Tag Archives: superstition

Eating Maple Candies While Studying- Canada (Caroline Carr)

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Title: Eating Maple Candies while Studying

General Information about item:

  • Customary, Superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: Canada
  • Informant: BB
  • Date Collected: 10-27-2021

Informant Data:

BB is a (’24) sophomore at Dartmouth College. She is pursuing a biology major. She is from Vancouver, Canada. She has lived in Vancouver her whole life with her family and extended family. In addition to her academics, BB is a student athlete on the Dartmouth Field Hockey program. She is a member of the Canadian Junior National team in which she won the gold medal at Junior Pan-American Games this past summer.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: Maples are very important to Canadian culture. Maples contribute to their wood products, sustain the maple sugar industry, and vastly populate the landscape. In addition, the maple leaf is at the center of the National Flag of Canada making it the most prominent Canadian symbol. These maple candies are in the shape of the Canadian Maple leaf and are products of the maple sugar industry.
  • Social Context: BB learned this superstition from her parents when she was younger. BB’s parents used to give these maple candies to BB and her brother when they were studying so that the information would stick in their heads so that they could remember it on the day of the test. BB said her mom always had a hidden spot with these candies so whenever she saw them studying, her parents always had them to give to her and her brother. BB said that her grandmother used to do the same thing for her mom and her siblings. Her mom, aunts, and uncles have now passed this superstition on to their children. Despite being at college, BB still does this superstition whenever she is studying for a test because her mom always sends her them in a care package each term. This superstition was collected in an in-person interview.

Item:

When studying for a test, BB and her family will eat a maple candy while they study so that the material sticks with them. The material will stick in their mind because of the sticky nature of the candy. By doing this, they will know the information better therefore they can recall it and perform well on the test.

Transcript:

“My pre-test superstition is that when I am studying for a test or exam, I eat maple candies so that the information will stick with me. When I was younger, my parents used to always give my brother and I maple candies when we were studying so that the information would stick in our heads so that we could remember it on the test. I learned this superstition from my mom who learned it and did it during her childhood. It was taught to my mom and her siblings by my grandmother, and they have since passed it on to my cousins and I. Ever since we learned it when we were in elementary school, my brother and I have continued to eat the maple candies while we study throughout high school and now college”.

Informant’s Comments:

  • “My mom usually sends me these in a care package when I’m at school and it makes me feel right at home as well as helping me study”.

Collector’s Comments:

  • I found this superstition interesting because of the connection with the maple leaf. I’m happy that BB is able to continue this superstition even though she is away from home at college.

Collector’s Name: Caroline Carr

Tags/Keywords: 

  • Superstition
  • Canadian
  • Female
  • Studying
  • Maple Candy

Sharpened Pencils (Singapore) – Kevin King

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General Information About Item:

  • Customary Folklore: Pre-test custom, superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: Singaporee
  • Informant: EF
  • Date Collected: 11/01/21

Informant Data: EF is a sophomore (‘24) at Dartmouth College from Singapore. She was born in Berkeley, California, before she and her parents moved for her dad’s job. She and her younger sister attended Singapore American School. She noted that her family is very superstitious in their everyday lives. 

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: In Singapore, academics are stressed greatly. It is important to keep a fresh mind and be prepared for major exams as much as possible. This applies to everything, which means the items they use because they are essentially extensions of one’s body.
  • Social Context: The informant collected this piece of folklore when she was in the fourth grade at Singapore American School. Her teacher that year, who was native to Singapore, would always get a box of Dixon Ticonderoga #2 pencils before tests and hand out a new one to each student beforehand. Once the pencils were passed out, her teacher would have everyone freshly sharpen them to make sure that they were in perfect condition. I collected this item in an in-person interview. 

She would use this specific pencil, and only this one, until the next test because she enjoyed the sense of excitement she would get on test days when she received a new, fresh one. This would always put her in a good mood, which she believes was a huge advantage because it helped her ignore her other worries and solely focus on the test material. When she entered fifth grade, her teacher didn’t do the same tradition, so she decided to do it for herself from there on out. At the beginning of each school year going forward, and currently in college as well, she would buy a huge pack of these pencils. Then, on each test day she would take a new one out, sharpen it, and proceed to take the test. 

Item: In Singaporean culture, it is believed that if you sharpen your pencil right before you take an exam or test, the freshness of the pencil will result in a fresh mind, allowing one to think clearly and do well. 

