Dr. James T. Callow publications
Browse by
Questions or comments on this site? Please email davidsor@udmercy.edu.
The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for N222.9 returned 393 results.
Oplatek
Oplatek is celebrated on Christmas Eve and is simply a wafer
broken between friends. Friends and family sharing the oplatek
wish each other health and good wishes.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HAMTRAMCK
Paprawine
Paprawine is celebrated among the Polish community the day
after a wedding. It is a celebration where friends and family eat
and drink again in honor of the married couple.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HAMTRAMCK
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Marriage Day after wedding Food Drink -- Typical menus for the various meals For meal hours, see F574.84. Special or festive meals |
Easter Basket
One custom within the Polish community is to create Easter
baskets including colored eggs, bread, butter (shaped like a lamb),
kielbasa and other food products and take it to church to be
blessed on Holy Saturday (the Saturday before Easter).
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HAMTRAMCK
Philippine Recipe -- Caldereta
Item 29 is on the collector's printout of April 26, 1992
but is missing from the only file of hers that I can find.
-- J. T. Callow
| Subject headings: | Food Drink -- Typical menus for the various meals For meal hours, see F574.84. Special or festive meals Food Drink -- Meat Bred animal Food Drink -- Meat Wild animal |
Fish on Friday
One day of the week was considered to be a day of fast and
abstinence (similar to Lent) where you would give up meat. It
originated in the early Christian church. People that lived near
the sea ate fish because it was plentiful and meat was very
expensive.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): FOOD
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Measure of time Week Day Hour Food Drink -- Typical menus for the various meals For meal hours, see F574.84. Special or festive meals |
Our Easter Sunday dinner tradition begins on Holy Saturday,
with the blessing of our Easter baskets. The dinner basket
contains samplings of the Easter feast, such as ham, kielbasa,
bread, butter lamb, decorated eggs, salt, and pepper. Then the
children always brought along their Easter baskets filled with
candy to be blessed. We are Catholic, I am unsure if this is just
a Catholic tradition, but this is one that we have always
followed.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | 663 Holy Saturday CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Spring Planting Easter Sunday Food Drink -- Typical menus for the various meals For meal hours, see F574.84. Special or festive meals |
Date learned: 00-00-1930
There are many traditions for New Year's Eve and one that our
family has always had is eating pizza to bring in the New Year.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 31 New Year's Eve Food Drink -- Typical menus for the various meals For meal hours, see F574.84. Special or festive meals |
Date learned: 00-00-1965
Willia (Veeleea) (unsure of spelling)
This is a Polish custom that was brought over from Poland, near
Krakow. On Christmas Eve, we would eat a supper of 12 items,
including fish, pierogi, sour mushroom soup (made with dried
mushrooms), bread, butter, prunes and barley. I can't remember
what else-- except no meat. We did not get presents because we
really did not have money, so there was usually a long table set up
that had straw on it, covered by a white table cloth. Under the
straw, there were pennies, and when it was time, the children put
their hands under the straw and found as many pennies as they
could. We would then go to Christmas Eve Mass, and then go
caroling from house to house. This was the big thing years ago.
We were gone half the night, usually in a horse and buggy. We
would then go back to the house we started at, and eat the ham
which we were now allowed to eat because it was after midnight.
The money that we had gotten from under the straw we used to buy
candy. There was a candy store at the corner of 23 Mile Road, and
when we went back to school we would stop there to buy the candy.
Submitter comment:
Because of this "penny tradition," I remember that whenever my
Great Uncle Al came to Grandma's house when we were there, he
always passed out silver dollars to the children. He also did this
when my mom was a little girl. We liked it when he came over
because he gave us the silver dollars, but we could have done
without his cigars.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Mount Clemens
Date learned: 00001920'S
New Year's Day
Having black-eyed peas on New Year's Day will bring everything
good to your household in the coming year.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Easter
In my family, it is a tradition to serve ham for Easter dinner,
although I am not sure why.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Food Drink -- Typical menus for the various meals For meal hours, see F574.84. Special or festive meals Food Drink -- Meat Bred animal |
Date learned: 04-09-1970
ON THE FEAST OF ST. JOSEPH PEOPLE IN SICILY MAKE
SMALL SWEET CAKES FOR THE FEAST DAY, BECAUSE
THE STORY OF ST. JOSEPH GOING TO EGYPT SAYS HE
MADE CAKES FOR THE JOURNEY.
Submitter comment:
THIS WAS DONE AT INFORMANT'S EVERY YEAR FOR HIS
WHOLE LIFE.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
Date learned: 10-06-1970
ON ST. LUCY'S FEAST, PEOPLE IN SICILY MAKE A CRACKED
WHEAT CEREAL THAT THEY EAT THE WHOLE DAY, NOTHING
ELSE IS ALLOWED. THIS WAS A FASTING RULE TO HONOR
ST. LUCY.
