Tag Archives: Ritual

“La Barrida de Huevo” (Quinn Calhoun)

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Title: “La Barrida de Huevo”

General Information about Item:

  • Superstition, Protective
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: Mexico
  • Informant: KH
  • Date Collected: 11-10-21

Informant Data:

  • LH was born in 2001, in Brownsville, TX, where he grew up in a Hispanic, Catholic household. His wider family, including his parents, have lived in the city for many years. He learned most of his cultural traditions from his girlfriend and his grandmother, who were also of predominantly Hispanic and Mexican descent. Today, he is a student at Dartmouth College.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: LH credited the existence of the ritual to a wider culture of superstitions in Mexico, where his family is originally from. Additionally, he credited strong familial cultural bonds with allowing superstitions to foster. He believes that the superstitions are derived from some religious traditions in the predominantly Catholic culture, as many of these rituals involve prayer to become successful, and a wide belief in supernatural creatures in the rural areas of Mexico and the American Southwest.
  • Social Context: QC first learned of this tradition upon inquiring about different superstitions from LH’s life and family. LH first learned of this practice from his girlfriend and several of her friends, when, as this group of friends were gathered, LH’s girlfriend began to perform the practice on herself and he inquired about what she was doing. She explained that she was doing it because she felt very stressed and was doing it to make herself feel better. She also indicated that she did it when sick to help remove the evil that caused either of those conditions.

Item:

  • One gets an egg (or sometimes a lime) and submerges the egg in alcohol overnight. The following morning, one rubs the egg over themselves while praying the lord’s prayer to remove evil spirits and emotions from themselves. Then, they crack the egg over a glass and put in a pinch of salt to neutralize the evil. Then the egg is discarded.

Associated file:

Informant’s Comments:

  • LH does not personally believe in this superstition but said he finds it relaxing nonetheless.

Collector’s Comments:

  • I found the use of the egg to be particularly interesting, as it is traditionally a symbol of new life, as a way to draw out evil.

Collector’s Name: Quinn Calhoun

Tags/Keywords:

  • Superstition
  • Mexican
  • Catholic
  • Hispanic
  • Egg Rituals

Double Ninth Festival (Quinn Calhoun)

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Title: Double Ninth Festival

General Information about Item:

  • Protection, Festival, Ritual
  • Language: Chinese
  • Country of Origin: Hong Kong
  • Informant: KF
  • Date Collected: 11-6-21

Informant Data:

  • KF, born in 2002 in Hong Kong, and grew up in the city. She is of Han Chinese descent, although her parents did not grow up in the same culture. She primarily learned of many of her cultural traditions through her classes and peers, although her mother, American education, did strive to teach her parts of Han Chinese culture. 

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: Long ago a plague struck China, and it is believed that the reason that the plague disappeared was that a man climbed a nearby mountain which drove out the evil spirits which caused the plague. It is believed that one should hike a mountain in this vain in order to prevent a plague like this to occur again, and when an outbreak occurs, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it is believed, or at least joked, that it is partially a result of individuals not adhering to the tradition.
  • Social Context: QC learned it from KF when discussing some our the different holidays. KF learned it from her mother as a public holiday, and while her mother did not believe in the superstition herself, she still observed tradition by teaching her children about the holiday and taking them to hike a mountain. 

Item:

  • Every year on August 8 on the Lunar calendar, one must climb a mountain to prevent the return of evil spirits (gui) from descending down and causing the renewal of the plague.

Associated file:

Informant’s Comments:

  • Highly would not recommend eating it if better options are available.  Not a huge fan.

