Folk Festivals in
There
are many festivals in
Festivals, according to Brunvand, are customs that are “celebrated annually by a whole community, and especially over a period of several days” and is distinguished by the amount of community involvement (Brunvand 406). Another interpretation of festivals is the “recurring moments of special significance, with the celebrations that fill them” (Smith 159). The central function of a festival, according to Robert Smith, “seems to be to give occasion for men to rejoice together—to interact in an ambience of acceptance and conviviality” (Smith 167).
Festivals have been studied extensively by anthropologists and sociologists, as well as by folklorists. While sociologists study the social structure of a festival as a device to promote social cohesion, and anthropologists study the functions of a festival, the folklorist is mostly interested in the reflection of folk-life that appears in the festival--that is the cultural transmission that takes place by words or by actions during the festival. The art, music and customs of a group of people, also recorded by ethnographers, become the folklore of those people. The folklorist also looks at what values and beliefs are transmitted during festivals and how these are passed on.
To understand who
the people of
Then
in the 1840s came the gold-miners, and behind them came those who prospered by
serving the needs of the mining towns. Then came those
settlers who cut and milled the lumber that built the towns and the people who
built and operated local railways that took the lumber onwards. Settlers
searching for gold in areas that had none, but finding instead rich farmland,
became farmers and ranchers. Gold was
not located in every area, but people passing through looking for gold needed
places to stay along the way, and many inns and hotels were built, offering
guests fresh homegrown fruits and good hunting and fishing sites. Chinese
immigrants arrived to work in the mines and mills and on the railroads, and
Black Americans were recruited to work in the lumber companies. These were the
first settlers of
The
religions that are represented in
The festivals in this presentation include The Fourth of July Parade of Mt. Shasta, The Civil War Days Reenactment of McCloud, The Rodeo of Etna, and the Golden Fair in Yreka.
On the morning of the Fourth of July, the city sponsors a Walk & Run around town in which people of every age can participate, no matter how mobile they are. A young girl sang the Star Spangled Banner over a loudspeaker, and the event began. I walked around the town with my daughter wearing the yellow printed T-shirts that identified us as participants. Along the designated roads were local performers singing or dancing, a few clowns, and refreshment stands sponsored by local shops. For me, although this is not an official part of the parade, it is truly a parade in itself, for hundreds of citizens and their guests participated in parading around the city, greeting friends and family, or walking in groups by occupation or affiliation. The oldest and the youngest participants are awarded prizes, as well as the fastest of each age and gender by category. I was impressed by the respect that was given to very young singers and very old dancers along the way—a sign that everyone was worthy of attention and contributed a part of the local culture.
The
official parade began at
Another entry that made an impression was that of the Motorcycle Club. The average age of the cyclists I estimated to be around forty, with a few younger pups and several who appeared to be well over fifty. Some riders had their kids behind them, or their significant others, all decked out in Stars and Stripes. The significant part of their entry was that this was the only group to carry a reminder of those soldiers who were missing in action, protecting the very values and freedoms that we celebrate on the Fourth of July. As the roaring machines passed us by, the black flags with MIA stamped on them fluttered behind their bikes.
Some floats were humorous, like Densa (a parody on Mensa, for academic achievers) and Women’s Power. Country culture was represented by square dancers and horseback riders (men and women). The magical mystique of Mt Shasta was represented by people dressed up as Lemurians. Respect for the past was represented by old cars and old-fashioned clothes.
A Mt. Shasta-born resident told me that when he was a kid, “the town was so small, everyone participated in the parade so that there was hardly anyone left to watch it” (Melo). It was, and still is, a day for the people to actively express their pride and unity with the celebration of Independence Day. It fulfils the function of festival that “brings the group together and communicates about society itself and the role of the individual in it” (Kuutma).
Civil War Days – McCloud (
This
festival is more a type of cultural diffusion than cultural transmission. Historically,
Equal
status is granted to both sides of the war, the Confederates and the
Hunters and cowboys also had representatives, mostly by booths set up by individuals and clubs. My daughter was enticed by a maker of hand-made cowboy hats. The vendor allowed her to try several of them on, and explained in detail each part of the hat, how it was made and what it was used for. He had several handouts about cowboy culture, and of course, a price-list. Each hat went for over $200!