Associated File

13924 - Dixon® Ticonderoga - Pencil - #2, 24/Box, Yellow Clear - PK of 24

Transcript:

  • “Before I take any form of test or exam, I always use a sharpened Dixon Ticonderoga #2 pencil. I started doing it because I thought the freshness of a new pencil would result in a fresh mind while I took exams, allowing me to think clearly and do well.” 

Informant’s Comments:

  • EF continues this superstition in all of her exams in college. Over the years, she has gotten many of her friends to follow suit as they have found that it helps enact a similar effect of clear-mindedness when they take exams.

Collector’s Comments:

  • I believe this pre-test superstition carries a great deal of significance for EF because, not only does it clear her mind for exams, but it also is a routine that she’s been comfortable with since she was young. Many people I’ve come across have specific routines that they follow before exams or other high-pressure situations such as performances or sports games. For many, superstitions serve to calm one’s mind because it helps them believe that they have control over outcomes. 

Collector’s Name: Kevin King

Tags/Keywords:

  • Superstitions 
  • Singapore
  • Pencil 

Avoiding Wearing Yellow During Exams- Spain (Caroline Carr)

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Title: Avoiding Wearing Yellow during Exams

General Information about item:

  • Customary Folklore, Superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: Spain
  • Informant: CE
  • Date Collected: 10-26-2021

Informant Data:

CE is a freshman (‘25) at Dartmouth College. She grew up primarily in the Netherlands but spent three years living in Spain. Her father is originally from Spain and still splits his time between Spain and the Netherlands. She mentioned that she is fairly superstitious especially when it comes to exams. 

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: This superstition comes from Spanish culture. The color yellow is believed to be associated with sulfur and the Devil; therefore, it is said to bring bad luck to certain situations such as a test or interview.
  • Social Context: CE first learned this from her dad when she was living in Spain when she was 10 years old. Her dad who grew up in Madrid learned this superstition during his childhood, and always avoided wearing yellow before tests and interviews. He then passed this onto his two daughters who also avoid wearing yellow during tests. After learning the superstition from her dad, CE noticed that her other classmates also avoided wearing yellow on days they had tests. CE and her friends later acknowledged that they had all learned this superstition from their parents at some point during their childhood. This superstition was collected during an in-person interview. 

Item:

In Spain, students avoid wearing any yellow clothing when they are taking an exam. The color yellow is believed to be associated with sulfur and the Devil; therefore, it is said to bring bad luck to certain situations such as a test or interview. To avoid this bad luck and getting a bad grade on the exam, students intentionally do not wear any yellow clothing for exams.

Transcript:

“My pre-test superstition is that I never wear any yellow clothing on days that I have a test because if I do it will bring bad luck and I will get a bad grade on the test. I do this for any test or exam. Yellow is associated with sulfur and the Devil so I was told that it would bring bad luck to certain situations such as a test or interview. So in order to avoid this bad luck, I avoid wearing yellow. I learned this from my dad when we were living in Spain when I was 10 years old. My dad is from Spain and learned this superstition during his childhood. He always avoided yellow before tests and still avoids wearing yellow during interviews or important meetings. After learning this superstition, I noticed that my friends also didn’t wear yellow for the test. I later talked to them about it and found that they shared this superstition and had learned it from their parents and grandparents. Even after moving back to the Netherlands, my family and I still avoid wearing yellow on days we have tests and interviews.”

Informant’s Comments:

  • “I really don’t own very much yellow because I know that I will never wear it on days that I have tests.”
  • “Even after moving back to the Netherlands, my family and I still avoid wearing yellow on days we have tests and interviews.”
  • “I plan on telling my kids about this superstition.”

Collector’s Comments:

  • This follows the magic superstition structure which is “If you do A then B”. The superstition goes as follows: if you wear yellow clothing during an exam, then you will have bad luck and do poorly on the exam.
  • I found it really interesting how CE continued to do this superstition after moving back to the Netherlands and even more interesting how she continues to avoid wearing yellow at exams at Dartmouth.

Collector’s Name: Caroline Carr

Tags/Keywords:

  • Superstition
  • Spanish
  • Female
  • Student
  • Yellow clothing

Not Washing Hair (Korea) – Kevin King

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General Information About Item:

  • Customary Folklore: Pre-test custom, superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: Korea
  • Informant: LL
  • Date Collected: 10/28/21

Informant Data: LL is a sophomore (‘24) at Dartmouth College born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She attended Harvard-Westlake School, one of the top-ranked high schools in the country. She mentioned that she and her Korean family are fairly superstitious. 