Collector’s Name: Quinn Calhoun

Tags/Keywords:

  • Ritual, Festival
  • Hong Kong
  • Chinese
  • Plague
  • Protective

Twilight Ceremony (Nick Hepburn)

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General Information about the item:

Title: Twilight Ceremony

Form of Folklore: Customary/Ritual (Freshman Tradition)

Language: English

Place of Origin: Hanover, NH, United States

Informant: WW’24

Date Collected: October 29th, 2021

Informant Data:  WW is 20 years old and a member of the class of 24 at Dartmouth College. He is from Nashville, TN where he went to high school and played football and baseball. He currently resides in Hanover, NH and plays football for Dartmouth. He is also a member of the club DIPP and Greek life. Last fall, WW lived on the second floor of Lord Hall and completed his orientation from his dorm room.  

Contextual Data: 

– Social Context: The Twilight Ceremony is completed to bond the new students over their completion of orientation and create cohesion in the new class, but also within the Dartmouth community as a whole as the recent graduating class passes on the flame. For new students, this shows just how committed the College is to upholding strong bonds between the members of its community.

– Cultural Context:  Dartmouth puts a lot of emphasis on welcoming the freshman class to the Dartmouth community right away. Orientation allows the new students to get to know Dartmouth and the community better and then at the end of orientation the Twilight Ceremony marks their entrance into the community. The ceremony is a time for the entire freshman class to be together and start their college journey as one. 

Item: Dartmouth Freshmen participate in the Twilight Ceremony at the end of orientation program to mark their entrance into Dartmouth’s community. During the Twilight Ceremony, freshmen walk with their candles from Collis to Bema where their candles are lit. A member of the senior class imparts words of wisdom onto the new students and then the alma mater is sung. 

Associated File (courtesy of Dartmouth College):

Transcript:

Collector: “What occurred during the Twilight Ceremony and what was its importance to you?”

Informant: “Last year the orientation program was very different cause of COVID-19 and everything being on Zoom. I remember that they gave us orientation packets when we arrived on campus and the packet had a candle in it. Everyone was very confused about what we were supposed to do with the candle. Before the end of orientation they sent an email saying that the Twilight Ceremony was going to occur virtually and that we should have our candles ready. During the ceremony, a few members of the administration spoke and then one of the acapella groups sang the alma mater at the end. It was nice that they tried to make it happen over zoom, but it was kind of a weird experience from my dorm room. There was also an in-person Twilight Ceremony this year where we met outside Collis, got the candles, and then went to Bema for the ceremony. It felt much more genuine than over Zoom and it was nice to be together as a class. I was definitely able to get the sense of community that is so strong here at Dartmouth ”

Collector Comment: I enjoyed hearing WW talk about the Twilight Ceremony and the differences between last year and this year. His commentary coincided with my own experiences with the event.

Collected by:

Nick Hepburn 20

Hampton, NH

Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College

RUSS 013

Walking Around Bonfire on Homecoming Weekend (Nick Hepburn)

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General Information about the item:

Title: Walking around the Bonfire on Homecoming Weekend

Form of Folklore: Customary/Ritual (Freshman Tradition)

Language: English

Place of Origin: Hanover, NH, United States

Informant: JG

Date Collected: November 11th, 2021

Informant Data: JG is a 20 year old freshman at Dartmouth College. She is originally from Boston, MA and played lacrosse at Phillips Andover. JG is older than most 25s because she decided to take a gap year last year. During her gap year she worked as a ski instructor at the Yellowstone Club in Montana. JG currently resides in Hanover, NH.

Contextual Data: 

– Social Context: Dartmouth holds true to its strong community that goes back centuries. Graduated students remain close to the College and often come back to visit on Homecoming weekend. Part of the reason that graduated students will return is to see the next generation of Dartmouth students walk around the fire and become part of  the community that the alumni so cherish. It is apparent just how many alumni come back when looking at the great amount of people that surround the outer ring of the bonfire. 

– Cultural Context:  Dartmouth prides itself on its long standing traditions and tries to uphold these traditions to the best of its ability. The bonfire has been a staple in these traditions and is one that is most looked forward to by the freshmen class. Walking around the fire resembles the students entering the Dartmouth community and it promotes cohesion among the freshmen class as they walk around the fire together. 

