It's Probably a Folk Thing Transistor (https://transistor.fm) https://feeds.transistor.fm/its-probably-a-folk-thing The podcast about everyday stuff that turns out to be older, weirder, and way more meaningful than we realized. © 2025 Aaron L. Crawford bf81d29f-7c63-5f0f-98cc-1073e4336afb yes en Mon, 27 Apr 2026 18:11:20 -0600 Mon, 27 Apr 2026 18:12:16 -0600 https://img.transistorcdn.com/vawMbpoj71zlUHwU6QyPRYY7r4bcFx2B6IgXGBDwHbs/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9jODlj/ODY2NDk0MjVjNGFh/NmQxY2NmZDdlZjk3/MzI3YS5wbmc.jpg It's Probably a Folk Thing episodic Aaron L. Crawford The podcast about everyday stuff that turns out to be older, weirder, and way more meaningful than we realized. The podcast about everyday stuff that turns out to be older, weirder, and way more meaningful than we realized.. folklore, history, culture Aaron L. Crawford No No Blood Will Tell 18 18 Blood Will Tell full b5cee6f3-38c4-4c02-9115-47e523747619 https://share.transistor.fm/s/64f0a480 Why does it matter so much where your blood comes from? And what happens when the DNA doesn't match the story?

In 2012, archaeologists pulled King Richard III out from under a parking lot in Leicester, England. The maternal DNA confirmed who he was. But the paternal DNA told a different story. Somewhere in the royal bloodline, the father-to-son chain quietly broke, and nobody noticed for centuries. Wars were fought, tens of thousands died, and an entire political order rested on a connection that wasn't intact.

In this episode, host Aaron Crawford explores the folk belief in lineage: why we trace family trees, keep names in Bibles, and feel a pull toward places we've never been. The political system built on bloodline is gone. But the folk belief? The kitchen-table kind, passed down informally through old photos and origin stories and "you have your grandmother's eyes"? That one never cracked. And maybe that persistence tells us something about what actually matters.

It's probably a folk thing.

]]> Why does it matter so much where your blood comes from? And what happens when the DNA doesn't match the story?

In 2012, archaeologists pulled King Richard III out from under a parking lot in Leicester, England. The maternal DNA confirmed who he was. But the paternal DNA told a different story. Somewhere in the royal bloodline, the father-to-son chain quietly broke, and nobody noticed for centuries. Wars were fought, tens of thousands died, and an entire political order rested on a connection that wasn't intact.

In this episode, host Aaron Crawford explores the folk belief in lineage: why we trace family trees, keep names in Bibles, and feel a pull toward places we've never been. The political system built on bloodline is gone. But the folk belief? The kitchen-table kind, passed down informally through old photos and origin stories and "you have your grandmother's eyes"? That one never cracked. And maybe that persistence tells us something about what actually matters.

It's probably a folk thing.

]]> Mon, 27 Apr 2026 18:11:00 -0600 Aaron L. Crawford Aaron L. Crawford 541 Why does it matter so much where your blood comes from? And what happens when the DNA doesn't match the story?

In 2012, archaeologists pulled King Richard III out from under a parking lot in Leicester, England. The maternal DNA confirmed who he was. But the paternal DNA told a different story. Somewhere in the royal bloodline, the father-to-son chain quietly broke, and nobody noticed for centuries. Wars were fought, tens of thousands died, and an entire political order rested on a connection that wasn't intact.

In this episode, host Aaron Crawford explores the folk belief in lineage: why we trace family trees, keep names in Bibles, and feel a pull toward places we've never been. The political system built on bloodline is gone. But the folk belief? The kitchen-table kind, passed down informally through old photos and origin stories and "you have your grandmother's eyes"? That one never cracked. And maybe that persistence tells us something about what actually matters.

It's probably a folk thing.

