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Examine how Candle Walk is described in the novel (especially pp. 107-11) and theorize how traditions work in Willow Springs and what comment the novel is making on traditions.
You may want to compare Candle Walk to Cocoa’s description of Thanksgiving and Christmas (p. 121). You might also compare Mama Day’s rituals to George’s (p. 145)
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Candle Walk is an event that takes place on December twenty-second that seems to take the place of Christmas in Willow Springs. As Mama Day says “Christmas … ain’t never really caught on too much [in Willow Springs]” but they do celebrate Candle Walk every year. Candle Walk, rather than being a religious celebration, is one of thanks for the people of Willow Springs. Not only is it a day of thanks, it is a day of giving and exchange. Candle Walk is also a time to reflect and appreciate which is something we know because gifts given during Candle Walk are typically home made. Mama Day even makes a point of saying that the younger folks don’t quite understand and give gifts that can be purchased, things like hats, fabrics, and electronics. The people of Willow Springs value hard work and Candle Walk is no different. The gifts should be homemade and if you’re going to receive one you have to visit someone by walking around town to get it. Tradition in Willow Springs is not something people take lightly and is done out of a place of safety as well as love. For example, in Willow Springs a wedding feast isn’t thrown right after the wedding, they wait six months to make sure the marriage lasts. The quilt Mama Day and Abigail sew is also presumably a tradition, if not throughout Willow Springs, in their own family. Sewing the quilt is literally done for safety and love. The fabrics they use are all sentimental to the Day family which is the love and when has anyone ever felt more safe than under a big comfortable warm quilt? Never, thats when. I think Candle Walk is also a tradition that comes out of love and safety. Taking time and making gifts for people shows how much love and care you have for them. The tradition originated by the people of Willow Springs coming together to give to families that needed help, keeping them safe by helping to provide for them. This seems to be the way tradition comes to be in Willow Springs, as a way to provide for people. The wedding feast, the quilt, Candle Walk, they’re all done to provide for people you care about, who you love and want to keep safe. I think thats what Naylor is trying to say about tradition and why she compares Candle Walk to Christmas. It may have never caught on in Willow Springs because it wasn’t an internal support staff of the town whereas Candle Walk developed because it was. I think Naylor is trying to say traditions are more meaningful when they come about because the actions want to be done, like providing help at Candle Walk, rather than something your obligated to do, like giving gifts on Christmas.
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One of the things that struck me about the Candle Walk is the description of the changes in tradition. Although the institution of the Candle Walk is deeply respected by the members of Willow Springs, it, like most things, changes over time. Mama Day describes how with each passing generation, the traditions and rituals of the Candle Walk have changed, going from one deeply connected to its past and its origins, to moving closer to a modern holiday that is less related to its history. The lack of trouble this brings to Mama Day is as well interesting, in that she accepts and acknowledges that traditions change as the generations do.
To me, this makes clear the process of tradition-making that occurs in Willow Springs and in most of the world. Like most things, changes in technology, time, and events will change people’s habits. This brings to mind the move from the traditional candles on the Candle Walk to the use of flashlights and cars that the younger generations have brought into use. In addition to this, historical narratives and origins of tradition can often become lost or distorted as the generations move farther away from the time when the tradition started. Like in Willow Springs, if there is no firm written history or there is a great deal of time that has passed, the original meaning and intention of the tradition becomes lost. This, too is a comment on how life and traditions change as a natural consequence of the passage of time. For this reason, it is easy to understand why Mama Day is not bothered by the change. It is clear that she recognizes change as a natural evolution of the holiday and knows that it is meaningful to each generation in whatever way they choose to celebrate the holiday. -
Something that didn’t sit right with me when I read the novel’s comment on how traditions change from generation to generation was the part about how history gets erased in the process. Candle Walk is a tradition that the people of Willow Springs have been taking part in for generations. Like most traditions, its history is rooted into the establishment of this community and commemorates the female figure “who took her freedom in 1823.”(p. 111) Due to the actions of this slave woman that enabled her to free herself, she was thus able to free the generations to come after her. While it is understandable and certainly within logical reason to say that as time passes, the younger generations will grow distant from this tradition, it is another thing to say that this new world created by the youth will not have a need for the memory of those that came before them. In fact, it were the actions of their ancestors that allowed them to have such comfortable lives. If Sapphira Wade had never taken her freedom into her own hands then who knows how history may have been rewritten. Additionally, history must be remembered in order to be able to learn from it and to not repeat the mistakes of our predecessors. Therefore, a memory has great significance and should be remembered even if it seems outdated. Without memories and traditions being passed down each generation, history will be erased.
