
Comparison:
- Comparison within the subgroup: Both the Quinceañera and Sweet Sixteen have opening of gifts and wearing elaborate dresses as a custom. Similar to the candles having different meanings, the gifts and dresses have different symbolism between the two initiation rites. For the Quinceañera, there is historical symbolism behind wearing dresses and the gifts of m But for the Sweet Sixteen these customs are just a part of celebrating a girl transitioning from a child to an adolescent.
- Comparison to the rest of subgroups: Many of the culturally based initiation folklore include tasks and physical activities as an aspect of the initiation rite. A comparable initiation rite to the North AmericanQuinceañera and Sweet Sixteenfrom another subgroup was the Jewish Bat Both the Quinceañera and Bat Mitzvahsare rooted in religious beliefs and customs. Since, both these religious based initiation rites are common in America, customs from both are commonly borrowed in Sweet Sixteen celebrations. For example, all three use opening gifts as a central tradition associated with the ceremony. In the context of the rest of the our group, this piece of folklore is another example of a tradition that is a transition point in a person’s life.
Collector’s Name: Darien Jones,Dartmouth College, Russian 13, Professor Valentina Apresyan, Professor Mikhail Gronas, Fall 2018
Tags/Keywords:
- Customary folklore
- Initiation
- Quinceañera
- Dress
- Gift