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FESTIVAL

ON THE FEAST - DAY OF ST. NICHOLAS, THE CHILDREN RECEIVE GIFTS FROM
AN ANGEL UNDER THE PILLOWS IN THE MORNING.

Submitter comment: UKRAINIAN

Where learned: LOCATION NOT RECORDED BY COLLECTOR

Keyword(s): FESTIVAL

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 6 Feast of St. Nicholas
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 21 solstice to March 20

Date learned: DATE NOT RECORDED BY COLLECTOR.

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APOKRIES

THIS IS THE PRE-LENTEN HOLIDAY, A THREE WEEK FESTIVITY, AND PRECEDES
THE FORTY-NINTH DAY PRE-EASTER LENTEN PERIOD.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Easter ; ETHNIC ; FESTIVAL ; Greek ; holiday ; Lent

James Callow Keyword(s): FESTIVAL ; Greek

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Spring Planting Christian Chronology

Date learned: 00-00-1980

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Festival of the Star

The Christmas Eve events in Poland are called the "Festival of
the Stars." This Festival begins when the young children see the
first star that evening. The mother has a white table cloth on
the table with small amounts of straw on it to symbolize the
Bethlehem stable in which Jesus was born. After the first star is
seen by the small children, the mother puts out the food. But
before anyone eats the dinner the family says a prayer of
Thanksgiving and the father passes out small wafers with religious
pictures stamped on them. These wafers have been blessed by the
priest. Those present at the dinner wish each other good health
and happiness and share the wafers with each of the others. One
at a time you go up to another member of the family, wish the
other family member good health and happiness and then break off a
small portion of their wafer and eat it. The special dinner
consists of borscht soup (beet soup) or duck soup, fish (it is a
pike fish with saffron and raisins in it), pierogi, sauerkraut,
mushrooms, nuts and kolatchi cookies (these are cookies made of a
sugar dough which is wrapped around a fruit jam in the middle).
One place setting is left vacant for either the Christ child or an
unexpected guest. This is significant of Mary and Joseph's search
for a place to stay when Mary was to give birth to Jesus. Since
there was no place for them to stay, not even in the inn, this
place guarantees a place for them. After supper, the Christmas
tree is lit, and Polish Christmas carols are sung. The star man
comes to the house and asks the children about religion and tests
their catechism knowledge. Three boys dressed as the Three Wise
Men carry a lit star into the room singing Polish Christmas carols
and bring presents to the children. The children do not believe
in Santa Claus; they receive their presents from the Three Wise
Men, only if they answer the religious questions posed by the star
man correctly. Sometimes men would also dress up to be a camel
and accompany the Three Wise Men in their entrance into the home.
At midnight, the families attend the midnight mass which they call
"Pasterka" or in English, "Shepherd's Mass." The church is
decorated with the manger scene throughout the Christmas season.
On January 6, "The Day of the Three Kings," the Christmas season
is over.

Submitter comment: Many of the activities listed in this Polish Christmas were
practiced by both her mother and father when they lived in Poland.
The Polish Christmas dinner, Christmas Carols, and the tree
decorating are still practiced in the family. Also the family
attends the "Shepherd's Mass" each year.

Where learned: POLAND

Keyword(s): Festival of the Star

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- School

Date learned: 00-00-1950

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Superstition: Animals

La Cicilia (Snake Belief):

This is a little short snake (type of viper) which is blind and hisses. It comes out once a year on the feast of the Madonna degli Angeli. On this feastday no child is left alone for the people believe that these vipers seek babies and small children. The vipers are believed to have the spirit of the devil within them and seek little children's souls.

Submitter comment:

My mother really believes this story and claims to have seen them.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Written on the right hand side of the card: Date? Unknown.

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Frabotta, Pierina

Keyword(s): Babies ; CHILDREN ; Feast ; FESTIVAL ; holiday ; Holy Day ; Prey ; Serpent ; Snake ; Soul ; Viper

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Animal
BELIEF -- Mammal

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CHINESE FESTIVAL

CHENG YEUNG FESTIVAL IS THE "FESTIVAL OF ASCENDING HEIGHTS."
ON THE 9TH DAY OF THE 9TH MOON, LEGEND SAYS THAT THE WISE
CLIMB TO HIGH PLACES TO AVOID DISASTER.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; BIRMINGHAM ; Ng, Theresa

Keyword(s): Celebration ; Chinese ; FESTIVAL ; Heights ; Legend ; MOON

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Product or activity of man or animal
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Fixed DateFor specific dates, use the following system:
BELIEF -- Human Being
BELIEF -- Moon

Date learned: 02-24-1968

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FESTIVAL

MANY HOUSEHOLDS, INCLUDING OURS, KEEP FRUIT CAKE ON HAND FOR THE
XMAS (CHRISTMAS) SEASON.

