Tag Archives: superstition

Eating Labneh – Lebanon (Claire Macedonia)

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Title: Eating Labneh (Lebanon) 

General Information About Item:

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

Informant Data: 

  • TM was born in Trenton, NJ in 1968 to a Lebanese father and an English mother. She grew up in Yardley, PA and currently owns a captioning, subtitling, and audio description business with her husband. She and her husband have two children and currently live in Millbrook, NY.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: Yogurt, the main ingredient in labenh, is an abundant food in Lebanese culture. It is incorporated into many different dishes or eaten by itself. My informant told me that she suspects that since this food is so prevalent in Lebanese culture, that is why it is connected to this given superstition. 
  • Social Context: This informat shared this piece of folklore with me years ago (and retold it to me recently for the purposes of this project). She shared with me how her father was a first generation immigrant whose parents emigrated from Lebanon to the US only a few months before he was born. His three other siblings were all born in Lebanon. His mother — TM’s grandmother — would make him a labneh dish to eat during lunch at school. She would do so only on days that he would have a test or quiz. It was a treat that would hopefully bring him good luck before he took the assessment. The informant’s father would make the labneh from a yogurt starter that his mother taught him how to make. During his family’s cumbersome process of immigrating to the U.S, she brought very little with her, however one item that she brought all the way from Lebanon to Pennsylvania was a yogurt starter. He went on to do the same thing for TM throughout her childhood. 

Item: Eating labneh yogurt — an authentic Lebanese yogurt like dip/spread — is to give you good luck for a test or quiz.  

Associated File


This is an image of labneh being made. It is a simple recipe that only has two ingredients: whole milk and salt. However, the dish takes 24 – 48 hours to prepare. 

Transcript: 

  • “I almost looked forward to the days in which I had a test — it meant that I was able to have my favorite snack! I remember how much care my dad had when putting together my lunches those days. It brings a smile to my face when I think about it.”

Informant’s Comments:

  • The informant stated that not only does she think that this superstition brought her great luck before taking tests, but that she also has many fond memories of opening her lunch at school to see labneh there waiting for her to have before she would go into the classroom to take her exam. The informant said that it made her feel calm and comfortable, reminding her of her father at home. 

Collector’s Comments:

  • This superstition pulled at my heart-strings. I loved the history that came with it and how much it meant to the informant even years later. The informant my (the collector’s) mother and I have been lucky enough to have had her continue this practice with me. From elementary/middle school through high school she would prepare me the dish. It is delicious and brings great luck!

Collector’s Name: Claire Macedonia

Tags/Keywords:

  • Labneh 
  • Superstition 
  • Lebanon 

Drinking Barley Tea before a Test – Korea (Jea Mo)

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Title: Drinking Barley Tea before a Test (Korea)

General Information

  • Customary Folklore: Pre-test custom, superstition
  • Interview language: English
  • Location of origin: Idaho, United States
  • Informant: RY
  • Date collected: 11/6/2021

Informant

  • RY is a sophomore (’24) at Dartmouth College who is from Idaho. His family is Korean, but he was born and raised in the U.S. The informant identified himself as an avid tea brewer and fan.

Contextual Data

  • Cultural Context: The drinking and brewing of tea is a large part of Korean culture as well as many East Asian cultures. There is even a Korean term 다도 [dado] that translates into English as the “art of tea” or “tea ritual/ceremony.” Tea rituals may no longer be an essential part of Koreans’ daily lives in the contemporary era, but drinking tea has become a part of daily life. Barley tea, which is mentioned by the informant, is a typical kind of tea that most Koreans would enjoy drinking; it is easy to see Korean students carrying a bottle of barley tea around instead of plain water. In summer, there are more students who drink cold barley tea with ice, and in winter, hot barley tea in a thermo is more popular. Furthermore, many families seem to endorse the belief that drinking tea (a form of boiled water) is healthier than drinking plain tap water.
  • Social Context: This item was collected during an in-person interview. The informant mentioned that he is very fond of tea and enjoys drinking and brewing various types of tea. He said that the activity is very soothing and allows him to concentrate his focus on a particular activity that would normally require a lot of mental energy.