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Candle Walk is a tradition in Willow Springs during which people simply give to each other. It seems to be similar to Christmas, though as Miranda states, “that ain’t never caught on too much here,” here being Willow Springs. (108) According to her, back when the holiday had come into circulation, it was a way for people who had done too well in the fiscal year to get a little help from the community without having to actually ask for it (110). People would just say “Come my way, Candle Walk” like we say “Happy Holidays,” and everyone would get a little something (110). However, it is said in the book that some of the details associated with Candle Walk has changed many times over the years, the tradition changing just a bit with every generation (111). However, the general idea of the holiday seems to stay the same — people giving to others. Yet the holiday is completely unique to Willow Springs, and they don’t seem to celebrate too many other holidays either. They have, as previously mentioned, picked Candle Walk in lieu of Christmas, and don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. Cocoa even claims that she found “all of the forced gaiety and noise about” Christmas unsettling (122). I believe that the book is trying to say that traditions are indicative of the character of the communities who celebrate them. This is because Candle Walk is about helping people. Giving what you can to those who need it, lending a hand to your neighbor. This sounds like Mama Day to me — acting as a doctor to everyone on the island, not even accepting pay for her work, being so no nonsense about the whole process, leaving out any “forced gaiety and noise”. Yet, as the people in Willow Springs change, so does the tradition of Candle Walk, and it becomes less about giving what you can from the heart and it becomes more about giving the absolute most from the store, like a car or new gadgets.
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The candle walk, taking place three days before Christmas on December 22 and according to Mama Day it is not to be mixed up with Christmas. This tradition is something that Mama Day states has been celebrated in Willow Springs but has severely changed and will continue to change as the thoughts of the youth also progress. Mama Day expresses how during her fathers time, the celebration was a gathering of all the people in Willow Springs to enlighten Mama Day’s great grandmother’s spirit to her freedom. The back story was that Mama Day’s great grandmother, left her home, master, and seven children to search for her freedom and that is why the candles should be lit towards the east. However, during Mama Day’s early years, she remembers the candle walk as a day to extend a helping hand of gratitude for those who are in need. Basically it went from freedom to necessity of others, neighbors, friends, and families would all deliver gifts from nature such as extra food supply, live stock, remedies in exchange for something minimal or similar but always from the ground, just to show gratitude. While during Mama Day’s now older years, Candle walk has gone from freedom to helping others to gratefulness and arrogance. The reason I say that is because according to Mama Day’s observations the youth of that time have pushed away the idea of natural Earthy things to more man made objects to show their gratitude for others and also their wealth, success, and status. The youth of Willow Spring’s are also being picky for whom they gift objects too based on biases, which differentiates from Mama Day’s time were gifts were mainly given to struggling families, elders, the sick, children, etc. As seen tradition is still the same, these individuals still offer their gratitude with a Candle Walk (or form of light) however what has changed is the gifting parts, from no gifts, to useful gifts, and to luxuries gifts. Mama Day’s that these advancements will continue to progress for a while before the tradition dies out.
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The description of Candle Walk is used to depict a shift of values in Willow Springs. This tradition, which was once a modest and genuine way in which the citizens of Willow Springs could help their neighbors, is often mistaken by the younger generation as a time for flashier, store bought gifts.
The tradition of Candle Walk apparently began to commemorate Sapphira Wade leaving her master in search of freedom. At some point it extended to giving handmade gifts to neighbors and friends. The newer generation’s approach to Candle Walk is particulalry interesting in the context of the eroding sense of tradition. Many seem to wish that Christmas would be emphasized over the walk. Candle Walk’s proximity to Christmas, and the struggle the older generation of Willow Springs faces to set it apart from the typical consumer holiday is symbolic of the changes in Willow Springs as a whole. The younger generation seems to be losing sight of the importance of their tradition, and the freedom that it provides them with. While their parents value the freedom that comes with their land, their particular way of speaking, and their separation from typical consumer culture, they see these things in the more negative light of how they serve to separate them from mainstream society.
Essentially Candle Walk is a tradition that can only properly exist in a society in which people work selflessly to help and give to their neighbors in friends. Willow Springs of old seems to have been such a place, yet the new values that are making their way onto the island are turning a holiday that celebrated freedom and giving, to one of consumerism and arrogance.
