Traditions of Decorating the Christmas Tree

Traditions are just a small part of Folklore, but everyone one has their own traditions in their own life or families. In my family the only tradition out of many would have to be decorating the Christmas tree. In my family we have a certain time that we put up/ decorate the tree, a certain way, and special ornament. But like any holiday or tradition it needs a beginning. The decorating of the Christmas tree had originated from our dear friends the Germans “and soon became a worldwide tradition. Pennsylvania Germans, who immigrated to Lancaster, Pa. in the 1800s, introduced the custom to Americans. (http://search.proquest.com.proxy.yc.edu/pqrl/docview/197162352/13377113FE832532978/3?accountid=31701). From this point on many families started their own ways to decorate the Christmas tree, just like how my family has their own.

In my family we have a certain time of the year that we put up the Christmas tree, this time would be the weekend after thanksgiving. This is essentials when it comes to my family, why? Well according to my mom, her side of the family has always been a Christmas family. That since she was a young girl she remembered her grandmother decorating the whole house and the tree, she also said that it was always the weekend after thanksgiving. So after finding this out I went to my Great aunt (my Great grandmas daughter) to see what she had remember as a child, when it came to the Christmas tree, she said that like my mother remembered that everything had to be up and decorated by the weekend after thanksgiving. So as far as I know my family has done this for years. I wish I could go further with this investigation on to see if it was my Great grandmother to start it or if it went beyond her, but sadly everyone has past so couldn’t.

A certain way that we do it, is that we must have Christmas music. When I say Christmas music I mean from the original songs to the silly and fun songs. If there is no music playing everyone must stop putting on the ornaments, until we put the music on. In my family we use a fake tree, and I always wanted to know why we did. So I first went to my mother and she said that Grammy (Great grandma) had always had it just in case of people come in with allergies. But I think it’s because she thought it was easy and pretty. But then I went to my Great aunt and she also said it was because of allergies and because she (Great grandma) just thought it was pretty.

The first ornaments were of course made by the Germans (who first brought Christmas tree decorating), these ornaments are called Dresden’s. “Dresden’s were generally less than six inches long and meticulously designed in painstaking detail. They depicted a wide variety of items, among them giraffes, deer, dogs, cows, bears, fish, fruit, musical instruments, purses, shoes, half-moons, lanterns, tiny people and snowmen. The astounding variety also included ships, boats, trains, railroad cars, zeppelins, bicycles and baby carriages. Many of these forms were highlighted with gold or silver-- colored glazes” (http://search.proquest.com.proxy.yc.edu/pqrl/docview/197162352/13377113FE832532978/3?accountid=31701). My family has many special ornaments that we use. Pretty much every single ornament on our tree minus the fillers has a story behind them. Also every year we have to add at least one new ornament. This being said, we will go to the very first ornament that goes on, which is my stepfathers New York Ranger ornament. Why this one goes on first is just because he just wants to get done, being as that’s really the only one that he has to put on. He said that he doesn’t put on much of the ornaments because he put up the tree and that he is tired.  Some other personal ornaments that we put up are the years that my brother and I were born. Then you have our creations (arts and crafts) of when we were growing up. Two of my favorite ornaments that I made were pictures of my Great grandma and my Great grandpa; they have to be together because they are our inspirations of a great long, romantic life. I could go on and on about the different stories behind every ornament, but just know that there probably is.

The most special thing and probably my favorite part of decorating the Christmas tree are putting up the Angel on the top. When putting up the Angel a different person puts her on the top of the tree. Usually we try and have my brother put the angel on, because he is the youngest one. When I was a little girl I was the one to put it on. When putting the Angel up this means that it is the end of the night and all decoration of the tree and the house is completed. My mother has the same Angel that my Great grandmother used on her tree. She is very old, yet kept clean. Sadly after my Great grandmother died we had to change the angel. We had to replace it because my mother didn’t want to ruin it. So we put it in a glass container and it is still part of our decoration just sadly she be in her right full place on top of the Christmas tree.   