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: In Korea, New Years Day is a big celebration for people and offers them a chance at a fresh start. A major tradition that people do is to not wash their hair, for they believe it will wash away their good luck. This ritual is often practiced by students on testing days. 
  • Social Context: LL’s mother passed down this superstition to her as soon as she entered middle school. It is a tradition that LL used throughout middle and high school. I collected this superstition from LL during an in-person interview. Her parents were always very strict with her in her studies, and always wanted her to be the best in the class and score highly on tests. Thus, they were adamant that she followed this superstition as a child.  

Item: The night before a student takes an exam, they don’t wash their hair with shampoo because it is believed that this act will wash away (1) good luck and (2) all the information that the students studied. 

Associated File

Shampoo debate: Are you washing your hair enough? | CTV News

Transcript:

  • “Before I went to bed the nights before I would have a test, my mom would come into my room to make sure that my hair was dry.”

Informant’s Comments:

  • The informant noted that she thought at times her parents made her follow this superstition to too much of an extreme. Now, she doesn’t follow it as closely. 

Collector’s Comments:

  • I could relate with this superstition because during Chinese New Years, my mother would tell my sister not to wash her hair because it would wash away good luck. This isn’t really something I would follow, however. 

Collector’s Name: Kevin King

Tags/Keywords:

  • Superstition 
  • Korea
  • Hair

Eating Kit Kats (Japan) – Kevin King

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General Information About Item:

  • Customary Folklore: Pre-test custom, superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: Japan
  • Informant: EK
  • Date Collected: 11/01/21

Informant Data: EK was born in Palo Alto, California, in 2002. He was raised by his parents in Burlingame, just 20 minutes north of Palo Alto, and lived there his entire life. His mother is Japanese and enjoyed passing down family traditions and superstitions to EK when he was younger. 

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context:  In Japanese, the name of the popular candy, Kit Kat, is pronounced “kitto katto” which sounds similar to the phrase “kitto katsu” which translates to “you will surely win.” This candy is very popular in Japan and is sold in a variety of flavors. 
  • Social Context: EK collected this pre-testing superstition from his mother when he was in elementary school and I witnessed him performing this superstition when I met him in high school. He told me that it was a very popular Japanese pre-testing superstition.. When he was younger, EK would always get nervous before taking exams. It wasn’t that he didn’t do well on them, but instead just that he got really anxious beforehand. In order to calm his nerves, his mom would pack a Kit Kat candy in his lunch bag on days where he had assessments and told him to eat one before he took tests. He later noticed that his peers who were also Japanese would also come to tests with a Kit Kat or two in hand. When the informant asked his classmates why, they also stated that eating one prior to a test brings one good luck.

Item: In Japanese culture, eating a Kit Kat before an important test brings one good luck since the candy’s pronunciation is similar to a Japanese phrase that can be translated to “you will surely win.”

Associated File

Amazon.com : Japanese Kit Kat Mini Bar 21 pcs , ALL DIFFERENT FLAVORS Assortments (original green tea set) : Grocery & Gourmet Food

Transcript:

  • “I always have a Kit Kat with me on a test day. If I don’t have one, I feel weird and almost never do well on my test.”

Informant’s Comments:

  • The informant strictly follows this superstition and has told many peers about it, influencing them to do the same. 

Collector’s Comments:

  • This was one of the more interesting ones I heard about. I thought that the phonetic relation between the item and the reasoning behind it was a little far-fetched, so I wouldn’t personally follow this superstition myself.

Collector’s Name: Kevin King

Tags/Keywords:

  • Superstition 
  • Japan 
  • Kit Kat

Reciting Three Hail Mary’s (USA) – Kevin King

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General Information About Item:

  • Customary Folklore: Pre-test custom, superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: USA
  • Informant: KH
  • Date Collected: 10/26/21

Informant Data: KH is a middle school science teacher at St. Raymond’s Elementary School in Menlo Park, California. She was born in 1960 to a Catholic family and went to UCLA for college. She and her husband settled their family down in Menlo Park, just one town north of Palo Alto, after she finished graduate school at Stanford University. She has three children, all of whom have graduated from college. 

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: In Christianity, reciting a Hail Mary is a way to request purity from God and gain other virtues. It is most often recited in the morning and before going to bed. 
  • Social Context: KH’s parents were devout Catholics all throughout her childhood. They never missed Sunday mass, and she attended Catholic schools until she went to college. Her mother was adamant that she recited three Hail Marys every morning and night. KH knew that the purity one requests from God by reciting these three Hail Marys also applies to the purity of one’s mind and decided to begin performing this ritual prior to her exams. KH became a teacher at St. Raymond’s School in Menlo Park, CA and ever since, she asks her students to do the same before each of their tests. I collected this item when I attended St. Raymond’s in middle school and had KH as my science teacher. Before our first test in the sixth grade, she told us the backstory of this superstition.