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I agree with what you said about how the younger generations are losing sight of what is to be celebrated as Candle Walk was originally meant to commemorate Sapphira Wade and celebrate how she was able to gain the freedoms of the other slaves on the island along with the deeds of the land. However, in time people started to lose the meaning as they first forgot her name, but the people of the island still celebrated the meaning of her actions. Even so, Candle Walk kept changing along with each passing generation as in Miranda’s time, the event was meant as a way to help neighbors and local residents by giving them food if the household was struggling financially or had a bad year of crops and refused to ask for assistance. The tradition’s focus changed from one commemorating Sapphira Wade to one meant as a way to help those in the community discreetly as it was more about giving than receiving. However, as the generations grew younger, meaning in the tradition was being lost as the younger people were placing more materialistic values on the event instead of helping each other. One example is was when Miranda described how the younger folk were buying prepared foods to give around even though the prepared food was to be made from one’s own hardships and that younger generations were giving more importance to themselves as they wouldn’t give others anything depending on whether they received anything from the others from the previous year.
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In the novel Mama Day, Candle Walk is an event that takes place on December 22<sup>nd</sup>. Candle Walk is a tradition that happens yearly and is a ceremony to commemorate Sapphira Wade. Candle Walk is a tradition that has been happening for a very long time but there are certain things that change within this tradition. Everyone in Willow Springs would go out at night and hold candles while they give their community gifts. It used to be that everyone would hold candles, but they realized using other sources of light would be more convenient considering wax wouldn’t be dripped on anyone. This night is all about giving homemade gifts to one another. Everyone is supposed to put a lot of effort into their gifts to show they care about the people they are giving their gifts to. Candle Walk is all about helping people and providing for them. Candle Walk and Cocoa’s description of Christmas and Thanksgiving exemplify how effective tradition is on a community. Since Cocoa was a little girl, she did not celebrate Christmas or Thanksgiving because no one did in Willow Springs. Candle Walk is something that Willow Springs always celebrated so therefore Cocoa did too. Willow Springs is an island that is separate from the world. The people from Willow Springs do things differently than everyone else in the world. Tradition is only relative if it is kept from generation to generation. Once people slowly stop tradition, then the tradition will die. I think Naylor is trying to explain how tradition is important and how it effects what people preserve and celebrate.
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Candle walk appears to be the “Christmas” of Willow Springs. It is celebrated on December 22 (three days before Christmas). On Candle Walk people give each other gifts similarly to on Christmas. One key difference is that the gifts are more emphasized on actually making the gift instead of just buying it. Its the thought that matters. Anyone can go out and buy a gift, not everyone can sit down and diligently work on creating a gift for someone else. I found that very interesting. In terms of tradition, the idea of tradition and the emphasis on tradition has changed from generation to generation, to where the younger people don’t really value Candle Walk that much. The younger people do this by putting emphasis on materialistic gifts that are bought instead of made. It is shifted from being more about giving to more about receiving.
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Candle Walk holiday or tradition? A holiday that I would consider somewhat similar to the candle walk ceremony would be Christmas, the giving of gift and being joyful. In Willow Springs, the Candle Light walk is a tradition that is highly respected amongst people in the community which traces back to history when members of Willow Springs were no longer slaves and finally got to the opportunity to live a free life thanks to Saphira Wade. During the Candle Walk, people exchange gifts, usually homemade to show others the effort and sympathy they have to help their own community. If one didn’t have a good crop season, people in the town would know, due to everyone in Willow Springs being tight-knit, but if one did have a good crop season, they would give some of their crops to people who needed it, making sure they were ok. But with tradition slowly comes change as years pass on, even said by Mama Day. She knew that in the long run, when new generations start to arrive and new developments start taking place, traditions would start to alter a little bit, but she seemed to be ok with it. Regardless, the essence of the Candle Walk will be the same and praised amongst members of Wilow SPrings, even if things start to change. Most people can always buy gifts for another but a gift that is handmade tells a different emotion, showing that you truly care for a person, something that is truly followed in Willow Springs. Said in the book, Cocoa never celebrated Christmas or Thanksgiving, but the candle walk was her form of a holiday which is rooted in the culture that they live in. Willow Springs being separate from all the other countries had its own culture and tradition something that they are clearly proud of, but eventually, the change will start to arise as things slowly start to develop in the future.
