Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for F122 returned 335 results.
POLISH SAINT STEPHEN'S DAY
ON DECEMBER 26, SAINT STEPHEN'S DAY, MY GRANDMOTHER AND HER
STEP-SISTERS WOULD GO TO THE HOMES OF NEIGHBORS AND RELATIVES WITH
A BAG OF WALNUTS. THE SISTERS WOULD THROW THE WALNUTS AT THE FEET
OF THEIR HOSTS. THIS WAS IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE MARTYRDOM OF SAINT
STEPHEN, WHO DIED BY STONING. OCCASIONALLY THE PEOPLE WHO HAD
WALNUTS THROWN AT THEIR FEET WOULD GIVE THE CHILDREN MONEY.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 26 Boxing Day St. Stephen's Day |
Date learned: 00001920S
EVERY YEAR MY FAMILY GATHERS AT MY HOUSE FOR A CHRISTMAS DAY
CELEBRATION. I'VE STARTED TO CALL THIS GATHERING THE "FOOL'S
CHRISTMAS" BECAUSE OF THE STRANGE ACTIVITIES WE DO. EACH YEAR WE
TRY TO TOP THE LAST YEAR'S SILLINESS. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE ALWAYS
INSULTS TO EACH OTHER, A LARGER ACTIVITY ALSO TAKES SHAPE. SOME
EXAMPLES FROM PREVIOUS YEARS ARE THE SINGING OF SHOW TUNES WITH
GENDER REVERSALS FOR THE LEADING ROLES AND THE CONSTRUCTION AND
WEARING OF REINDEER ANTLERS MADE OF GROCERY BAGS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROSEVILLE
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 25 Christmas Also see F642, below. |
Date learned: 00001980S
FOR THE POLISH, CHRISTMAS EVE IS CELEBRATED BY WIGILIA. OUR
VERSION OF WIGILIA BEGINS WITH THE DISTRIBUTION OF OPLATECK, OR
WAFERS, WITH WHICH WE EXCHANGE GOOD WISHES FOR EACH OTHER FOR THE
COMING YEAR. WITH EACH WISH, WE BREAK OFF A SMALL PIECE OF THE
OTHER'S WAFER. WHEN EVERYONE HAS EXCHANGED WISHES IT IS TIME FOR
A DELICIOUS MEATLESS DINNER. THIS DINNER BEGINS WITH MUSHROOM
SOUP AND FEATURES PIEROGIS, HERRING AND ANOTHER FISH, POTATO
SALAD, A GREEN SALAD, AND, SOMETIMES, WHITE WINE. AFTER DINNER,
THE DISHES ARE DONE. WE THEN GATHER AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE AND
NATIVITY SCENE AND EXCHANGE SMALL GIFTS. THIS IS HELD AT MY
GRANDMA'S HOUSE.
Submitter comment:
WHEN MY SISTER AND I WERE VERY YOUNG, MY GRANDPA AND MY DAD
WOULD CARRY IN GIFTS WHILE WE WERE DISTRACTED. THEY WOULD SAY,
"HO, HO, HO!" AND WE WOULD RUN IN TO TRY TO CATCH SANTA. SANTA
ALWAYS MOVED TOO FAST FOR US!
Date learned: 0001970S
On Christmas Eve, we sing Menybol az Angyal, a Hungarian
religious song that announces the arrival of the Christmas Tree
brought by the angels.
Submitter comment: My mother learned this from her mother in the 1940's
Where learned: HUNGARY
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Religious CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 24 Christmas Eve CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 21 solstice to March 20 Christmas tree BELIEF -- Angel |
Date learned: 00001940S
Before the Gregorian calendar was placed into effect by Pope
Gregory XIII in 1582, Christmas was celebrated on January sixth
according to the Julian calendar which was created by Julius Caesar
in about 46 B.C. The calendar was accepted in France in 1582 but it
was not until 1752 that Great Britain decided to adopt it. My
informant is not sure when Greece accepted the new calendar because
even though Christmas in Greece is celebrated on December 25,
tradition is still to celebrate Christmas on January sixth. My
informant assumes, however, that it was accepted around the same time
Europe (France) accepted it in 1582ca.
Where learned: GREECE
Keyword(s): EPIPHANY
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- January 6 Twelfth Day Epiphany CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 25 Christmas Also see F642, below. |
Date learned: 00001943CA
Wishing
When eating Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, cut out the
wishbone carefully without breaking it. Let the bone dry
overnight so it will snap easily. When the bone is dry, two
people take ahold of opposite ends of the wishbone. Then you
count to three, "one, two, three, go..." and each person pulls on
the bone at the same time until the bone breaks. Whoever gets the
larger segment of the bone has their wish granted. To cheat place
your thumb on the bone which connects the two bones together and
you push forward while they pull. This snaps the bone below the
connecting piece, making the other person's bone shorter.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Frankenmuth
Date learned: 00-00-1976
A tradition in our house is oysters on Christmas Eve.
Where learned: DETROIT
Date learned: 00001960S
On November 25 of every year all the family get together and
have dinner. It is a Thanksgiving, prechristmas type of deal.