Item:

  • Before taking a test, the informant would brew himself hot barley tea.

Associated File

보리차 - 나무위키

Transcript:

  • “I’m a huge fan of tea – I like brewing it and drinking it. I try to make myself a cup of hot barley. It’s really relaxing – just the act of making it and drinking it.”

Informant’s Comments:

  • “Barley tea is what I usually go for, but I’m down for any other tea as well. It’s just that barley tea is my go-to tea.”

Collector’s Comments:

  • As someone who drank a lot of barley tea during middle and high schools, I agree with the fact that it can help one calm down enough to take a test with a clear mind.

Collector’s Name: Jea Mo

Tags/Keywords

  • Korean
  • Customary Folklore
  • Pre-test ritual

Not Getting a Haircut – Poland (Claire Macedonia)

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Title: Not Getting a Haircut (Poland)

General Information About Item:

  • Customary Folklore: Pre-test custom, superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: Poland
  • Informant: EW
  • Date Collected: 11/07/21

Informant Data:  EW is a Senior at Dartmouth College from Grosse Pointe, Michigan. He attended Liggett Academy in Michigan and is the son of Polish parents.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: EW shared this piece of folklore with me in an in-person interview. He mentioned that his family and other Polish families he is close with are very superstitious, especially when it comes to one’s education. The informant also explained that his siblings follow this superstition to the same extent that he does. 
  • Social Context: EW took part in this superstition all throughout his childhood. He became so attached to it that even now, in college, he makes sure to follow it. 

Item: 

  • In Polish culture, one is not supposed to cut their hair at least a week before an important exam because it is a sign of cutting off the knowledge that you need to retain for the exam.

Associated File

Transcript:

  • “I remember when I was younger I thought my mom was being so weird not letting me get a haircut before I would take my finals. I slowly began to buy into it and now would never get a haircut before a big exam or interview.”

Informant’s Comments:

  • The informant noted that he has told many of his peers about this superstition and that once they also began to follow it, they also started to strictly follow it. 

Collector’s Comments:

  • I found this superstition to be entertaining but also rational in a way. I see and understand the reasoning behind not cutting one’s hair. However, I am not too sure if I will be following this superstition myself.

Collector’s Name: Claire Macedonia

Tags/Keywords:

  • Superstition 
  • Polish 
  • Haircuts 

Bhoot (Bibaswan Khadka)

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General Information about Item:

Superstition
Language: English
Culture of Origin: Nepali
Informant: BK
Date Collected: 10-30-2021

Informant Data:

BK was born in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 3rd, 2000. He grew up in Nepal before immigrating to the USA with his family when he was 13. In America, BK calls Davenport, Iowa his hometown. BK is currently a senior at Dartmouth College majoring in Computer Science. He has one older sister, AK, who is 4 years older than him. BK’s hobbies include soccer, running, and playing various video games. 

Contextual Data:

Social Context:

BK grew up in Nepal. In Nepal Bhoot are said to stalk the streets at night. Bhoot are supernatural creatures similar to ghosts that bring misfortune if they enter or house. To protect against Bhoot many households draw a swastika on their front door. These swastikas can range from simple posters to elaborate wood carvings. BK grew up in Nepal and saw these designs almost everyday due to how common they are in the country. 

Cultural Context:

The swastika has been used as a symbol for hundreds of years. In the country the symbol is known as a symbol of divinity, spirituality and protection. While in the West the symbol is largely associated with Nazism, the symbol has kept its historic meaning in much of Nepal and Asia. 

Item:

In order to prevent Bhoot from entering your household place a swastika on your front door. When night falls and the Bhoot comes out they will not be able to come into your home due to the divine power of the symbol. 