Submitter comment:

CHILDHOOD

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN ; 6122 GREENFIELD

Keyword(s): Cake ; CHRISTMAS ; CUSTOM ; FESTIVAL ; FOOD ; FRUIT ; Fruitcake ; holiday ; tradition

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 21 solstice to March 20 Pastry

Date learned: NOT RECORDED

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LE GNOMME ROUGE

THE CITY OF DETROIT HAS A FRENCH ORIGIN. BOTH CADILLAC AND
FATHER RICHARD GREATLY AIDED THE CITIES FOUNDING. BOTH OF
THESE MEN WERE ADVISED BY 'LE GNOMME ROUGE.' THIS LITTLE
MAN HELPED IN MAKING IMPORTANT DECISIONS . MANY OF THE CITIZENS
SAW HIM FROM TIME TO TIME. HE WAS LAST SEEN IN 1806 DURING THE
DETROIT FIRE AND IN 1943 DURING THE RACE RIOTS. AT THAT TIME,
SOME CITIZENS SAW HIM, OPENLY SOBBING, WALKING THE STREETS
OF DOWNTOWN. BILL GORMAN HEARD THIS, I WOULD THINK, FROM TRADITIONAL
SOURCES.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN

Keyword(s): Cadillac ; Detroit ; ETYMOLOGY ; FESTIVAL ; FRENCH ; Gnomme Rouge ; Legend ; Nain Rouge ; Origin ; RACE ; Riots

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter
PROSE NARRATIVE -- Explanation of a name

Date learned: 07-08-1964

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Japanese custom

Otoso, known as a sweet sake or rice wine, is to be drunk in
the morning of New Year's Day to welcome the new year.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: JAPAN

Keyword(s): Celebration ; CUSTOM ; FESTIVAL ; holiday ; Japan ; Japanese ; New Year ; Otoso ; Rice ; Rice Wine ; Sake ; Wine

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Festival
Food Drink -- Alcoholic beverage Fermented

Date learned: 00-00-1925

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ON DECEMBER 6, ONE OF THE NEIGHBORS WOULD DRESS
UP AS SAINT NICHOLAS IN OLD CLOTHES AND WOULD
DISTRIBUTE BAGS OF FRUIT, ESPECIALLY APPLES, NUTS,
AND CANDY TO ALL THE CHILDREN. THEY ALSO
CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): CANDY ; Celebrate ; Consumption ; CUSTOM ; Feast ; FESTIVAL ; FOOD ; holiday ; Nicholas ; Nick ; Saint ; ST. NICHOLAS

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 6 Feast of St. Nicholas

Date learned: 03-31-1971

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ON ST. NICHOLAS DAY (DECEMBER 6) IT IS A TRADITION AMONG
POLES IN CHICAGO TO HAVE THEIR CHILDREN PUT SHOES
OUT ON THE FRONT PORCH; DURING THE NIGHT THE SHOES
ARE FILLED WITH TANGERINES, A FAVORITE FRUIT
AROUND CHRISTMAS TIME.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT HIGH SCHOOL

Keyword(s): Celebration ; CUSTOM ; CUSTOM ; FESTIVAL ; GAME ; holiday ; Nicholas ; Nick ; Saint ; ST. NICHOLAS ; tradition

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 6 Feast of St. Nicholas

Date learned: 10-27-1971

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CUSTOM

THE TIME WHEN CHRISTMAS IS HELD (DECEMBER 25) IS ACTUALLY TAKEN
FROM OLDER NATURE RELIGIONS WHICH VENERATED THE WINTER SOLSTICE
(DECEMBER 22). THE UNDERLYING THEORY OF THESE FESTIVALS WAS THAT
AFTER THE 22ND OF DECEMBER THE POWER OF THE SUN AND GOOD FORCES
ASSOCIATED WITH IT BEGAN TO INCREASE--HENCE THE NIGHTS GOT NO LONGER,
BUT RATHER BEGAN TO GET SHORTER. THUS THE TIME WAS MOST APPROPRIATE
FOR CELEBRATING THE "BIRTH" OF A GREAT "WHITE" POWER.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: WALES ; ABERYSTWYTH

Keyword(s): Celebration ; CUSTOM ; FESTIVAL ; holiday ; Solstice

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 21 solstice to March 20

Date learned: 04-00-1972

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TALL TALE

IT WAS FESTIVAL TIME IN A SMALL VILLAGE IN PANAMA WHERE THERE WAS
DANCING AROUND THE FIRE UNTIL THE SMALL HOURS OF THE MORNING.
WHEN EACH FAMILY STARTED HOME IT WAS FOUND THAT ONE GIRL AND ONE BOY
WERE MISSING FROM THE VILLAGE. A SEARCH WAS COMMENCED AND THE MEN
OF THE VILLAGE BEGAN SETTING OUT FOR THE JUNGLES WHEN ALL OF A
SUDDEN A BOA WITH ITS BODY SWOLLEN APPEARED IN THE VILLAGE SQUARE.
THE FATHER OF THE GIRL, THINKING THE BOA HAD EATEN HIS DAUGHTER
SLICED OFF THE HEAD OF THE SNAKE WITH HIS MACHETE. JUST AT THAT
MOMENT THE TWO CHILDREN APPEARED MYSTERIOUSLY IN THE CROWD OF MEN.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: PANAMA AIR FORCE BASE

Keyword(s): Fable ; FESTIVAL ; Jungle ; Snake ; TALL TALE

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Lie Tall tale

Date learned: 00-00-1976

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