There are many traditions in the world, but one that stuck out in my family is decorating the Christmas tree. We have a certain time to put it up, and that is the weekend after Thanksgiving. Then certain things that we do during the event, like listen to music. Also how my family has a lot of personal ornaments. Decorating the tree/ original ornaments might have came from Germany but my family and most likely a lot of other families made it their own.

TO KEEP YOU UPDATED!!!!

• What questions are you hoping to answer in your fieldwork project?

Well first off I will ask an obvious question as to where things have started. I then would then ask how far the tradition of putting up the Angel on the top of the tree. I would also ask where we learned how to put up the tree and why we decorate a certain way. Also I want to know why we listen to certain music.

• Who can best answer those questions?  (If you have already conducted the interview(s) for your project, assess whether you chose the right informants for your purposes.)

I believe my mother can best answer these questions, for the fact that I believe this tradition came from her. I would also ask my Great Aunt for the fact that she is my Great Grandma’s daughter and would know more of why we have such traditions.

• What questions do you need to ask in order to get the answers you are looking for?  (If you have already conducted the interview(s) for your project, assess whether you asked the right questions for your purposes.)

I would really like to know where and why it all began. Who smart idea was it to keep a certain angel years after years? Also I want to know if maybe my Great Grandmother is the one to start it, or maybe her mother.

• Where are you finding the best documentation or textual information to supplement your fieldwork?

I am going to take a little visit to the library in order to maybe find a way to see what a traditional decoration of a tree is.

• Is your project changing as you conduct your research?  If so, how?

No it’s not really changing, I am trying to keep it on track and not to sway off it. I do however realize that dealing with family members is very difficult to try and stay on course. But I am trying my hardest to stay on the path that I want.

• Finally, summarize the steps you still need to complete to finish the project, along with a projected time line of when each step will be done.

I find that I just need to go to the library that I spoke of before. And then to sit and write it. It probably will take me awhile though to try and find what a traditional Christmas tree decoration is.

A Best Friends Handshake!

A Best Friends Handshake

The tradition that I could think of on the top of my mind would have to be one that is between two best friends, Eryn and I. For as long as I could remember we have always had this certain handshake between us we call it the fist and explode. But since I have to think back to when it actually happened and why, would have to be because of a movie that we had watched together. In this movie (step up 2) there was a kid named moose who thought that this handshake was cool, so he showed it to his new-ish friend. By doing this handshake it showed that moose didn’t care about what others thought of him, he was just himself. From seeing this movie and every moment from then on Eryn and I thought it was cool and would be awesome if we had our own handshake. Even though we don’t truly do it just like Moose in the movie Step up 2 we still have a form of it because it did originally come from him and that movie. How moose does it is that he fist bumps, then he sucks in then he “blow’s it up”. How Eryn and I do it is by doing the fist bump and then we explode it! When we do this is usually when we do or say something clever/ funny. Sometimes we even do it just to make a laugh or just when we look at each other. I would say that the folklore groups that practice this would have to be between two friends (Eryn and I). We practice this tradition not for the fact that it’s a routine but for the fact that this is us, this is how we show are true and utter self. We practice this handshake in the beginning because it gave us a laugh, made us happy. But now? Now we do it for the same reason that moose did it, to show people that we are who we are, and there is no shame in this. We have gone these five some odd years hearing others tell us that they don’t understand us, that they don’t understand our kind of friendship. We got tired of hearing this, and yes people still say things but this handshake means us, means our friendship. With this handshake we have learned that yes people can have their opinion but that does not mean that we have to abide by them, listen to what those others say about us, put us down and make us feel low. Yes we would allow others into our group but like I said no one understands it truly, so we are true friends. Now see if someone did come along like us and did are handshake with us we would be glad to allow them to join our group, it would actually make us very happy to have others in our group. We would feel liked. This tradition identifies us as a group, as true friend.

I interviewed my best friend Eryn Eccles, and as best friends we agreed on how we originally came up with are fist and explode handshake and the reasons behind it.

