Folklore

Do you have a special song that only your family sings. Or a funny story you tell every time you see your cousins. That’s me. I am in the clapping games you play with friends and the bedtime stories you know by heart. I am the warm, happy feeling of sharing something special that has been passed down, like a cozy blanket. For a very long time I didn't have a name, I was just a part of families everywhere. But I'll tell you my name soon.

Long ago, people shared me around campfires and in cozy kitchens. Two brothers, named Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, loved my stories so much that in the early 1800s, they traveled all over to collect them. They wrote down tales like 'Cinderella' and 'Hansel and Gretel' so they would never be forgotten. Then, a kind man in England named William John Thoms decided I needed a proper name. On August 22nd, 1846, he put two words together: 'folk,' which means people, and 'lore,' which means stories. He called me Folklore—the stories of the people.

Guess what. You have your very own folklore. It’s in the way you celebrate your birthday, the special holiday foods you eat, and even the story of the Tooth Fairy. I connect you to your parents, your grandparents, and all the people who came before you. Every time you tell a family story or sing a silly song with a friend, you are helping me grow. So keep sharing, keep singing, and keep being part of your family’s wonderful story.