]]> folklore, ancestry, royalty, bloodline, genealogy No A Woman of a Certain Folklore 17 17 A Woman of a Certain Folklore full 6a36edd2-1c1a-44b2-a0fe-4a56b711c640 https://share.transistor.fm/s/83fe7ff4 Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:22:28 -0600 Aaron L. Crawford Aaron L. Crawford 401 folklore, age No Rest in Peace, Not in Pieces 16 16 Rest in Peace, Not in Pieces full 9d904643-0f72-4b29-810f-701aaa2d10f3 https://share.transistor.fm/s/93829537 Why do we say someone "passed away" instead of "died"? And why does it matter so much which words we choose?


In this episode, host Aaron Crawford explores the folklore behind death euphemisms — the unwritten rules that tell us which phrases belong at a graveside and which ones belong at a bar. From "departed" to "kicked the bucket," the language we use around death isn't random. It's a socially transmitted code that varies by community, generation, and context, enforced not by law but by a well-timed silence or a sharp look across the room.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Why do we say someone "passed away" instead of "died"? And why does it matter so much which words we choose?


In this episode, host Aaron Crawford explores the folklore behind death euphemisms — the unwritten rules that tell us which phrases belong at a graveside and which ones belong at a bar. From "departed" to "kicked the bucket," the language we use around death isn't random. It's a socially transmitted code that varies by community, generation, and context, enforced not by law but by a well-timed silence or a sharp look across the room.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Wed, 04 Mar 2026 19:41:12 -0700 Aaron L. Crawford Aaron L. Crawford 491 Why do we say someone "passed away" instead of "died"? And why does it matter so much which words we choose?


In this episode, host Aaron Crawford explores the folklore behind death euphemisms — the unwritten rules that tell us which phrases belong at a graveside and which ones belong at a bar. From "departed" to "kicked the bucket," the language we use around death isn't random. It's a socially transmitted code that varies by community, generation, and context, enforced not by law but by a well-timed silence or a sharp look across the room.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> folklore, history, culture No False Memory, Real Folklore, and Drinking the Kool-Aid 15 15 False Memory, Real Folklore, and Drinking the Kool-Aid full 4b9fb5c5-a13f-43be-8c03-6e644f5ab3c1 https://share.transistor.fm/s/bf35542c Sat, 17 Jan 2026 12:20:58 -0700 Aaron L. Crawford Aaron L. Crawford 388 folklore, Kool-Aid, history, language, idiom No The Magical Midnight of Christmas Eve 14 14 The Magical Midnight of Christmas Eve full 85972273-6924-461d-a682-8c945d871e76 https://share.transistor.fm/s/d4d62f9d Christmas Eve at midnight feels magical, like you could just reach out and, like Adam in the Sistine Chapel, touch the finger of God. It's magical and meaning-fraught for children and adults alike. Drawing on folklore and anthropology, this episode examines why this quiet hour feels holy and charged with meaning – even when nothing is happening. 

]]> Christmas Eve at midnight feels magical, like you could just reach out and, like Adam in the Sistine Chapel, touch the finger of God. It's magical and meaning-fraught for children and adults alike. Drawing on folklore and anthropology, this episode examines why this quiet hour feels holy and charged with meaning – even when nothing is happening. 

]]> Tue, 23 Dec 2025 18:01:06 -0700 Aaron L. Crawford Aaron L. Crawford 407 Christmas Eve at midnight feels magical, like you could just reach out and, like Adam in the Sistine Chapel, touch the finger of God. It's magical and meaning-fraught for children and adults alike. Drawing on folklore and anthropology, this episode examines why this quiet hour feels holy and charged with meaning – even when nothing is happening. 

]]> folklore, Christmas, liminal moments No Silent Night for Another Fortnight 13 13 Silent Night for Another Fortnight full e38ec30b-b522-4d60-8863-3a73d9f15427 https://share.transistor.fm/s/dc6f7190 Why does everyone lose their collective mind when Christmas music shows up “too early”? In this episode, we dig into the folk social control behind holiday soundtracks: How communities quietly regulate behavior with nothing but side-eye, shared expectations, and a deep fear of low-effort Christmas covers. From nose-picking norms to unspoken rules of public space, we explore why boundaries like this exist and how folklore keeps them in place… even against the full power of the corporations’ fake “holiday cheer.”