Item: Every year on homecoming weekend, a bonfire is built at the center of the Green on Dartmouth’s campus. The bonfire is lit at night and the freshman class gathers and walks around the fire while alumni and other students cheer them on. 

Associated File (courtesy of Dartmouth College, The Dartmouth):

Homecoming Marks Dartmouth's Birthday, Rekindles Friendships | Greek Life and Societies

Transcript:

Collector: “Why did (or didn’t) you take part in the homecoming bonfire? What made it worth taking part in?”

Informant: “I think a lot of us here are drawn to Dartmouth because we want to be part of a school that has a deep sense of tradition/history — at least I know that was one of the biggest pulls for me to apply here. The persistence of traditions like the homecoming bonfire are demonstrations of how fiercely spirited/attached Dartmouth students and alumni are to this school – getting to be a part of these traditions feels kind of like the first step in really becoming and bonding with that tight-knit network which is the Dartmouth community. During the bonfire, I was really able to see this come to life. As I walked one circle around the fire, I was able to see the faces of so many older students and alumni standing around the outer ring. It was comforting to know that they all came to show support for my class as we begin our years at Dartmouth ”

Collected by:

Nick Hepburn 20

Hampton, NH

Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College

RUSS 013

Đốt vía (Noah Hensley)

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Title: Đốt vía

General Information about the Item:

  • Rituals, Good Luck Ritual
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: Vietnam
  • Informant: KL
  • Date Collected: October 21, 2021

Informant Data:

KL was born into a family of Vietnamese immigrants in 2001. He initially lived in New York City, but eventually relocated to Burlington, NC to attend high school. He is a junior at Dartmouth College, studying economics

Contextual Data:

Cultural Context: Viet business practices and customs are heavily influenced by mythical spirits and beliefs in good/bad chi. Business owners are encouraged to please spirits in order to be profitable in both the short and long term. The influence of these spirits on business practices is not limited to Vietnam’s borders, as Viet immigrants still abide by the rules even within the US. 

Social Context: 

KL’s mother ran a shop while the family lived in NYC, and abided by business practices that were consistent with her upbringing in Vietnam. As a young boy, KL often helped his mother in the shop, doing handiwork and organizing boxes. KL remembers asking his mother why they partake in the ritual of Đốt vía, and her being quite serious in the explanation of its practice. The last thing a shopkeeper wants is back luck, and this was an essential part of being in the good graces of various spirits. 

Item:

Đốt vía refers to a practice of burning a single piece of paper and waving it around the store after the first customer to not purchase anything goes through. This is believed to ward off the supernatural spirits of bad luck in the store, as a customer coming in without purchasing something is a sign of ill fortune. In the United States, laws usually permit only one piece of paper to be burned, but in Vietnam it is common to burn nearly an entire newspaper’s worth of paper. 

Associated File:

Cách Đốt Vía Giải Xui - Mách Bạn Mẹo Đốt Vía Bán Hàng Giải ...

Informants Comments:

This is widely practiced in Vietnam, and I experience it just about every time I go.

Collector’s Comments:

This ritual seems less practiced in the US due to the safety hazards associated:

Tags/Keywords

Ritual

Vietnamese

Shopkeepers

Vietnam

Burning, Good Luck

Lobster and Steak Dinner

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General Information:
Informant: Sophie Pinnie
Place: Hanover, NH
Date: November 4, 2021
Genre/Form of folklore: Customary/Ritual
Title: “Lobster and Steak Dinner”

Informant Data: Sophie is a 21-year-old Dartmouth student who is a part of the class of 2023. She is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but she lives on campus at Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire. She is a student-athlete participating on the soccer team and is majoring in government.

Contextual Data: At the end of orientation week, the Dartmouth Dining Services provides a dinner for the students consisting of steak and lobster. The freshmen come to the ’53 Commons dining hall together to eat the meal. This meal is the nicest meal that they offer during the whole year since it is meant to celebrate the freshmen’s incorporation into Dartmouth College.

