February 23, 2012

Traditions Bind A Society

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Image by frankartculinary via Flickr

Each region in the world has its own society. Each society has its own traditions, customs, and beliefs. People in each society identify themselves with their own communities through several aspects like language, color, clothing, food and eating habits, attitude, behavior, and all other factors of their existence. Traditions are passed down through generations. It can be seen that the older a society, the stronger are its traditions.

People of all societies take pride in their traditions. They feel a sense of belonging while in the midst of their own kind, where a common set of traditions are followed by all. This ensures a high level of comfort in the daily lives of people, as well as provides a sense of security where all people in the society live by a common set of rules. Law and order is thus also ensured through this process.

When members of one society interfaces or interacts with another society, it becomes necessary for members of both societies to understand the traditions of the other society. With a good deal of understanding of each other’s traditions, values and beliefs, it becomes easy to deal with each other in a peaceful manner. The outcome of such dealings can generally be expected to be beneficial to both societies.

However, if the societies do not understand the traditions of each other, and thoughtlessly interact, it can often result in conflicts, which might take long to resolve, and also result in losses to both sides. Traditions have thus an important role to play in the peaceful existence of people in any region.

What is tradition?

Basically tradition is nothing else besides a belief or a custom to pass out the rituals from one generation to the offspring that are to be believed to nurture those precious things in their lives in order to attain more satisfaction and to live a happy life. The evolution of tradition is from the beginning of the well developed culture on the earth, as traditions are being followed by the kings also. Traditions can also be defined as the prehistoric customs that are meant in order to live a happy life, thus the previous generations provide them to the next generations as a blessing.

 

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Image via Wikipedia

Traditions are the virtues that are being followed by the next generation as their customs. There are various traditions in the world; one will find a different kind of tradition at different places. These are actually made by the ancestors who are being carried out through several generations of the human beings. One must consider traditions as their fundamental duties but up to a mark till where they are right. Tradition basically shows the local culture of that particular group of people or the place where it is being followed. Traditions are the beliefs that are been made by the people in order to please the only omnipotent in this entire world that is the god. Tradition is also a set of rules that is designed in order to make society to live peacefully. Thus, they are being followed by the people through several generations. Thus, are being followed.

Keeping Traditions Alive in Immigrant Families

Immigrants to America bring their traditions with them from the old country, whether it be religious or a certain way of living life. The first generations born on US soil tend to be eager to shed their parents traditions, feeling that it is out of date or too foreign. And that is a crying shame, as traditions are what keep families close through the years.

There are so many wonderful traditions that come to the US from other lands, ones that should not be lost simply because of a sense of embarrassment. Poles treat their Christmas Eve like Americans treat Christmas day. It is a time for church, then good food and presents. Why should subsequent generations shed the Christmas Eve traditions for Christmas day? Celebrate both instead. There is nothing shameful in doing so.

Traditions are also a form of heritage and celebrating it. Even the Amish, a religious sect, have traditions that have nothing to do with their choice of religion and everything to do with their Dutch-German heritage. Again, each generation should hold onto the previous one’s traditions and keep them alive, or lose them forever to memory. Letting a tradition fade away takes away what is special and unique about one’s heritage, turning that generation into people just like everyone else. Boring.

The sense of community and family that is created by keeping old traditions alive is priceless. There is a common bond between people that is never lost. And memories are created for the passing down to subsequent generations in the hope of keeping the flame alive down the years.