Sidenote: A "fortnight" is an old-timey way of saying "two weeks." It's often used to indicate an indeterminate time in the future, as in "Call on me again in a fortnight." Incidentally, it is correctly spelled the way I spelled it. I, for one, would be super embarrassed if I started a major franchise using the term but I spelled it incorrectly.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Why does everyone lose their collective mind when Christmas music shows up “too early”? In this episode, we dig into the folk social control behind holiday soundtracks: How communities quietly regulate behavior with nothing but side-eye, shared expectations, and a deep fear of low-effort Christmas covers. From nose-picking norms to unspoken rules of public space, we explore why boundaries like this exist and how folklore keeps them in place… even against the full power of the corporations’ fake “holiday cheer.”

Sidenote: A "fortnight" is an old-timey way of saying "two weeks." It's often used to indicate an indeterminate time in the future, as in "Call on me again in a fortnight." Incidentally, it is correctly spelled the way I spelled it. I, for one, would be super embarrassed if I started a major franchise using the term but I spelled it incorrectly.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Thu, 04 Dec 2025 19:06:01 -0700 Aaron L. Crawford Aaron L. Crawford 460 Why does everyone lose their collective mind when Christmas music shows up “too early”? In this episode, we dig into the folk social control behind holiday soundtracks: How communities quietly regulate behavior with nothing but side-eye, shared expectations, and a deep fear of low-effort Christmas covers. From nose-picking norms to unspoken rules of public space, we explore why boundaries like this exist and how folklore keeps them in place… even against the full power of the corporations’ fake “holiday cheer.”

Sidenote: A "fortnight" is an old-timey way of saying "two weeks." It's often used to indicate an indeterminate time in the future, as in "Call on me again in a fortnight." Incidentally, it is correctly spelled the way I spelled it. I, for one, would be super embarrassed if I started a major franchise using the term but I spelled it incorrectly.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Christmas, holiday, music, folklore No Trick, Treat, and Trade Places 12 12 Trick, Treat, and Trade Places full 2a848161-d501-43b9-b2b1-86d45280776f https://share.transistor.fm/s/6fce98d4 Treat or treating isn't just a fun way to gather enough candy to make a child ill for three days. It's a ritual inversion: A deliberate role reversal, where the tiny become powerful. Join host Aaron Crawford as we learn how trick or treating allows our culture to blow off steam, challenge its hierarchies, and laugh at its own rules.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Treat or treating isn't just a fun way to gather enough candy to make a child ill for three days. It's a ritual inversion: A deliberate role reversal, where the tiny become powerful. Join host Aaron Crawford as we learn how trick or treating allows our culture to blow off steam, challenge its hierarchies, and laugh at its own rules.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Sat, 25 Oct 2025 05:35:36 -0600 Aaron L. Crawford Aaron L. Crawford 306 Treat or treating isn't just a fun way to gather enough candy to make a child ill for three days. It's a ritual inversion: A deliberate role reversal, where the tiny become powerful. Join host Aaron Crawford as we learn how trick or treating allows our culture to blow off steam, challenge its hierarchies, and laugh at its own rules.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> folklore, history, culture No Aromatic Folklore: The Pumpkin Spice Effect 11 11 Aromatic Folklore: The Pumpkin Spice Effect full f81a4c02-9032-47a2-9aee-91d4e1c19608 https://share.transistor.fm/s/c9b074e5 When the air still feels like July but the store shelves smell like October, you know it’s happened: the pumpkin spice has returned. But why does that scent and that flavor have such a grip on us?

In this episode, host Aaron Crawford unpacks how old-world spices met new-world pumpkins, how marketers bottled coziness, and why “pumpkin spice” has become the smell of autumn coziness.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> When the air still feels like July but the store shelves smell like October, you know it’s happened: the pumpkin spice has returned. But why does that scent and that flavor have such a grip on us?

In this episode, host Aaron Crawford unpacks how old-world spices met new-world pumpkins, how marketers bottled coziness, and why “pumpkin spice” has become the smell of autumn coziness.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Sat, 18 Oct 2025 06:43:33 -0600 Aaron L. Crawford Aaron L. Crawford 319 When the air still feels like July but the store shelves smell like October, you know it’s happened: the pumpkin spice has returned. But why does that scent and that flavor have such a grip on us?

