Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
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Custom
Lenten Customs:
About two weeks before the Lenten fasting begins, the people of New Orleans celebrate the festival of "Mardi Gras."
Actually, "Mardi Gras" means "Fat Tuesday," and this is the day before Ash Wednesday. But the people celebrate for a couple weeks beforehand, much the same way as most people celebrate Christmas.
Mardi Gras is characterized by its magnificaent parades. Various groups spend enormous amounts of time, effort and money to make their floats as beautiful as possible. throughout the parade, people sit on the floats and throw trinkets, beads and other cheap toys to the crowds who clamor to see who can catch the most. Many of these articles are virtually worthless, but I have seen expensive beads, gold pieces and even $20.00 bills being thrown too.
Besides this, each parade has its own particular name (eg- the Rex Parade) and throws off "dubloons" with the name of the parade and that year stamped on it. A "dubloon" is a silver-dollar sized plastic coin, always in purple, gold or green. Long after Mardi Gras is over, people continue to trade dubloons-to try to get a dubloon of each color from each parade. This collection of worthless plastic coins can be quite valuable.
So the parades, dubloons, balls and parties make Mardi Gras the most festive time of the whole year in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: LOUISIANA ; New Orleans
Keyword(s): Beads ; Celebration ; CUSTOM ; Float ; Mardi Gras ; New Orleans ; Parade ; PARTY ; Trinkets
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Spring Planting |
Ethnic:Hawaiian
WHEN TRAVELERS LEAVE HAWAII, THEY THROW THEIR LEIS
OVER THE SIDE OF THE SHIP. IF IT FLOATS TO SHORE THEY WILL
RETURN, IF IT FLOATS TO SEA, THEY WILL NEVER
RETURN.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): CUSTOM ; ETHNIC ; Float ; FLOWERS ; Garland ; Hawaii ; Hawaiian ; Lei ; Lore ; Ocean ; SEA ; Ship
James Callow Keyword(s): FLOWERS ; Garland ; Lei ; NECK
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank BELIEF -- Use of Object |
Date learned: 03-19-1968
WELL BELIEF
IN NORTH CAROLINA THERE IS A CERTAIN WELL WHERE AFTER THROWING
A ROCK DOWN INTO IT, IT WILL FLOAT BACK UP.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated by TRD
Informant and collector share the same surname.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; TOLD AT COLLECTOR'S HOME
Keyword(s): Float ; GRAVITY ; Legend ; North Carolina ; Well
James Callow Keyword(s): ANTI-GRAVITY
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Still water Man made container. |
Date learned: 04-00-1970