Submitter comment:
THE INFORMANT WAS ALWAYS GIVEN THIS ON ST. LUCY'S
DAY.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; LANSING-REILLY
Date learned: 10-06-1970
FRENCH CUSTOM
ON NEW YEAR'S EVE MANY FAMILIES OF FRENCH EXTRACTION EAT
THIRTEEN GRAPES--TWO FOR THE MONTH OF THEIR BIRTHDAY AND
ONE FOR EVERY OTHER MONTH OF THE YEAR. THIS IS TO MAKE
THEM SWEET.
Submitter comment:
MRS. GORNO IS OF FRENCH-CANADIAN BACKGROUND. THIS CUSTOM
IS TRADITIONAL IN HER FAMILY.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WYANDOTTE
Date learned: 01-00-1960
HAM SHOULD BE EATEN ON NEW YEAR'S DAY INSTEAD OF CHICKEN
BECAUSE A CHICKEN SCRATCHES BACKWARDS FOR HIS FOOD, AND WILL
THUS BRING BAD LUCK, WHILE A PIG PUSHES HIS SNOUT FORWARD
IN SEARCH OF FOOD AND WILL THEN BRING GOOD LUCK FOR THE
COMING YEAR. THE IDEA OF THE PIG PUSHING FORWARD MEANS
THAT THE HAM-EATER WILL PROGRESS. THE CHICKEN-EATER WILL
NOT PROGRESS BUT WILL GO BACKWARDS (IN MONETARY GAINS,
JOB PROMOTION, ETC.)
Submitter comment:
INFORMANT HEARD THIS WHEN A CHILD (1920S) AND STILL
PRACTICES IT NOW.
Where learned: PENNSYLVANIA ; PITTSBURGH
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- January 1 New Year's Food Drink -- Typical menus for the various meals For meal hours, see F574.84. Special or festive meals BELIEF -- Good luck BELIEF -- Bad luck |
Date learned: 10-02-1971 ; 00001920S
ON NEW YEAR'S DAY YOU EAT HOG JOWLS AND BLACK EYED PEAS TO
BRING GOOD LUCK DURING THE COMING YEAR.
Submitter comment:
INFORMANT IS A FRIEND'S MOTHER, AND SHE CLAIMED THAT THEY
DID THIS IN ALABAMA WHEN SHE WAS A CHILD.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ALABAMA ; FERNDALE
Date learned: 00001971 SPRING
FAMILY CUSTOM
ON NEW YEAR'S DAY IT IS A CUSTOM IN MY FAMILY TO HAVE A
PROGRESSIVE DINNER. WE FIRST GO TO ONE OF MY AUNT'S HOUSES
FOR DRINKS AND SOUP. THE NEXT HOUSE SERVES SALADS, THE
NEXT THE MAIN COURSE AND THE LAST HOUSE SERVES DESERT.
EVERY YEAR WE ROTATE SO THAT YOU HAVE SOMETHING DIFFERENT
AT YOUR HOUSE EACH YEAR.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GROSSE POINTE WOODS
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- January 1 New Year's Food Drink -- Typical menus for the various meals For meal hours, see F574.84. Special or festive meals |
Date learned: 01-30-1971
ON NEW YEAR'S DAY, GREEKS AND ARMENIANS BAKE A LOAF OF
BREAD WITH A COIN IN IT. AT DINNER, THE LOAF IS CUT
IN AS MANY PIECES AS THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE FAMILY
AND WHOEVER GETS THE COIN WILL BE LUCKY FOR THE COMING
YEAR.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SOUTHFIELD
Date learned: 02-26-1971
IF YOU EAT SAUERKRAUT ON NEW YEAR'S EVE YOU'LL BECOME
RICH.
Submitter comment: MY FATHER TOLD ME THIS AT HOME.
Date learned: 11-24-1967
THIS FAMILY SERVES A MEAL OF SAUERKRAUT AND GOOSE ON
NEW YEAR'S EVE TO OBTAIN LUCK IN THE COMING YEAR.
Submitter comment: THE INFORMANT LEARNED IT FROM SOME FRIENDS.
Where learned: HOME
Date learned: 11-00-1967
IT IS A CUSTOM IN BOTH OF THESE INFORMANTS' FAMILIES TO
EAT PORK AND SAUERKRAUT ON NEW YEAR'S DAY FOR GOOD LUCK.
Where learned: OHIO ; CLEVELAND
Date learned: 10-00-1971