In this episode, host Aaron Crawford unpacks how old-world spices met new-world pumpkins, how marketers bottled coziness, and why “pumpkin spice” has become the smell of autumn coziness.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> folklore, pumpkin spice, tradition, fall No The Tradition of Shared Mourning 10 10 The Tradition of Shared Mourning full de27940c-615a-4308-b02c-04ab490010f6 https://share.transistor.fm/s/136e48c0 When tragedy strikes, we don’t grieve alone. We light candles, stand in silence, leave flowers, and gather in public places: turning private sorrow into shared ritual. In this episode, host Aaron Crawford explores how communities create these acts of mourning, why they appear so instinctively, and how they become part of our living traditions.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> When tragedy strikes, we don’t grieve alone. We light candles, stand in silence, leave flowers, and gather in public places: turning private sorrow into shared ritual. In this episode, host Aaron Crawford explores how communities create these acts of mourning, why they appear so instinctively, and how they become part of our living traditions.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Wed, 24 Sep 2025 19:13:48 -0600 Aaron L. Crawford Aaron L. Crawford 289 When tragedy strikes, we don’t grieve alone. We light candles, stand in silence, leave flowers, and gather in public places: turning private sorrow into shared ritual. In this episode, host Aaron Crawford explores how communities create these acts of mourning, why they appear so instinctively, and how they become part of our living traditions.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> folklore, mourning, tragedy No The Pittsburgh Left: Driving Neighborly in the Neighborhood 9 9 The Pittsburgh Left: Driving Neighborly in the Neighborhood full 101b8871-9b1f-4c58-b680-a53ce6ea6692 https://share.transistor.fm/s/965d82d8 The Pittsburgh Left: where courtesy outruns the rulebook. Discover how this neighborly traffic quirk became folklore - and why Mr. Rogers would’ve waved you through. 

]]> The Pittsburgh Left: where courtesy outruns the rulebook. Discover how this neighborly traffic quirk became folklore - and why Mr. Rogers would’ve waved you through. 

]]> Mon, 01 Sep 2025 13:24:30 -0600 Aaron L. Crawford Aaron L. Crawford 375 The Pittsburgh Left: where courtesy outruns the rulebook. Discover how this neighborly traffic quirk became folklore - and why Mr. Rogers would’ve waved you through. 

]]> folklore, Pittsburgh, folkways No Birthday Cake, Moon Magic, and Flaming Wishes 8 8 Birthday Cake, Moon Magic, and Flaming Wishes full 6acaa241-d41c-4a7c-b769-6ee9f7652f7f https://share.transistor.fm/s/a6cc4497 Why do we put fire on cake, make a wish, and then blow lung air all over dessert? From moon goddesses to magical forcefields to Betty Crocker, birthday cake has a surprisingly weird backstory. And yes: it’s definitely a folk thing.


Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Why do we put fire on cake, make a wish, and then blow lung air all over dessert? From moon goddesses to magical forcefields to Betty Crocker, birthday cake has a surprisingly weird backstory. And yes: it’s definitely a folk thing.


Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Wed, 13 Aug 2025 06:45:08 -0600 Aaron L. Crawford Aaron L. Crawford 275 Why do we put fire on cake, make a wish, and then blow lung air all over dessert? From moon goddesses to magical forcefields to Betty Crocker, birthday cake has a surprisingly weird backstory. And yes: it’s definitely a folk thing.


Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> folklore, history, culture No Rituals of the Rind 7 7 Rituals of the Rind full 05587f62-718d-4c0b-b01a-8b6a1c55492e https://share.transistor.fm/s/f422fe8f There you are, standing in the grocery store, surrounded by bins of green watermelons. You knock. You thump. You lift one like it’s a newborn and whisper, “Are you the chosen one?”

Someone next to you is doing the same thing. You make eye contact.

It’s a silent competition.

It’s a public act of fruit-based divination.