Item: Before taking a test, a student recites three Hail Mary’s in order to have a fruitful testing experience. 

Associated File

Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary - dummies

Transcript:

  • “After reciting three Hail Marys, you’ll all not only feel more prepared to take your tests, but also in a better position to do well.”

Informant’s Comments:

  • It was clear that the informant was keen on following this superstition. There was not a test that I took in her class where the students did not recite three Hail Marys prior to taking it.  

Collector’s Comments:

  • This was a superstition I witnessed and performed for myself. I understand how it came about and especially given that I attended a Catholic school, it made a lot of sense. 

Collector’s Name: Kevin King

Tags/Keywords:

  • Superstition 
  • Christianity 
  • Hail Mary
  • United States

Eating Yeot (Korea) – Kevin King

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General Information About Item:

  • Customary Folklore: Pre-test custom, superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: Korea
  • Informant: JC
  • Date Collected: 10/27/21

Informant Data: JC is a sophomore (‘24) at Dartmouth College. He was born in Korea, but his family moved to Singapore when he was young, and he lived there his entire life. He also served in the Singaporean military as an officer for two years after he graduated from Singapore American School.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: In Korean, the word yeot comes from the Korean word that means “to stick.” The word also means “to pass.” Yeot is also a sticky Korean Taffy that is made out of rice. 
  • Social Context: JC collected this item from his parents when he was young in Singapore and he shared it with me via an in-person interview. His parents were very traditional Korean parents and wanted him to succeed, and they were fairly strict when it came to his performance in schools. They were also very superstitious and he mentioned that they would force him to do various things before exams that he didn’t know the reasoning behind for the longest time.

Item: In Korea, before taking a test, you don’t eat seaweed soup because it is a slippery food that will cause important information to “slip out” of your brain. Instead, you are supposed to eat yeot, a sticky Korean taffy made of glutinous rice, especially before taking a standardized test. 

Associated File

Transcript:

  • “I remember so clearly that before I left my house to take the ACT, my mom sat me down and made me eat a piece of yeot. I had no choice whatsoever in terms of whether or not I had to eat it. I wasn’t going to be able to leave if I didn’t.”

Informant’s Comments:

  • The informant said that he gets why his parents were so adamant about following this superstition since it is such a widespread one through Korea and plans on following the superstition when he has children and they have important exams. 

Collector’s Comments:

  • I was very interested by the direct relation between the nature of the food and how it symbolizes one’s body. However, I don’t think I would follow this myself

Collector’s Name: Kevin King

Tags/Keywords:

  • Superstition
  • Yeot
  • Korea

Not Eating Eggs – Vietnam (Claire Macedonia)

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Item: Not Eating Eggs (Vietnam)

General Information About Item:

  • Customary Folklore: Pre-test custom, superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: Vietnam
  • Informant: MM
  • Date Collected: 11/02/21

Informant Data: MM is a sophomore at Dartmouth College where she is studying Economics. She is from Manhattan, NY and was born in 2002. Both MM’s mother and father are Vietnamese. They immigrated to the U.S when they were young adults. 

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: As my informant described, in Vietnam, it is believed that it is best to avoid any and all negativity that one can — it is better to be safe than sorry, as one may say. This applies to one’s academics. 
  • Social Context: MM’s parents made sure that nothing was going to get into the way of their daughter’s academics. The informant collected this piece of folklore when she was in grade school. When her parents lived in Vietnam and were students themselves in middle and high school, like many Vietnamese children, they were not allowed to eat eggs before an exam. They continued to follow this superstition with their daughter as they wanted to help in any way to make sure that she would do well in school. 

Item: In Vietnam, eating an egg before an exam brings one bad luck as it is thought that the shape of the egg which is the same as the number zero, will cause a student to score a student on the assessment. 

Associated File

Easy To Peel Hard-Boiled Eggs Recipe and Nutrition - Eat This Much

Transcript:

  • “On mornings that I would have a quiz or test, I would have to have a completely different breakfast from what I would usually eat — hard boiled eggs. Instead, my parents made sure that I would eat cereal or oatmeal.”