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Candle walk is traditional ceremony in Willow springs in which people give gifts to one another as a token of being thankful. However, the tradition has changed moderately since when originally started. When the tradition originally formulated, it targeted and mostly benefited the needy, as people in the community gave on their own without those in need requesting for it. The gifts were homemade and from nature as to depict the value of effort, appreciation, hard work, and gratitude placed in them. During Miranda’s later years, the tradition shifted from showing modesty and gratitude to expressing wealth and pride. This was depicted when the youth of Willow Springs would give gadgets and electronics gifts, simultaneously showing their purchase power and wealth in the process. It changed from how thoughtful the gift being given was to how expensive the gift was. Moreover, the tradition has changed from using wax candles to kerosene lamps as they were more effective and didn’t have to worry about “hot wax dropping on your hands”. Although some aspects of the tradition changed, the core of the tradition remained the same, which was just giving. Giving to help and care about others in the community. Christmas didn’t really last in Willow Springs, because it felt like an obligation to give gifts rather than coming from ones own will within to give as depicted in Candle Walk. <span class=”Apple-converted-space”> </span>
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Candle Walk is a ceremony that takes place in Willow Spring every year on December 22 . It is like their version of Christmas. The whole ceremony/holiday is about gift giving as charity and has been a tradition in Willow Springs for many years. The gift giving used to be with candles that people made by hand. These gifts were very personal and showed the love and care that each person put into his candle. Now the younger generations use electronic lamps because the candle wax was painful when it dripped on their hands. The gift giving reminds the people of Willow Springs of their history and the self sustenance they gained with their freedom. It’s showing that they used to be slaves and were always being told what to do so now they are making something for someone which shows all of the effort they can put in, without being told what to do. By breaking this tradition and using lamps instead of candles, they’re loosing the sense of effort, love, care, and freedom that they gained.
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Candle Walk is a holiday that requires the whole community to participate. It is incredibly interpersonal and the main event involves the people of Willow Springs marching together, holding candles. Perhaps equally as important is the exchange of gift, particularly foodstuff and other natural necessities. This is what is traditionally given, as the holiday would act as a safety net of sorts when the harvest did not yield much.Presently, younger people tend to give material possessions away as the old idea of providing gifts from the Earth seems lost on them. Mama Day does not worry about this discrepancy between generations as Candle Walk was different when she was a child.She remembers linking arms with her neighbors and singing passed down songs, a practice not carried on anymore. The traditions of the holiday change over time, but the sense of togetherness acts as a constant staple. Due to the culture of Willow Springs, Candle Walk is not commercialized, and thus clings onto the value of human connection.Additionally, they do not celebrate Christmas or Thanksgiving. This is perhaps why Cocoa does not care much for those holidays and opts to use the latter as a way to show off George. With these juxtaposed cases, we can see how traditions vary depending on region and culture. However, the novel makes traditions to be malleable, with the defining characteristics not as important as the overall motivation behind the tradition.
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Candle Walk is a holiday celebrated by the people of Willow Springs and is celebrated on every December twenty second. The people of Willow Springs make handcrafted gifts for each other and walk around with candles or a light to exchange gifts, similar to Christmas. However, Christmas is celebrated differently, as gifts are often bought instead of self-made and are usually given during a party inside a home. Candle Walk is traditionally more about making a gift for someone and personally delivering it to someone specifically, which is why people walk around with candles instead of just gathering people to one area and exchanging the gifts there. The people of Willow Springs take tradition very seriously, as they do not wish to have this tradition die out and are upset that the children of Willow Springs are starting to purchase gifts instead of hand crafting them. Even the people of Willow Springs are angry at Coaco for marrying a man from the city instead of finding a husband from Willow Springs. Traditions in Willow Springs seem to work to serve the purpose of uniting the residents of Willow Springs. Since the it is an island that is isolated from everything else, the residents must form strong relationships. That is why Candle Walk is replaced by Christmas in Willow Springs. However, since Children are starting to hand out gifts that are purchased, it means that the tradition of hand making gifts is dying. Therefore, the novel is probably trying to say that traditions often fall out, as the future is inevitable, and changes will eventually occur.
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Candle Walk is a holiday that is very similar to Christmas. The difference between Candle Walk and Christmas is that on Candle Walk, one walks around with their gift in hand. On Christmas, gifts are exchanged inside the home, not much walking around the neighborhood. The idea of Candle Walk is just another factor that brings Willow Springs closer together. It’s the Candle Walk tradition itself of being very intense that the people make sure to pass it along from one generation to another. We see in this generation, though, that the kids are no longer hand crafting their gifts. This upsets the older generation. This idea holds similar to reality and many other books we read. Traditions often change but the core is usually in tact (if strong enough).
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Candle Walk is a holiday in Willow Springs, where outsiders looking in hear a tale. A tale about a woman stopping god from picking up Willow Springs, that he had thrown up since they’re are all she has. The celebration takes place on the twenty second of December, and everyone walks around the neighborhood and exchanges gifts. The gift giving is similar to Christmas, however the gift giving is meant to help those who were less fortunate without making them feel obligated. This tradition had been passed down from generation to generation, and the older generations express dismay that the newer generations are buying their gift. As the tradition was passed on, the view of the holiday hhad changed cut the core idea was still there. In the older generations the gifts were handmade which expressed the lands self sustainability. The backlash towards the change in tradition is evident when the people of Willow Springs weren’t happy that Cocoa married a man from New York rather than a man from Willow Springs. I think Naylor is saying that tradition can never be broken, just altered to fit the current generations of people.
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