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Using a Harry Potter Themed Pencil – United States (Jea Mo)

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Title: Using a Harry Potter Themed Pencil (United States)

General Information:

  • Customary folklore: Pre-test custom, superstition
  • Interview language: English
  • Location of origin: New York, United States
  • Informant: MK
  • Date collected: 11/5/2021

Informant:

  • MK is a sophomore at New York University who is from Concord, Massachusetts. He described himself as a “huge Harry Potter fan” who has an obsession with Harry Potter items. He also said that his Harry Potter house was Ravenclaw, the house known for its intellect and wits.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: The Harry Potter series, both book and movie, have been very popular among children and young adults for many years. It has been a trend for fans of the series to do the Harry Potter Sorting Hat test and collect relevant items such as socks, pencils, hats, scarves, etc.
  • Social Context: The item was conducted over a zoom call with the informant. The informant mentioned that the item is a superstition that is endorsed not only by himself, but also by his close circle of middle school friends who are all fans of Harry Potter.

Item:

  • When taking an important test, the informant would use his Harry Potter themed pencil that has the markings of the house Ravenclaw.

Associated File:

Amazon.com : Set of 6 Genuine Harry Potter House Pride Wooden Pencils Erasers Gift Boxed : Office Products
This picture shows a set of Harry Potter themed

Transcript:

  • “I always use my Harry Potter pencil when I take a test. I know some people think it’s, um, a little childish. But I think it helps me a lot. I think it’s maybe because I’m in Ravenclaw. You know, Ravenclaw is known to be smart and all that. I feel like if I’m using my Ravenclaw pencil, I somehow think I’m enhancing my intellect.”

Informant’s comments:

  • “My favorite color and my lucky color also happens to be blue. So, it kind of matches. Also, if I don’t have a Ravenclaw pencil at hand, I’d use a Hufflepuff pencil because it’s the next house I identify with.”

Collector’s comments:

  • I thought it was interesting that using an object of a certain identity that one identifies with boosts one’s sense of confidence.

Collector’s name: Jea Mo

Tags/Keywords

  • American
  • Customary Folklore
  • Pre-test ritual

Posting a Picture of the Amur Carp on SNS – China (Jea Mo)

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Title: Posting a Picture of the Amur Carp on SNS (China)

General Information:

  • Customary Folklore: Pre-test custom, superstition
  • Interview Language: English
  • Location of Origin: Chengdu, China
  • Informant: MM
  • Date Collected: 10/25/2021

Informant:

  • MM is a sophomore (’24) at Dartmouth College who is from Chengdu, China. Apart from attending elementary school in Korea, she has experience attending boarding schools in countries such as Singapore, Taiwan, and the U.S.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: The informant mentioned that many students in China tend to be ambitious overachievers who aim for the highest grades in their schools or regions. Consequently, if there is a certain superstitious ritual that is rumored to bring good luck on a test, many students tend to endorse that ritual, turning it into a society wide phenomenon. The item first turned into a superstition when Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba Group Holding, posted a picture of the Amur Carp on his social media. Because Jack Ma is such a successful individual, students started to post similar pictures of the same fish on their social media platforms in the hopes that they may also become successful as him someday. The act of posting the Amur Carp has furthermore evolved into an act that symbolizes good luck and success.
  • Social Context: This item was conducted during an in-person interview with the informant. The informant brought up that because she spent so much time outside of the Chinese mainland, she is not aware of too many Chinese superstitions surrounding tests.

Item:

  • Before a student takes an important exam, such as a national exam, they will post a picture of a fish called “Koi” (Amur Carp) on their social media for good luck.

Associated File:

Amur Carp (A guide to the fishes of Austin and Travis County, TX; USA) · iNaturalist
A picture of Amur Carp (“Koi”), rumored among Chinese students to bring good luck.

Transcript:

  • “Like, I don’t know, like, too much about this. But something that I heard from my friend is that you post a picture of this fish – I’ll search up the name. Yeah, it’s called the Amur Carp? You post this on your Instagram or your Facebook or Weibo, just like any social media that you use. It’s like a good luck thing that everyone does. So, when it’s exam season or a big examination happening, you can see all the social media platforms covered with pictures of this fish.”

Informant’s Comments:

  • “I think I’d personally go for good luck things that are more traditional, like a red pouch that has the Chinese character for good luck (福) on it. But I mean, I guess everyone has their own thing.”