Informant’s Comments:

  • My informant always thought that this superstition seemed a bit extreme. However, she also notes that she doesn’t know a world without it and that now she is away from home and in college she subconsciously follows this superstition on exam days. 

Collector’s Comments:

  • I found this superstition to be a creative one. I don’t think I would personally practice it, but I found it interesting to learn how ingrained it became in my informant’s life.

Collector’s Name: Claire Macedonia

Tags/Keywords:

  • Superstition 
  • Vietnam 
  • Egg 

Eating Apples – China/Hong Kong (Claire Macedonia)

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Title: Eating Apples (China/Hong Kong)

General Information About Item:

  • Customary Folklore: Pre-test custom, superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: China/Hong Kong
  • Informant: DT
  • Date Collected: 11/01/21

Informant Data: DT was born in 2000 and then raised his whole life in Hong Kong. After taking a gap year where he studied at a small university in Hong Kong, he is currently a member of the Class of 2025 at Dartmouth College and is studying Government and Economics. His mother is Chinese and his father’s cultural background is primarily Eastern European. 

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context:  In Chinese, the pronunciation of the word “apple” is the same as the word “safety.” Additionally, my informant shared with me that in Chinese culture there is a great stress on doing well academically and thus following superstitions related to tests and exams is a widespread practice. 
  • Social Context: DT shared with me that during the weeks in which there would be midterm or final exams, the cafeterias at universities in Hong Kong would serve apples and apple dishes since it is believed that if you eat an apple(s) prior to your exam, you will safely pass it. The informant expressed that this was common practice at high schools and universities in both Hong Kong and China and has been occurring for decades, citing that his mother took part in this superstition when she was attending university in Hong Kong herself. 

Item: In China/Hong Kong, eating apples before taking an exam will help you safely pass said exam.

Associated File

Cafeteria Menus - Washington Elementary School

Transcript:

  • “During the exam period, I would walk into the cafeteria and notice the usually untouched basket of apples, empty. In the dessert section there would be apple pies and everyone would take a slice.” 

Informant’s Comments:

  • My informant mentioned that he found it strange at first that when midterms were taking place here at Dartmouth, there wasn’t an influx of apple consumption. He noted that it made him realize how cultural this superstition was.

Collector’s Comments:

  • I enjoyed hearing from my informant about this superstition and how he continued it once he came to Dartmouth, but I would likely not partake in this superstition myself. 

Collector’s Name: Claire Macedonia

Tags/Keywords:

  • Superstition 
  • China
  • Hong Kong
  • Apples 

Not Eating Peanuts – Vietnam (Claire Macedonia)

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Title: Not Eating Peanuts (Vietnam)

General Information About Item:

  • Customary Folklore: Pre-test custom, superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: Vietnam 
  • Informant: EG
  • Date Collected: 10/28/21

Informant Data: EG is a member of the Class of 2024 at Dartmouth College, studying Computer Science, Economics, and Digital Art. She is from San Diego, California. Her mother is Vietnamese and her father is Eastern European.  

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: In Vietnamese, the word for “peanut” and the word “get loss” sound very similar. Additionally, the informant’s mother grew up in Vietnam and was surrounded by many different superstitions and many were centered around academics. 
  • Social Context: My informant was exposed to this superstition when she was in elementary school by her mother. EG shared this with me in an in person interview. EG’s mother put a lot of pressure on her to do well in school. She also wanted to do everything she personally could to help her succeed. Thus, EG was required to follow this superstition when she was in middle and high school. 

Item: In Vietnamese culture, one is not supposed to eat peanuts before a test because the words for “peanut” and “get loss” are similar in Vietnamese and it is believed that one may “get lost” on their exam if they eat them prior to taking it.

Associated File

Secret Side Effects of Eating Peanuts, Says Science — Eat This Not That

Transcript:

  • “I found it to be kind of strange, to be honest. I half-way understood why I couldn’t eat them [peanuts], but often asked, ‘What would happen if I didn’t?’ to my mother. Everytime she would more or less dismiss the question and still not allow me to consume any peanuts or peanut products.”

Informant’s Comments:

  • EG understood the background and reasoning for this superstition, but thought it was pointless. Since leaving home, she doesn’t actively seek out eating peanuts on the days she has a test, but she doesn’t avoid them either. 

Collector’s Comments:

  • I share similar opinions to those of my informant. I understand why this is such a prevalent superstition in Vietnamese culture, but would not take part in it myself.

Collector’s Name: Claire Macedonia

Tags/Keywords:

  • Superstition 
  • Vietnam 
  • Peanuts