My Family: The traditions of decorating the x-mas tree

My Family: The traditions of decorating the x-mas tree

Folklore group: My Family

Genre: Material and Customary

I will go into more details on my final project this is only an over view of what I will be talking about.

Decorating the x-mas tree is a big and valuable tradition in our family.

Music: why

• My family must listen to x-mas music during when we decorate the tree.

• And the reasons behind this.

• The certain songs, and cd’s that we like to listen to

Specific ornaments:  why

• Certain order we put the ornaments in

• Reason behind most (special) ornaments.

• New traditions that we have started

Angel on the top: why

•   came from my mom side of the family

•   who puts it up

•  the finish part of decorating the tree

When we put up the tree: why

• specific time that we put the tree up and why

When we put it down: why

• specific time we take down the tree and why

I will be interviewing my mother, since she is the reasons behind why decorating a x-mas tree, and asking why it is so big in my family.

ARIZONA'S BEST FEST!!!!!

1.       Your text says that rituals are "stylized, highly contextualized, deeply symbolic activities that enable groups to acknowledge, exemplify and/or act out certain traditional ideas, values and beliefs" (p. 95). In what ways does the Best Fest fit this definition? Are there ways in which it does not? In other words, is the AZ Best Fest a ritual?

Some parts of the best fest yes was part of a ritual such as the Native American Village, even the Western part had its ritual. Each section had their values and beliefs. Like the Native American Village I saw so many values and beliefs.  Like their baskets, or their weaving, and their dance rituals. I didn’t understand how the military section was a ritual and or how they had their values and beliefs, because they can’t really show it.

2.       What traditional ideas, values and or beliefs are being expressed in the Best Fest? How are they expressed?

I spent my time at the best fest in the Native American Village because they showed their traditional ideas by telling us stories of why and how each dance symbolizes different meanings.  Then they showed their values by what they made like paintings, baskets, and how they cooked their food (what tools they used).  Then the best part is how they showed their beliefs! How they did this is by making dream catchers, their singing and lastly their dancing. How this shows their beliefs is with the dream catchers, singing and dancing you realize that they believe in spiritual things. They also believe in purifying the ground they are on. How they do this is by burning herbs and blowing it around them, they also breathe it in too. I found that all in all the Native Americans express themselves through their dancing, singing, and their art. With all these things you can fit them in folklore genres (material, verbal and customary).

3.       Does the Best Fest express (or try to express) a single group identity? If so, what identity is that and how is it expressed? If not, what groups are included in the Best Fest and how are they distinguished from each other?

All together the best fest was expressing Arizona’s past we had the Native American Village, we had the Wild West days. So yes I believe it is expressing the history that Arizona the state has been through and see. The Native Americans lived here telling their stories of earth and doing their dances to either the spirits, food, water and or marriage. We still carry many of the traits that they brought to us. Like while I was at the best fest I tried for the first time fry bread (with honey) it was ultimately amazing! Then while I kept eating it I realized that I have sort of already had fry bread already before, but instead of calling it fry bread we now call it funnel cake! I was amazed at this connection. Also when it came to the dancing we now a day still dance to get a boys attention do we not? So I thought we could of also got this trait from the Native Americans that we ran into. Then the wild west even though I didn’t stay around very much on this section of the best fest, but best fest still expressed it, by showing the gun shows and the different costumes the wore back in that time.

4.       Identify and document five examples of verbal folklore, material folklore and customary folklore demonstrated or expressed at the festival.

MATERIAL!

VERBAL!

CUSTOMARY!

5.       Is there a frame to the festival as a whole or to the event/activity/area that you observed that sets it apart from "ordinary" life? If so, what was it? If not, how was the event/activity/area distinguished from any other part of the festival or from the town of Prescott?

Well the whole thing of the Best Fest is out of the ordinary because we don’t have it come every day. Also the each section didn’t fit apart the everyday/ordinary life either because we don’t where those sorts of costumes, we don’t talk that way. We live completely different than we did then, that’s why these things are so interesting to use now.