Collector’s Comments:

  • It was interesting to see that the informant brought up a superstition that was generated relatively recently yet very widespread among a folk group. It was also fascinating to see how social media may play a role in the birth of a folklore.

Collector’s Name: Jea Mo

Tags/Keywords

  • Chinese
  • Customary Folklore
  • Pre-test ritual

Lucky Socks

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General information about item:

  • Tradition/superstition/ritual
  • Language: English
  • Country of origin: United States
  • Informant: CD
  • Date collected: 11/6/2021

Informant Data:

  • CD is a current Dartmouth College sophomore in the graduating class of 2024. He is originally from Hampton, New Hampshire and currently resides in Hanover, New Hampshire. CD is undecided on a major currently. He runs distance for the Dartmouth Cross Country team.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: Rituals are meant to bring positivity to the individual overall mindset- if that ritual they did before an event or competition allowed them to have a positive performance, they are more likely to repeat that ritual. At the same time, if the individual realizes that their ritual isn’t brining anything positive or negative towards them, they are likely to break away from it. CD explains how his rituals used to be wearing the same pair of lucky socks before a race and having the same prerace meal (whole wheat pasta with chicken sausage and pesto). However, he slowly started to break away from his rituals since he realized regardless of if he did these rituals his performance would be the same.
  • Social Context: The goal of rituals is to bring comfort for the individual, however if there is a change of mindset, they might associate ritual with a negative connotation. As a result, that individual will might stray away from rituals as a whole or that specific ritual they conducted.

Item:

  • “I think for pre-race traditions, I had a lot, especially in high school. I kind of broke away from them when I had good races regardless of when I did the traditions or not, but I used to wear the same pair of lucky socks every race. The lucky socks provided me with a feeling of comfort and security before a race in which there is so much I could not be in control of.”

Associate file (a video, audio, or image file):

  • Informant requested not to be recorded.

Collector’s Comments:

  • This informants lucky pair of socks was very similar to many superstitions I heard from other informants. Lucky clothing seems to be a trend among the track/xc athletes I talked to, and I assume this means athlete across the board take some sense of comfort in “lucky” clothing items.

Collector’s Name: Anna Brause

Tags/Keywords:

  • Superstition
  • Dartmouth
  • Track/XC
  • Lucky socks

The Nuckelavee

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Title: The Nuckelavee

General Information about Item:

  • Superstition
  • Language: English
  • Culture of Origin: Scottish
  • Informant: WWM
  • Date Collected: 10-30-2021

Informant Data:

WWM was born and grew up in New York. His mom is British-Jamaican, who moved to the USA when she was a teenager, and his dad is an Austrian citizen with Scottish roots. WWM graduated from Dartmouth College in 2020 with a degree in engineering. He is fluent in 2 languages: English and German. WWM is also a talented violinist, who has attended the Juilliard School, and a skilled fencer.

Contextual Data

Cultural Context: Scottish culture has a very diverse background that was influenced by neighboring cultures and was enriched by the contact with various other European cultures. Most Scottish people are religious, so different superstitions and folktales involving supernatural creatures are pretty common.

Social Context: As a child WWM was scared of any large body of water (especially seas and oceans). Thus, in order to calm him down WWM’s dad told him a story of a sea demon and taught him how to defend himself against it.

Item: 

The Nuckelavee is a mythical sea creature that looks like a horse-like demon on the land. Its name means “Devil of the Sea”, and it is the most evil demon in and around Scottish islands. The Nuckelavee’s breath is considered to be toxic, because it wilts crops and sickens livestock. The demon also is believed to bring droughts and epidemics. Since the Nuckelavee is a sea creature, splashing it with fresh water will cause him to retreat.

Collector’s name: Amina O.

Chinese Red Envelope of Cash (Taiwan – John Zavras)

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Title: Chinese Red Envelope of Cash (Taiwan – John Zavras)

General Information about Item:

  • Material Lore, Superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: China
  • Informant: Erik Teunis (’24)
  • Date Collected: 11-19-21

Informant Data:

  • ET is a sophomore (’24) at Dartmouth College who is from Taiwan. He lives in Massachusetts and has visited Taiwan 5 times before, with two years ago being the last time he visited. He claims that he is not particularly superstitious, but his family and culture is. He has experienced this collected piece of folklore. 

