美國本土風(fēng)俗101則American Customs101

1、American CustomsA Visit from the Stork Several factors contributed to the belief in the stork as the bringer of babies. People watched the stork take care in making its home, and they noted how out of devotion it returned to the same spot each year. Also, the storks love water, and tradition held th

2、at it was in watery places that the souls of the unborn children dwelt. Blue Is for BoysPink Is for Girls vSince all babies look alike, boys are usually dressed in blue and girls in pink simply to identify the sex. In ancient times, girl babies were regarded as inferior to boy babies, so the color b

3、lue, which was believed to have the power to ward off evil spirits, was reserved exclusively for the boys. The color pink was introduced for baby girls in accordance with a legendary European tradition that suggested girls were born inside a pink rose. Passing OutCigars vIn primitive ceremonies an i

4、ndividual blessed with the arrival of a baby shared his fortune with the community, to avoid the envy of both his fellows and the gods. The smoke of a proud papa s pipe drifting toward the heavens was a sort of appeasement to the heavenly powers. Todays fathers distribution of cigars to celebrate th

5、e arrival of a baby may be regarded as a modern variant of this ritual. Baptism vFrom ancient times water served the dual purpose of purifying and protecting both mother and child from evil spirits. The Christian notion is that the water washed away original sin. Thus, in the Christian baptismal cer

6、emony the child is either immersed in the baptismal basin (as in the Greek Orthodox ceremony) or spinkled with holy water (as in the Catholic ceremony). The Christian baptism also includes the naming of the child, since during the baptismal rite the child is reborn into Christ. Birthday SpankingsvTh

7、e mock spanking administered to a birthday boy or girl recalls a rite that has long been an integral feature of many initiation ceremonies. The “public” spanking highlights the specialness of the child and invites the child back into the fold by offering him or her luck (one to grow on) and congratu

8、lations. The Sweet Sixteen PartyvSince the number sixteen is said to represent the midpoint of the teen years, a “sweet sixteen” party has served as a kind of puberty initiation rite, particularly for girls. The expression “sweet sixteen and never been kissed,” although perhaps not as true today as

9、in earlier times, is still alive and serves as a theme for many parties celebrating the teen years. HazingvHazing, the submitting of initiates to indignities at the hands of upperclassmen, is a part of a tradition of rites of passage. As a pledging rite, the freshmen, or fraternity pledges, prove th

10、eir worthiness to be members of that particular body, by partaking in and going along with riduculous, self-debasing acts. By doing so they show that they can and will confirm to the authority that governs that body. The Retirement WatchvThe retirement watch, an engraved timepiece, is often given to

11、 a retiree as a reward for years of service to a firm. In the nineteenth century the common laborer, not being able to afford the jeweled timepiece of the upper class, nevertheless satisfied his desire for status by acquiring a pocket watch with an engraved lid and dangling chain. It could function

12、as a testimonial to both the owners ability to tell time and the fact that he was on his way up the social ladder. Sending Greeting CardsvThe custom of sending greeting cards to friends and relatives for special occasions originated in England, where the practice was limited to people who could affo

13、rd to pay private messagers to carry their greetings across great distances. With the advent of a British law that established inexpensive mail delivery, a market for sending greeting cards for birthdays, anniversariesalmost any occasion imaginableopened up overnight. In America the card market was

14、expanded by the founder of Hallmark Cards, whose company led the way in other products of social expression such as gift wrap, stationery, and calendars. Marking X for KissesvThe use of an X at the end of a letter to signify a kiss goes back to the Middle Ages, when an illiterate person signed his o

15、r her name to marked documents and contracts with an X (which in church lore stands for Christ) and kissed the mark in the presence of witnesses to affirm his or her sincerity. The kiss and the cross became synonymous, and this early link has now become a universal shorthand of love and affection. S

16、pin the BottlevSpin the bottle is a kissing game that has been popular in American culture. In this game a participant must spin an empty bottle and kiss the person the spun bottle points to. This game is popular especially among teenagers, because it allows contact with the opposites sex without ha

17、ving to get really personal.Going DutchvThe linking of the word Dutch with such expressions as “Dutch bargain” (an uneven, one-sided deal), “Dutch reckoning” (an unitemized account), “Dutch courage” (bravery induced by drink), and “double Dutch” (unintelligible gibberish) stems from the time when th

18、e Dutch and the English were mercantile and military rivals, and when the English characterized all things Dutch as nothing but shams. Thus, “going Dutch” or “Dutch treat” (splitting expenses with a date) was to mimic the behavior of those “strange” people across the Channel. The Sadie Hawkins Dance

19、vThe Sadie Hawkins or Turnabout Dance is a high school dance where the girl gets to invite the boy. This custom stems from a fictional cartoon celebration known as Sadie Hawkins Day. On this day the unmarried women (Sadie Hawkins, the unattractive daughter of the mayor, being one of them) were allow

20、ed to run after a man of their choice. Each man caught by a woman would return to town for a shotgun wedding. A similar time when women can initiate aggressive action is during the leap year, when February has twenty-nine days. According to this custom, on leap day, February 29, a woman can propose