Social Data: The lobster and steak dinner is an exciting end to orientation week since it provides an expensive meal to the freshmen class. This dinner allows the freshmen to continue to meet and become acquainted with each other over a nice dinner.

Item: The lobster and steak dinner provided to freshmen at ’53 Commons.  

Transcript: 
Collector: “Are there any other traditions we haven’t discussed that you think are important to freshman fall at Dartmouth?”

Informant: “The steak and lobster dinner was something that was memorable to me during my freshman fall since it felt like a celebration for me entering the Dartmouth community. It also set my expectations really high for the dining hall, which didn’t end up being as true as I’d hoped.”

Collector Comment: I recall the lobster and steak dinner as being a surprise my freshman fall since I did not expect the dining hall to provide such an expensive meal. I still look forward to the meal since all individuals on campus are able to join in the celebration of welcoming the freshmen class.

Collected by:

Carson Reich 21

Houston, TX

Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College

RUSS 013

Fall 2021

Bonfire

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General Information:
Informant: Braden Mullen
Place: Hanover, NH
Date: November 2, 2021
Genre/Form of folklore: Customary/Ritual
Title: “Bonfire”

Informant Data: Braden Mullen is a 19-year-old Dartmouth student who is part of the class of 2025. He is from Glenview, Illinois, but he lives on campus at Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire since the beginning of the fall term. He is a student-athlete participating on the football team and has an interest in studying economics.  

Contextual Data: Every fall term at Dartmouth there is a Homecoming celebration, which consists of parades, speeches, a bonfire, and homecoming football game. The bonfire is built on the center of the green with the freshman’s class number displayed largely at the top of the fire. The freshmen are supposed to run/walk around the fire.

Social Data: Homecoming weekend and the bonfire are intended to welcome the freshmen class to the Dartmouth community, while also providing a time for alumni to visit. When the freshmen run around the fire, the upperclassmen shout for them to “touch the fire.”

Item: The homecoming bonfire built on Dartmouth’s green with the freshmen’s class number at the top. 

Transcript: 
Collector: “What is your attitude towards Homecoming Weekend and the Bonfire tradition?”

Informant: “The bonfire was a really cool experience since it showed me how important traditions are at Dartmouth, especially since I saw so many alumni enjoying the event. It was a little weird to have both the 24 and 25 on top of the bonfire since COVID prevented the sophomores from having their chance to run around the fire.”

Collector Comment: As an older student, I really enjoy homecoming weekend since many of the recent graduates come back for the event. Although I have never seen someone attempt to touch the fire, the stories of individuals making the attempt are often reiterated during homecoming weekend. It is also interesting to hear how the tradition has evolved from alumni.

Collected by:

Carson Reich 21

Houston, TX

Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College

RUSS 013

Fall 2021

Highlighter Party

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General Information:
Informant: Keegan McHugh
Place: Hanover, NH
Date: October 23, 2021
Genre/Form of folklore: Customary/Ritual
Title: “Highlighter Party”

Informant Data: Keegan is a 22-year-old Dartmouth College student who is a member of the class of 2022. He is from Bel Air, Maryland, but he has lived around or on campus at Dartmouth continuously for the past 3 years. He is a student-athlete on the football team and is majoring in sociology.

Contextual Data: During freshmen fall there is a fraternity ban, which last for the first six weeks of the term. This ban means that freshmen are not allowed to enter a fraternity or Greek life house except for one party held by Chi Heorot. This party is referred to as “highlighter” due to the theme being neon or highlighter colored attire.

Social Data: The Highlighter party allows Dartmouth freshman to experience an alcohol-free fraternity event specifically designed for their class. This event allows the freshmen to enjoy a party while also building relationships within their class.

Item: The Highlighter Party is a dry event for the freshmen held at Chi Heorot during the fall term.