It’s probably a folk thing.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> There you are, standing in the grocery store, surrounded by bins of green watermelons. You knock. You thump. You lift one like it’s a newborn and whisper, “Are you the chosen one?”

Someone next to you is doing the same thing. You make eye contact.

It’s a silent competition.

It’s a public act of fruit-based divination.

It’s probably a folk thing.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Thu, 17 Jul 2025 07:25:49 -0600 Aaron L. Crawford Aaron L. Crawford 337 There you are, standing in the grocery store, surrounded by bins of green watermelons. You knock. You thump. You lift one like it’s a newborn and whisper, “Are you the chosen one?”

Someone next to you is doing the same thing. You make eye contact.

It’s a silent competition.

It’s a public act of fruit-based divination.

It’s probably a folk thing.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> folklore, watermelon, summer, contemporary legends No America the Boom-tiful 6 6 America the Boom-tiful full be58ea4a-7667-4008-bc27-b98b643e3fc8 https://share.transistor.fm/s/fb388dbf Why do we celebrate the birth of the United States by blowing up a bunch of pretty stuff in the sky? In this episode, we look at how fireworks became our go-to celebratory technique. America: It's a Boom-tiful county. 


Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Why do we celebrate the birth of the United States by blowing up a bunch of pretty stuff in the sky? In this episode, we look at how fireworks became our go-to celebratory technique. America: It's a Boom-tiful county. 


Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Thu, 03 Jul 2025 18:58:36 -0600 Aaron L. Crawford Aaron L. Crawford 279 Why do we celebrate the birth of the United States by blowing up a bunch of pretty stuff in the sky? In this episode, we look at how fireworks became our go-to celebratory technique. America: It's a Boom-tiful county. 


Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Independence Day, America, holidays, fireworks No From Handshake to Hashtag to Holiday 5 5 From Handshake to Hashtag to Holiday full cecbe095-6e1f-4648-ba8b-e684ca6af3be https://share.transistor.fm/s/fde3953a Ever wonder how an annual backyard barbecue turns into a three-day weekend? In this episode, we trace the journey of holidays from folk traditions to federal recognition. With Thanksgiving and Juneteenth as our examples, we explore how people-powered celebrations rise through the ranks — from folk, to popular, to elite culture — ultimately becoming national events. Most holidays evolve from backyard handshakes, to celebrity hashtags, to federally-recognized holidays.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Ever wonder how an annual backyard barbecue turns into a three-day weekend? In this episode, we trace the journey of holidays from folk traditions to federal recognition. With Thanksgiving and Juneteenth as our examples, we explore how people-powered celebrations rise through the ranks — from folk, to popular, to elite culture — ultimately becoming national events. Most holidays evolve from backyard handshakes, to celebrity hashtags, to federally-recognized holidays.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Thu, 19 Jun 2025 13:14:26 -0600 Aaron L. Crawford Aaron L. Crawford 333 Ever wonder how an annual backyard barbecue turns into a three-day weekend? In this episode, we trace the journey of holidays from folk traditions to federal recognition. With Thanksgiving and Juneteenth as our examples, we explore how people-powered celebrations rise through the ranks — from folk, to popular, to elite culture — ultimately becoming national events. Most holidays evolve from backyard handshakes, to celebrity hashtags, to federally-recognized holidays.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> holidays, Juneteenth, folklore No The Forecast Calls for Thunder Dad 4 4 The Forecast Calls for Thunder Dad full 0ebbbdac-03e8-4344-b902-7eea535496c7 https://share.transistor.fm/s/87ffe641 Did your dad rule the thermostat like an ancient deity? He might be playing out the archetypical sky father motif from folklore.

This episode tackles the father of all tropes - the complicated dad. From sky gods to galaxy-ruining disappointments, we explore why folklore keeps handing out thunderbolts and daddy issues in equal measure.


Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Did your dad rule the thermostat like an ancient deity? He might be playing out the archetypical sky father motif from folklore.

This episode tackles the father of all tropes - the complicated dad. From sky gods to galaxy-ruining disappointments, we explore why folklore keeps handing out thunderbolts and daddy issues in equal measure.


Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Thu, 12 Jun 2025 06:28:15 -0600 Aaron L. Crawford Aaron L. Crawford 324 Did your dad rule the thermostat like an ancient deity? He might be playing out the archetypical sky father motif from folklore.

This episode tackles the father of all tropes - the complicated dad. From sky gods to galaxy-ruining disappointments, we explore why folklore keeps handing out thunderbolts and daddy issues in equal measure.


Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Father's Day, folklore, sky father No The United Steaks of America 3 3 The United Steaks of America full cc3d3637-9eee-47be-8cba-1c534287ff03 https://share.transistor.fm/s/dba220da Why does every summer holiday smell like meat on a grill?

 In this episode, we dive into the smoky, sacred world of the American backyard barbecue. From ritual timing to flame-cooked symbolism, we explore how grilling became one of the most widespread (and delicious) forms of modern American folklore. Also: dads, tongs, and the eternal gas vs. charcoal debate.

It’s definitely a folk thing.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Why does every summer holiday smell like meat on a grill?

 In this episode, we dive into the smoky, sacred world of the American backyard barbecue. From ritual timing to flame-cooked symbolism, we explore how grilling became one of the most widespread (and delicious) forms of modern American folklore. Also: dads, tongs, and the eternal gas vs. charcoal debate.

It’s definitely a folk thing.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Mon, 26 May 2025 07:02:33 -0600 Aaron L. Crawford Aaron L. Crawford 345 Why does every summer holiday smell like meat on a grill?

 In this episode, we dive into the smoky, sacred world of the American backyard barbecue. From ritual timing to flame-cooked symbolism, we explore how grilling became one of the most widespread (and delicious) forms of modern American folklore. Also: dads, tongs, and the eternal gas vs. charcoal debate.

It’s definitely a folk thing.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> folklore, history, culture No School Spirit, Urban Legend Style 2 2 School Spirit, Urban Legend Style full 0e7d0b56-3b8f-449f-9c1e-147f1eaed4b8 https://share.transistor.fm/s/c0d4537d Why do the Roy High Royals wear black and gold, and why is the Box Elder Bee purple? According to local legend, it all started with a uniform mix-up no one bothered to fix. But is that really what happened? In this episode of It’s Probably a Folk Thing, we dig into the colorful tale of mistaken school spirit, ask whether it could be true (spoiler: no), and explore what the story actually reveals about how communities build identity, pride, and a sense of belonging—one purple bee at a time.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Why do the Roy High Royals wear black and gold, and why is the Box Elder Bee purple? According to local legend, it all started with a uniform mix-up no one bothered to fix. But is that really what happened? In this episode of It’s Probably a Folk Thing, we dig into the colorful tale of mistaken school spirit, ask whether it could be true (spoiler: no), and explore what the story actually reveals about how communities build identity, pride, and a sense of belonging—one purple bee at a time.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> Tue, 20 May 2025 06:05:51 -0600 Aaron L. Crawford Aaron L. Crawford 321 Why do the Roy High Royals wear black and gold, and why is the Box Elder Bee purple? According to local legend, it all started with a uniform mix-up no one bothered to fix. But is that really what happened? In this episode of It’s Probably a Folk Thing, we dig into the colorful tale of mistaken school spirit, ask whether it could be true (spoiler: no), and explore what the story actually reveals about how communities build identity, pride, and a sense of belonging—one purple bee at a time.

Music Credits
Intro music: Humorous and Comic Intro
By Free Music — soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Available at: chosic.com/download-audio/27133/
Music promoted by Chosic

]]> folklore, history, culture No Knock on Wood 1 1 Knock on Wood full a95ab00c-d0c7-47c0-b3cc-49dd38f47a4c https://share.transistor.fm/s/be9aa2e5 In this episode, host Aaron Crawford explores the curious and oddly universal ritual of knocking on wood after saying something optimistic—just in case. Although many believe it's an ancient practice with mystical origins, folklore research shows that its roots are surprisingly recent and mundane.