What is particular
to
The 24th Annual Old
Time Rodeo – Etna, July 28th
This
particular rodeo is different than most others in that it is closed to riders
who are not from the locale it takes place in—
On arrival the first thing I noticed is that most of the audience were dressed in cowboy or Western clothing. Hats, boots, buckles and scarves adorned the men, women and children who were piled onto trucks loaded with picnic baskets and straw or hay, and folding chairs. Many people greeted each other with an air of familiarity and there was a sense of shared culture in the language and gestures they used. Mingling with the crowd is part of the event.
The rodeo was made up of various events, each for a different age group or divided by gender. Kids competed against kids, young men against young men, women against women and men against men. The MC seemed to be familiar with all the participants and families, and could relate an anecdote or two about some of the riders. There were three entries just for show; one was the main parade of participants, one from a women’s riding club, and one was a clowns’ performance. However, aside from the parade, most of the events were competitive, the reward being a special buckle. A list of events includes: “Mutton Bustin” for very little kids, calf riding for middle-sized kids, junior steer riding for teenage kids, bareback bronco riding for serious big guys, girl’s breakaway roping for adult cowgirls, Team roping (among which several married couples participated), cowhide racing, wild cow milking, calf dressing and bareback rescue racing.
Three memories stand out for me that remind me of the importance of this event. The first is that of a very young girl, dressed in pink boots and matching cowboy hat, sitting atop a bale of hay on a truck. Her family was also dressed in Western clothes, and she struck me as being the very symbol of cultural transmission. Her family had obviously spent quite a bit of money to give her a sense of identity with Western culture.
The second memory is that of my friend’s son when he was thrown by a horse. He lay unconscious for a while on the ground. Although my friend appeared worried, she would not go down to the arena. It was not her job, she said, but that of the menfolk in the family. Her brother was the only family member to approach the boy and help him up. She was used to it, she said. This reflects some of the gender-roles valued in her society.
My third memory of the event is how the shared hardships of life on a ranch were reflected in the types of events that took place. Roping, riding, and racing horses were taken very seriously, and there was also some clowning around when participants dressed cattle in people’s clothing.
The Golden County Fair – Yreka
(August 8 – 12)
The county fair originated as a time at the end of the summer harvest when people could get together and show off their best livestock, vegetables, flowers and feats. The county fair is a type of festival occurring over a period of several days to a week, and includes spectator events as well as public participation. The core of the fair celebrates the life and culture of farmers and ranchers, with additional exhibits by local artisans. Sheep, cattle, rabbits and pigs were entered into contests for best of its kind, and garden produce was equally surveyed and awarded prizes by type and the age of the farmer. Children’s efforts were rewarded as they learned and internalized the values of their society.
I met a friend from college whose daughter had entered a pig that took first place in the kids’ category. I asked her to show me her pig, and we walked over to the pigpen to view it. It was evident that she was very proud of her pig. Then I met a young boy taking a rabbit out of a pen that had a blue ribbon attached to it. He told me that he owned the rabbit, and several others he entered into the contest. He allowed me to pet the rabbit and take his picture. I could tell from the way that he explained the merits of his particular rabbits that he had quite a bit of experience, listening as well as explaining the merits of rabbits. His speech mimicked that of adults in instructional positions.
The fair was a fair mix of spectator events as well as participation events. This year the fair had a unique display of the history and culture of cowboys and the heritage they left behind. I left with a bagful of jokes, riddles and recipes that were collected and published. There were performances, such as the country western singer, Chris LeDoux, who graced the stage one evening, but for the most part the fair was an interactive event where the spectators mingled with the participants. The fair had games and activities that spectators could participate in, such as throwing water balloons, dipping hands or flowers in wax, and painting pictures. Some of the farmers were selling produce or products that they prepared. One of them spent some time explaining the merits of his honey (which I bought), and explained how to deal with bee stings (very useful information!) that I faithfully wrote down in my notebook. The country fair truly reflects the idea that, “the messages of festival concern the shared experience of the group and the multiple interpretations of that experience” (Kuutma).