Transcript: 
Collector: “Are there any other traditions we haven’t discussed that you think are important to freshman fall at Dartmouth?”

Informant: “The highlighter party at Heorot is one of my fondest memories of freshman fall since it allowed us to enjoy an actual fraternity party rather than being in a dorm room due to the fraternity ban. I was able to meet a ton of people outside of my team and built relationships with a lot of people that I am still friends with today.”

Collector Comment: I remember the highlighter party being so popular that individuals were doing anything possible to get inside. This tradition also provides a much more efficient way to meet people than dorm parties that typically occur during freshman fall since dorm parties typically involve people you have met previously.

Collected by:

Carson Reich 21

Houston, TX

Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College

RUSS 013

Fall 2021

“Touch the Fire”

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General Information

Informant: KF

Place: Dartmouth College

Date: October 9th, 2021

Form of folklore: Customary, ritual

Title: Touch the fire” & “Worst Class Ever”

Collector: Maria Angelino

Informant Data

The informant is a female Dartmouth student-athlete in the class of 2023. She was born in California and has two younger siblings, but spends a majority of the year at school in Hanover, NH. She is a student-athlete on the pre-med track and is not affiliated with the Greek Life system. 

Contextual Data

Social Data:  Every term at Dartmouth has one big weekend of celebration, and in the fall this is “Homecoming” weekend for the incoming freshman and alumni. There are parades, speeches, and a large bonfire that the freshman class walks around. While the freshmen walk around the fire, the upperclassmen yell at them and tell them to “touch the fire”. This is one of the most well known traditions at Dartmouth that all students and alumni look forward to. At the time the folklore was collected, the informant was a junior and recorded her teammates as they passed by. A follow up interview was then conducted.

Contextual Data: Dartmouth was founded in 1769 and is one of the nine colonial colleges charted before the American revolution. Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, Dartmouth is a small, private liberal arts school and is a part of eight Ivy League institutions in the United States. The school is best known for its focus on undergraduate degrees, strong Greek life culture, and supportive alumni base. 

Item

The upperclassman taunt the freshman walking around the fire and tell them to “touch the fire”.  

Transcript: 

Collector: “Why do (or don’t) you take part in traditions such as the homecoming bonfire?”

Informant: “I love to participate in all of the homecoming events. I think the whole thing is kinda odd, but I love that about Dartmouth in general. I remember when I was a freshman and had to walk around the fire. I thought it was so weird and it kinda felt like we were in a cult, but it made me feel like Dartmouth was really my new home. I was so happy to be a part of a place where everyone was so supportive and excited to be here. My teammates and I walked around the fire while people yelled at us that we were “the worst class ever” and “touch the fire”, but it was pretty funny. We just embraced it and cheered back at them. So this year when our freshman were walking, the upperclassmen and I did the same thing to them, and they also just cheered back at us.”

Collector Comment

The bonfire tradition represents a form of the rites of passage experienced by the freshman at Dartmouth. They are separated from the rest of the classes when they walk around the fire, and the transition period happens as the upperclassmen taunt them. It is similar to a task or hazing- when the freshman completes the lap and can handle being called the “worst class ever”, they can finally be incorporated into the community of Dartmouth students.

Sideline Cheer

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GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE ITEM:

  • Customary Lore – Ritual
  • Language: English
  • Country of origin: United States
  • Informant: Ariella Kovary
  • Date Collected: 11/10/19

INFORMANT DATA:

  • Ariella Y. Kovary is a former member of the Dartmouth Women’s Ultimate Frisbee Team, formerly known by its previous name, Princess Layout. She is a member of the class of 2020 and is majoring in history and psychology. She played frisbee recreationally in high school, and played on Dartmouth’s team during her entire freshman year and sophomore fall. Born on August 27, 1998, she is from Mineola, New York. 

