Traditions:
South Florida Folklife
by Tina Bucuvalas
Stretching from Lake Okeechobee to Key West, South Florida encompasses a variety of tropical environments which, combined with the presence of the sea and inland waters, have influenced the character of life for its residents. The most important determinant of the South Florida experience, however, is the variety of people who have made this region their home. South Floridians have roots in the Americas, Caribbean, Africa, Europe and Asia. Their folklife reflects this heritage, but their interaction with the environment has embued it with a unique tropical cast.
Human beings are cultural as well as physical creatures — we live in a world shared with and molded by other people. Folklore is the body of traditional knowledge that people learn outside of formal institutions as a result of their participation in folk groups These groups may be familial, ethnic, religious, regional or occupational. Folklife is the manifestation of traditional knowledge and includes such diverse categories as belief, custom, art, craft, music, foodways, dance, drama, play, occupational or technical skill, architecture, and oral literature. Such expressions often acquire a distinctly local character through the influences of geography, history or talented individuals within the folk group. Folklife also ranges in form and execution from the daily, almost unnoticed aspects of life to the peak artistic expressions that have arisen from a long history of cultural achievement.
South Florida folklife consists of the entire, complex body of traditions practiced by its residents. It would be impossible to delve deeply into the scope of South Florida folklife in such a limited space. Therefore, this essay will present just a few examples in order to delineate the variety of South Florida folklife and pave the way for future investigation.
This essay is from a brochure published by the Historical Association of Southern Florida in 1987. It accompanied that year's South Florida Folklife Festival, and was made possible through the generous support of the Dade County Council of Arts and Sciences, the Metro-Dade Board of County Commissioners, the Florida Arts Council, the Florida Endowment for the Humanities (Florida Humanities Council), the Bureau of Florida Folklife, One Brickell Square, and Halcyon Ltd.
Dr. Tina Bucuvalas served as the Historical Museum’s folklife coordinator for a number of years. Her book, South Florida Folklife (Jackson: University of Mississippi, 1994), is the museum's Research Center, and local libraries.
Folk Arts | Arts
& Crafts | Architecture | Foodways
Oral Tradition | Religion
| Music | Maritime
| Conclusion
www.historical-museum.org
Historical Museum of Southern Florida