So, after the Summer 365 Camper of the Week Interview went live, I got contacted by Big Al, the incredible and legendary Director of Tyler Hill Camp up until 2005 and the creator of The Watermelon Sacrifice tradition. He wanted to send me a schmakel. I nearly cried I was so excited.
For context, before I explain any further, this is what I wrote about my favorite tradition in the Summer 365 interview:
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CAMP TRADITION?
There was this super weird one I loved called The Watermelon Sacrifice. The legend was as follows: The camp director at the time, Big Al, was greeted by a voice on the dock that told him to carry out sacrifices in honor of the Watermelon God. The ceremony involved one age-group on the dock at a time. Big Al would hand the youngest camper a “schmakel” or tail end of the watermelon. The camper would have to balance it on his or her head and spin three times. If the camper succeeded, he or she got to keep it as a souvenir. Otherwise, he or she would be tossed in the lake. Super high stakes. Oh! And then, if the watermelon was red, everyone feasted. If it wasn’t red, and was unripe, that meant that someone, the summer before, had spit the white seeds into the lake instead of the black ones. I was always bummed that my birthday was Christmas Eve, making me one of the oldest in my age-group. I’d love to have a rotting schmakel underneath my adult bed.
Anyone who ever went to Tyler Hill during Big Al's reign knows that this is a LIFE-CHANGING EVENT. So, I documented it! First, is a gallery of the photos Big Al mailed to me, outlining the steps of the Sacrifice.
For context, before I explain any further, this is what I wrote about my favorite tradition in the Summer 365 interview:
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CAMP TRADITION?
There was this super weird one I loved called The Watermelon Sacrifice. The legend was as follows: The camp director at the time, Big Al, was greeted by a voice on the dock that told him to carry out sacrifices in honor of the Watermelon God. The ceremony involved one age-group on the dock at a time. Big Al would hand the youngest camper a “schmakel” or tail end of the watermelon. The camper would have to balance it on his or her head and spin three times. If the camper succeeded, he or she got to keep it as a souvenir. Otherwise, he or she would be tossed in the lake. Super high stakes. Oh! And then, if the watermelon was red, everyone feasted. If it wasn’t red, and was unripe, that meant that someone, the summer before, had spit the white seeds into the lake instead of the black ones. I was always bummed that my birthday was Christmas Eve, making me one of the oldest in my age-group. I’d love to have a rotting schmakel underneath my adult bed.
Anyone who ever went to Tyler Hill during Big Al's reign knows that this is a LIFE-CHANGING EVENT. So, I documented it! First, is a gallery of the photos Big Al mailed to me, outlining the steps of the Sacrifice.
Next, here's what I did with the schmakel, as instructed! See the pic and video!
Huge thanks to Cally, Big Al's daughter, for reaching out for my address! And thank you to Big Al for making all my dreams come true! This schmakel will rot under my bed for years to come!
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