Contextual Data:

  • Social context: The informant said that this piece of folklore stems from his Chinese/Taiwanese culture. In Chinese/Taiwanese culture, being financially stable is something that is heavily sought after. Whether that’s performing well in academics as a student in school, performing well in an interview in hopes to land a job, or celebrating a new year full of happiness and financial stability, this piece of folklore is present in the informant’s culture in many different settings and occasions. However, in traditional chinese/taiwanese culture, this piece of folklore primarily occurs near Chinese New Year. 
  • Cultural Context: This item was collected in an in-person interview. The informant said that he collects the red envelopes whenever he receives them and keeps them in a box in his closet, as a lot of them mark important times in his life in which he prospered. He credits this superstition a lot for those successes. The item also exists in many variants; some families will use burning incense in hopes of achieving financial stability. 

Item:

  • The item is a red envelope filled with cash that is passed from parent to child, employer to employee, friend to friend, etc. The most common is parents giving it to their children/nieces/nephews. When you give the red envelope to someone, you say “恭喜發財/ Gōng Xǐ Fā Cái,” which in Chinese means “I hope you get rich.” The item mostly is given on Chinese new year, but also the informant remarked that it is given before stressful situations that might result in richness, like a big exam or interview. For the purposes of this collection project, I focused on the red envelope being given in the context of a student preparing for an exam. The superstition is as follows: if a child receives the envelope, then he will succeed in his exam and be rewarded with richness in the future. However, if a child does not receive the envelope, he will do poorly on the exam. 

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

The Significance of Red Envelopes in Chinese Culture

Transcript:

  • “One of my family’s superstitions is about giving red envelopes before exams. My parents gave one to me before the SAT, and I credit my success to the red envelope”

Informant’s Comments:

  • The informant recommends incorporating this superstition, as it brings him great joy and happiness knowing he’s doing something proactive to ensure good luck.

Collector’s Comments:

  • I found this superstition really cool and different from a lot of the rest, which are usually wearing an article of clothing or eating something before a big exam.

Collector’s Name: John Zavras

Tags/Keywords:  (4-5 tags)

·  Superstition

·  Chinese

·  Male

·  Student

·  Cash (richness)

A Knife Under Your Pillow

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Title: A Knife Under Your Pillow

General Information about Item:

  • Ritual, Superstition
  • Language: Kazakh
  • Culture of Origin: Kazakh
  • Informant: JN
  • Date Collected: 11-05-2021

Informant Data:

JN was born and brought up in Kazakhstan. She is ethnically Kazakh and enjoys learning about different cultures and mastering various languages. She is a junior at Dartmouth College and studies biomedical engineering. She can speak 4 languages: English, Russian, Kazakh and German. In her free time, she enjoys singing and playing piano.

Contextual Data

Cultural Context: Kazakhs are historically nomadic people, so nomadic practices related to livestock have been central to their culture for a long time. Islam arrived in Kazakhstan during the 8th century, and Islamic religious beliefs combined with the animistic beliefs of the local nomadic cultures and shamanic traditions. Kazakhstan was also part of the Soviet Union before gaining independence in 1991, so its culture has been greatly influenced by its neighbor, Russia, as well. Nowadays, Kazakhstan’s modern culture is influenced by the West and all of the above mentioned cultures. The devil, demons and evil spirits are the most popular supernatural creatures that are believed to bring distress in Kazakh culture. 

Social Context: JN learned about this superstition from her parents, who are Muslim and believe in the existence of the devil, demons, evil spirits and other supernatural beings. JN believes that this ritual is pretty common among religious Kazakh people and sometimes does this herself. 

Item: 

In Kazakh culture, it is believed that nightmares are caused by the devil, demons or evil spirits. In order to protect yourself from them and avoid nightmares, you need to put a knife under your pillow or somewhere near your bed. This practice is believed to ward off evil supernatural creatures.

Collector’s name: Amina