21、marriage to a a man. Bridal ShowersvBridal showers are given by close friends of the bride-to-be as a sort of dowry to start the bride off on her forthcoming role as a wife. The shower gifts are usually of the domestic variety, such as linens and kitchen utensils. These gifts are a “prelude” to the

22、more expensive gifts that will be given at the wedding. Bachelor PartiesvBachelor parties (also referred to as stag parties) are prewedding bachelor dinners that originated in Spata, where the dinner was called a “mens mess.” This party is an integral part of the prewedding ceremony when the young s

23、ingle man wishes to bid farewell to his buddies. In America the party tends to become very noisy with an emphasis on getting the groom drunk and entertaining him with off-color humor. Throwing Rice at NewlywedsvThe custom of throwing rice at newlyweds derives from a pagan rite of showering the happy

24、 couple with grain. A Roman wife was married with wheat sheaves and, with her husband, ate a postceremonial cake made of wheat. The wheat sheaf and cake were meant to impel bliss and to ensure fertility, since it was believed that the fertility of the seeds would be transferred to the pair on whom t

25、hey fell. Cutting the Wedding CakevThe cutting of the wedding cake represents a ritual that was seen as a dramatization of the males dominance. At first, the groom directs the brides hand to cut the first piece as proof of her submissiveness. The bride then offers the groom the first bite, symbolizi

26、ng the partaking of her body. Then, as an act of revolt, she pushes the cake into her husbands face; however, he ensures all without losing face. Finally, showing that she is obedient to her husbands wiser judgement, the bride wipes the icing from his face. Nowadays, most couples do not go through t

27、his ritual, and consider the cutting of the cake more as good luck for the marriage. The “OK” SignvThe American “OK” sign, the joining of the thumb and forefinger in a circle, indicates that all is well or perfect. The OK sign acquired its modern connotation from the ancient world, wherein the circl

28、e itself was one of the oldest and most common symbols for perfection. The verbal expression “OK” is native to the United States and was formed in support of the letter O indicating that something was as perfect as a circle. Thumbs UpThumbs DownvWhen not used in hitchhiking, the thumbs-up gesture in

29、 American culture typically indicates approval, while the thumbs-down gesture indicates disapproval. The gesture has been linked to the time of the Roman arena, where the emperor or mob supposedly ordered life or death for a gladiator by turning thumbs up or thumbs down. The High FivevThe slapping o

30、f the raised right hand with the open palm of another persons right hand is a pervasive gesture in American culture that indicates enthusiastic approval and acceptance of a deed or incident. This gesture may have sprung from the old Roman gesture of raising the right arm in praise of tribute to the

31、emperor. Crossing Your FingersvCrossing ones fingers serves as protection from bad luck or from the penalties associated with lying. Thus, when people wish for good luck, they cross their fingers, and when they wish not to be held accountable for a lie, they cross their fingers and hide their arms b

32、ehind their backs to not let on that they are lying. Crossing Your HeartvAmericans cross their hearts to seal promises or pledges. Crossing the heart goes back to the religious tradition of crossing oneself, which still exists in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. It is believed that the gest

33、ure provides protection against back luck by invoking the power of this religious tradition, and thus attests that the speakers pledge is in earnest. Hence, the solemn caution: “Cross my heart and hope to die,” that is, if the pledge proves to be false. Hand over the Mouth When YawningvCovering the

34、mouth when yawning is considered good manners and stems from two traditional beliefs: first, that covering the mouth safeguarded againist the souls premature departure; second, that an open mouth was an invitation for lurking evil spirits and demons to enter. Now, although knowing that yawning has n

35、othing to do souls or spirits, people still feel strongly about covering the mouth when yawning, possibly for covering up bad breath or even because yawning is contagious. PotLuck DinnervOn many occasions, when groups of friends or colleagues at work get together for dinner or for a social evening,

36、all the guests offer to contribute something to eat or drink. These dinners are called potluck dinners. They usually consist of a salad or vegetable and several more substantial dishes such as chicken, meatballs, lasagna, or special ethnic delicacies. An Apple for the TeachervIn the early days of pu

37、blic education, schoolteachers were not salaried and would often be paid in goods and services. Nowadays, presenting an apple to the teacher is interpreted as a gesture of goodwill or as an element of bribery. The practice probably arose from the students desire to soften the teachers disposition, t

38、hus increasing the students chances for a more favorable grade. This custom has now given away to parental contributions of money, food, or candy for the enhancement and enrichment of the basic classroom program. The Man Walks on the OutsidevWhen a man and a woman walk together, convention dictates

39、that the man walk on the curb side of the street. The practice probably originated because the man needed to protect his female companion from runaway horses and street brawlers, and from other hazards of the street, such as the garbage being hurled onto the street from upper-story windows. Tailgate

40、 PartiesvTailgate parties are now an established American custom that take place before a sports event, such as a football or basketball game. The fans congregate around the tailgate of a truck or the back end of a sedan or sports utility vehicle and celebrate the upcoming game with their favorite t

41、eam. The parties are boisterous events that promote conviviality among the participants and elevate the spirits of the fans before the game. Wearing Green on Saint Patricks Day vSaint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and many people in the United States commemorate this day (March 17) by wearing somethin