CONTEXTUAL DATA:

  • Cultural Context: Sideline cheers and talk is an integral part of playing ultimate frisbee. Sideline cheers drive a lot of the energy on the field, pumping players up and helping them perform well and focus. Dartmouth Ultimate Frisbee has numerous sideline cheers that are creative, fun, silly, and unique.Many of them are centered around life at Dartmouth, pertaining to trees, Collis Pasta, and Webster Avenue and more. Additionally, sideline players also usually speak to the players on the field to help them gain more spatial awareness of the field and insight into what they should be doing during games. Overall, the sideline is a necessary part of a frisbee team; the players on the sideline play an essential role for the team.

 

  • Social Context: This ritual was documented in a one-on-one interview in Novack. Teams say cheers at practice and tournaments. They are a way for teams to demonstrate a united front against competition as well as energize themselves and teammates while playing frisbee. Teams are performed as a group, with all players saying the same words at the same time. Sometimes players will accompany cheers with physical dances, but that is not a necessary or integral part of the cheer.

ITEM: 

  • Sideline cheer

Recording:

TRANSCRIPT:

  • I guess when I first became part of the team and we were going to competitions and tournaments and things of that sort, I was not aware of what would go on if you’re not on the field. I thought it was a time just to relax and just like do homework. And I thought as a freshman that this was a great opportunity, even though I’m outside in the cold, I’ll just do my homework on the sidelines and be engaged partially. But I remember Angela Zhu, a ‘17, was like “oh no, everyone’s gotta get up on their feet and be rushing along the sidelines.” And I was like “but why, like why do we have to keep running along with the teammates that are on the field. They’re the ones who are playing and we’re not. It doesn’t make any sense.” But, in retrospect it did because the sideline engagement was like the encouragement as well as the enthusiasm for the players that were on the field. And I didn’t realize how much of a force that the people who didn’t play had on the people who did. And so its like a whole team engagement thing in which we’re shouting back and forth across the field to the other people that are on the sidelines and saying all these different sort of cheers , and we made up new ones, you know Kayliegh made that new one over spring break where you just say: “what time is it” and we’re all going back and forth saying “what time of the year is it? I don’t know. was it yesterday? Is it today?  Oh it’s spring break!” and then we all lift up our shirts and expose our bras and say it’s spring break. It’s so great that these cheers have caught on to other teams in which – I forgot which team it was but some other team we were playing even used one of our cheers and they even said our college’s name so it just shows the impact of the cheer itself and how much it not only inspires the people who are on the field, saying they have a support system, but also how much it is an engaging activity and a whole team bonding effort for everyone on the sidelines. It really created some sort of unity among everyone, and like, yes, there’s really great players that are gonna be on the field most of the time, compared to those who are not, or those who are novices in the frisbee world as I was myself. But overall it was a thing that brought the whole team together. They were fun, and they were quirky, and they were just like spontaneous and engaging. And whether you just lose your voice or you had to hydrate on water it was just like part of the spirit of Ultimate. And then, even though I left the team pretty early, one of the cheers will always remain with me, and that one is ‘P is for Party.’ So it goes like: “P is for party and A is for alright! R is ready and T is for tonight! Y is for you ‘cause you know what to do! Let’s Partyyyy! Don’t let your mama know you partyyyyy! That you go to Daaartmouth!” So considering that I’m now a senior and that was part of my freshman experience that really carried throughout my whole college career. So I’d say that sideline cheers are pretty important to the team as well as the players themselves.

INFORMANT’S COMMENTS:

  • “One of my favorite parts about Ultimate Frisbee was cheering on my Buddy, Caitlyn Lee.”

COLLECTOR’S COMMENTS: 

  • The sideline cheer is one of the most important aspects of a frisbee game. Team performance is truly impacted by the support on the sidelines. If teammates are being loud and cheering the players on well, the team plays better.

COLLECTOR’S NAME: 

  • Annett Gawerc and Luke Cuomo