Mt. Shasta Blackberry Festival
--
Blackberries
grow wild all over
One song in particular caught my attention. It had a verse that was sung intermediately between jokes. Two of the jokes I managed to write down, and it went something like this:
“Howdy Stranger!”
“Does this road go
all the way to
“Gee… I don’t understand what you’re talkin’ about… it ain’t gone nowhere yet…”
(Song verse in between, then:)
“Howdy Stranger!”
“Why don’t we step outside to see if it’s raining?”
“Why don’ I call mah dog n’ see if he’s wet?”
This particular kind of joke might be classified in folklore as a numskull joke, defined as a joke where absurd ignorance is attributed to a person or group. In the case of the two jokes told above, the ignorance is attributed to both parties, depending on whose side you’re on. The country folk might see the Stranger as stupid, for why walk out into the rain when there is an easier way to see if its raining. On the other hand, the non-country folk might see it as rather stupid that a person would misunderstand the question of: “How far does a road go?” thinking that the road got up and went somewhere. But told by country folk to country folk, this kind of poking fun at the stereotype of country folk is legitimate – not so if it were told by someone “outside” the social circle who might be belittling this lifestyle. Observing the way the crowd accepted the joke showed that this audience considered the singer to be “one of their own,” and the humor was acceptable.
After this round
of music came the watermelon-eating contest. Wedges of one fourth to one half
of a slice were given to the contestants, according to size, and the first of
each group to eat it all the fruit to the rind were given colored ribbons.
Although this contest is not particular to
Later on, I went to taste the blackberry pie and compare it to my own concoctions. The crust was very soft, making it easy to slice through with a fork. I was surprised how the seeds of the berries didn’t annoy me in the pie as they do when I make blackberry jam and they stick in my teeth. Perhaps it takes getting used to. This is definitely a significant local food.
The most
eye-opening description of these festivals I received from my daughter who was
visiting from
The plaid shirts and cowboy hats, country jokes and blackberry pie, identification with American history, and contesting over who can grow the best cow or corn, these are all elements of the original group of people who settled Siskiyou County. Most of all, pride in being American is evident in these festivals, with the American flag and colors as the key symbols.
Not everything observed speaks of the culture. Sometimes what is not observed also has meaning. During the festivals were there few indications of diversity (aside from the New Agers); There was no celebration of the contribution of Black or Asian Americans, and no mention of any religion. Only the Civil War Re-enactment had one booth about Native Americans who were a part of this land’s history and were significant in the development of this area, and the Blackberry Festival had a little Latino music. On the other hand, there were no indications of the Germans and Italians who settled here either. Yet, some exclusions are themselves a reflection of society. This is not to mean that diversity was actively excluded, nor to be judgmental in any way. Robert Smith warns that one should not draw conclusions simply from observed events (Smith 170). Perhaps these groups do not have a sufficient number to be influential in contributing to local culture, or perhaps they chose not to be part of these festivals. It could also mean that all these groups have blended into one mutually tolerant culture. I don’t know. I am simply stating what I saw and didn’t see. Collectively, I saw a blended, country-type society who pride themselves on self-sufficiency, the ability to utilize local resources, and the will endure hard times together.
Works Cited
Smith,
Robert, J. “Social Folk Custom.” Folklore and Folklife:
An Introduction. Richard Dorson ed.
Hayden,
Voss. Personal interview.
Kristin Kuutma. “Festival as Communicative Performance and Celebration of Ethnicity.” June 1996 - December 1999. Folk Belief and Media Group of Estonian Literary Museum. http://haldjas.folklore.ee/folklore/vol7/festiva.htm
Melo, Paul. Personal conversation.
Our Heritage. American Association of University Women, Mt Shasta Branch. Booklet. N.p.:n.p., 197?