Crawford breaks the episode into four segments:

  1. The Weird Thing We All Do – Everyone knocks on wood, even skeptics. It's a reflex tied to a fear of "jinxing" good fortune.
  2. Where Did This Come From? – Despite widespread claims linking the tradition to Celtic tree spirits or Christian relics, folklorists Jacqueline Simpson and Steve Roud trace the earliest recorded example to an 1805 children's game. A similar tradition of touching iron (in places like Italy) dates to 1738 and also originated in children’s games—not spiritual practices.
  3. The Psychology of It All – Psychologists explain the habit as “magical thinking”—a way for humans to feel some control over randomness or uncertainty. The act itself may be symbolic, but it soothes anxiety.
  4. Modern Twists – Today, people knock on IKEA desks, say "knock on wood" aloud, or use apps with knocking sounds. Even tapping one’s own head counts in this contemporary evolution of folk belief.

The takeaway? Knocking on wood isn’t ancient magic—it’s a modern comfort rooted in folklore, psychology, and the human desire to do something when things feel too good to jinx.

Credits:

Music Title: Humorous and Comic Intro | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQcSHdt-4dA
Released by: Free Music https://soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/free-music/all/

]]> In this episode, host Aaron Crawford explores the curious and oddly universal ritual of knocking on wood after saying something optimistic—just in case. Although many believe it's an ancient practice with mystical origins, folklore research shows that its roots are surprisingly recent and mundane.

Crawford breaks the episode into four segments:

  1. The Weird Thing We All Do – Everyone knocks on wood, even skeptics. It's a reflex tied to a fear of "jinxing" good fortune.
  2. Where Did This Come From? – Despite widespread claims linking the tradition to Celtic tree spirits or Christian relics, folklorists Jacqueline Simpson and Steve Roud trace the earliest recorded example to an 1805 children's game. A similar tradition of touching iron (in places like Italy) dates to 1738 and also originated in children’s games—not spiritual practices.
  3. The Psychology of It All – Psychologists explain the habit as “magical thinking”—a way for humans to feel some control over randomness or uncertainty. The act itself may be symbolic, but it soothes anxiety.
  4. Modern Twists – Today, people knock on IKEA desks, say "knock on wood" aloud, or use apps with knocking sounds. Even tapping one’s own head counts in this contemporary evolution of folk belief.

The takeaway? Knocking on wood isn’t ancient magic—it’s a modern comfort rooted in folklore, psychology, and the human desire to do something when things feel too good to jinx.

Credits:

Music Title: Humorous and Comic Intro | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQcSHdt-4dA
Released by: Free Music https://soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/free-music/all/

]]> Wed, 14 May 2025 13:46:51 -0600 Aaron L. Crawford Aaron L. Crawford 294 In this episode, host Aaron Crawford explores the curious and oddly universal ritual of knocking on wood after saying something optimistic—just in case. Although many believe it's an ancient practice with mystical origins, folklore research shows that its roots are surprisingly recent and mundane.

Crawford breaks the episode into four segments:

  1. The Weird Thing We All Do – Everyone knocks on wood, even skeptics. It's a reflex tied to a fear of "jinxing" good fortune.
  2. Where Did This Come From? – Despite widespread claims linking the tradition to Celtic tree spirits or Christian relics, folklorists Jacqueline Simpson and Steve Roud trace the earliest recorded example to an 1805 children's game. A similar tradition of touching iron (in places like Italy) dates to 1738 and also originated in children’s games—not spiritual practices.
  3. The Psychology of It All – Psychologists explain the habit as “magical thinking”—a way for humans to feel some control over randomness or uncertainty. The act itself may be symbolic, but it soothes anxiety.
  4. Modern Twists – Today, people knock on IKEA desks, say "knock on wood" aloud, or use apps with knocking sounds. Even tapping one’s own head counts in this contemporary evolution of folk belief.

The takeaway? Knocking on wood isn’t ancient magic—it’s a modern comfort rooted in folklore, psychology, and the human desire to do something when things feel too good to jinx.

Credits:

Music Title: Humorous and Comic Intro | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQcSHdt-4dA
Released by: Free Music https://soundcloud.com/fm_freemusic
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/free-music/all/

]]> folklore, history, culture No