Kjeisten SecretanFollow

Date Collected

Fall 11-12-2017

Place item was collected

Parents home. Lehi, Utah

Informant

Kjersti Secretan

Point of Discovery/Informant Bio

Kjersti Secretan is my older sister by three years. She was born in 1991 in Lehi, Utah. She is a college graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science. She is a catering supervisor and has resided in Utah county all her life. She is a practicing Mormon. We grew up together and are very close in our relationship.

Context

I interviewed my sister in our living room of our parent’s home. We were among my parents, her boyfriend, and my girlfriend. It was a relaxed setting. The third Harry Potter (not one of my favorites) was going on in the background, however the sound was on mute. My sister told me simply about this tradition. She says we do this holiday tradition of unwrapping this Christmas themed book by the living room next to our real Christmas tree. My sister believes my mom decided to start this family tradition/custom because she has always liked reading books as well as reading them to us.

Text

Ever since I can remember so ever since we were little. Our Mom would get us a book and wrap it, and that would be our present we would unwrap on Christmas Eve. And she would read it to us. And we still do it and it’s fun cuz now there is Kai. Our nephew. Our Mom used to write in it, a nice note to the kids. Usually she tries to keep them about Christ. Sometimes they’re like fun ones…not like that’s not fun. But like How the Grinch Stole Christmas kind of. Like those ones but I think we got that one last year. So that’s why I can remember it. My favorite is the You are Special One.

Texture

Kjersti told it reluctantly and a little apprehensively. She knew that I already knew the tradition and she didn’t think I needed to hear it. Once she did start talking though it was very casual with a tone of nostalgia to it. My Mom and Dad would often try interrupt when she was telling about the custom.

Course

Introduction to Folklore/English 2210

Instructor

Lynne Mcneill

Semester and year

Fall 2017

Theme

G1: Holidays

EAD Number

1.13.9

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