Dinner is on this day so that all the family can have dinner
together, and on Thanksgiving you can visit your in-laws or whom
ever. Most importantly on this day we all put our names in a hat
and pull a name. Whom ever you pick this is who you buy a
Christmas gift for. On Christmas day we exchange.
Submitter comment:
The family is so large that you can't usually buy a good gift
for every one; this way everyone gets a nice gift and you don't
have to feel bad because you left someone out.
Where learned: DETROIT
Date learned: 00001960S
The Kwanza Celebration is a festival for African - Americans
that takes the place of Christmas, where festivities are performed
for seven days and each day reflects on African - American culture
Each evening one of seven candles are lit and that principle for
the day is discussed. The last day comprises a large meal and
small exchange of gifts.
Where learned: CALIFORNIA ; Merced
| Subject headings: | 686 Seven / Sevenths / Several CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 25 Christmas Also see F642, below. |
Polish Religious Custom
At the Christmas meal Holy Wafers, which are brought home from
church, are put on a plate in the middle of the table. Before the
meal is begun, the head of the family, usually the father, starts
by taking a wafer, offering it to the person on his right to break
off a piece and wishing the person well. Then that person follows
by offering it to the person to their right and wishing that person
well. This continues until everyone at the table has received a
piece of the wafer and good wishes.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HAMTRAMCK
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 25 Christmas Also see F642, below. Food Drink -- Typical menus for the various meals For meal hours, see F574.84. Special or festive meals |
Date learned: 03-00-1992
I learned of our family's traditional Polish Christmas Eve
dinner when I was quite young. For years we have had a big
family dinner with such Polish foods as kielbasa, stuffed
cabbage, pierogi, creamed herring, sauerkraut, beet soup, and
angel wings for desert. This tradition started in our family in
the late 1800's and still continues today.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 24 Christmas Eve Food Drink -- Typical menus for the various meals For meal hours, see F574.84. Special or festive meals |
Date learned: 00-00-1950
Welcoming bags
An old custom used to light the path to your home for friends
and strangers was to place a candle in paper bags full of sand and
light them. This was not only a means of lighting the path, but a
symbol of welcome and friendship.
Submitter comment:
During Chesaning's annual Christmas walk, during the week-end
following Thanksgiving, the entire town is lined with these paper
bags. The bags line the main street and entrances to the shops
from the beginning of town to the end of town. It's truly a sight
to behold!
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; shopkeeper ; Chesaning
James Callow Keyword(s): Luminaria
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 24 Christmas Eve |
Date learned: 00001980S
Wigilia
Wigilia is celebrated by Polish Americans on Christmas Eve. It
consists of a meatless meal; high in carbohydrates. The table
setting also plays a part of this tradition. There should always
be one empty chair at the table, with one extra setting for an
unexpected guest.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HAMTRAMCK
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
When I was younger it was always a tradition, among the Poles
in Detroit especially, that the day after Christmas, St. Stephen's
Day, a person would take nuts and throw it at another person.
This was done as a greeting in the morning. The symbolism of this
tradition was to remember that St. Stephen was stoned to
death.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 26 Boxing Day St. Stephen's Day BELIEF -- Religious hero |
Date learned: 00-00-1930
On Christmas Eve, our family would have an unusual dessert to
eat in the middle of a cold Michigan winter. It was strawberry
shortcake. My mother would say that it will bring a little bit of
summer warmth into the bitter cold winter.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; TAYLOR
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 24 Christmas Eve Food Drink -- Pastry Sweet Dessert |
Date learned: 00-00-1964
Our family celebrates Christmas Eve in a Polish tradition. The
tradition begins with the sharing of the Christmas wafer, oplatek,
in the Polish language. Each person has a piece of the wafer and
goes to each family member to share a greeting. Examples of
greetings to use would be to wish them health and happiness for the
coming year or good luck with school or work. Then the meal
consists of a meatless dinner; pierogis, fish, vegetable dish,
mushroom soup, bread, and herring. There are many desserts but
there always is Angel Wings which are called Chrusciki in Polish.
After dinner, Santa Claus comes to pass out the gifts followed by
caroling. Some of the family goes to Midnight Mass. After Mass,
we come home to eat kielbasa, ham and bread. Christmas is always
an enjoyable holiday to celebrate.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 24 Christmas Eve |
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
Holiday
On Christmas Eve my family exchanges gifts after enjoying a
dinner with every one present. We give our thanks to God and
remember all of our family members who have passed before us.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 24 Christmas Eve CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Death Funeral Burial BELIEF -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter BELIEF -- Prayer |
IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE CUSTOM IN OUR HOUSE THAT ON CHRISTMAS
EVE, CHRISTMAS, AND NEW YEAR'S DAY, NO ONE COULD LEAVE
THE HOUSE, AND NO ONE WAS TO VISIT US. THIS TRADITION
HAS TO DO MAINLY WITH KEEPING THE FAMILY TOGETHER--
IF IT IS BROKEN, THERE WILL BEFALL SOME WRONG IN THE
HOUSEHOLD.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT