There are many different types of folklore groups, even within a general category, and often, folklore groups can overlap one another.
Fans A casual fan of any one group would be a person who enjoys watching movies or television shows around which their fandom is based, or ones who have read the books at least once. A more avid fan, however, can quote lines, give a character's back story, can argue plot devices, and doesn't think it at all strange to be able to do so. These are the ones who purchase the merchandise pedaled by production companies, buy and proudly wear the t-shirts and baseball caps, and carve out an hour of their week to catch a new episode. They marathon Star Wars on May the 4th (be with you), and on Revenge of the Fifth (a play on Revenge of the Sith, the sixth and latest installment of the Star Wars Franchise). They are the fans who have sorted themselves into Harry Potter's Hogwarts houses, they are the ones who know how to get There And Back Again and can speak fluent Elvish, a tongue entirely of J.R.R. Tolkein's creation. They have their zombie walk down to a science, they can name every Pokémon in the Pokédex, know the history of every Doctor, and will end every tweet they send with LLAP, or Live Long and Prosper.
These fans celebrate calendar customs, which are described by Jan Harold Brunvand as "customs in the United States that cluster around a few annual events, unlike those in Europe and elsewhere abroad that are linked to many more occasions." (Brunvand, p. 421) These customs can include, as previously stated, visiting fan conventions, or having movie marathons on specific dates or weekly episode-watching parties,
Fans With A Purpose Some fans make it a point of going above and beyond the call of fandom to bring happiness and generosity to those less fortunate. The 501st Legion (and their sister group, the Rebel Legion) is a group of cosplayers (more on that later) who dress in replica costumes of their own creations. They make public appearances for fundraisers, charity work, and volunteerism, though their original goal is to promote interest in the Star Wars fandom and community. The Harry Potter Alliance is another group, which uses the Harry Potter literature to promote childhood literacy and peace, equality, and acceptance among people on Earth, which are themes heavily promoted in the book series.
