Traditions: what is it? Types of traditions - national, social, cultural, religious and others. Traditions

What is a custom? These are rules of behavior that have become entrenched in the minds of the people through repeated repetitions. What customs exist, where they come from and where they disappear, read about all this below.

What is custom

As mentioned above, rules of behavior that have become norms for people due to repeated repetition. This includes customs that are performed on holidays, as well as those that become a daily routine. Mostly people follow them out of habit, without really thinking about the meaning of the actions. Every society has its own customs. Some of them are regulated by the state, while others are observed within the same family. How long does it take for a habit to become a habit? At least for several years, at least 3-4.

How does tradition differ from custom?

Concepts are best learned by comparison. We already know what a custom is, but now let's talk about tradition. What it is? Traditions are a complex of all kinds of actions that are passed on from generation to generation with the aim of preserving and developing culture. And scale plays a role here. Tradition can be considered a local phenomenon, but more often it is created and maintained on a national scale. Nobody forces people to follow established traditions; this is a voluntary matter.

Now let's look at the differences. Tradition is much broader than customs, since it most often has a larger territorial scope. People perform various rituals, sets of actions, often without thinking about it hidden meaning, which their ancestors laid in them. But such traditions are supported by the state, since it considers them an integral part of culture. And here folk customs often change under the influence of time, government, image human thinking. But most people don't see big difference in these concepts.

How customs arise

Man is a complex creature. And to better understand what customs are, you need to find out how people create them. Initially, such rituals, or repeated actions, were performed by humans in order to survive. It was a kind of reaction to discomfort. People started the custom of killing a mammoth once a week so as not to go hungry. The girls sewed clothes from animal skins once a month so as not to die from the cold. There were many such small local customs in any society, and they still exist today. True, our contemporaries do not have to survive, so rituals are aimed not at human biological needs, but at creating mental comfort. If you think about it, many of the unconscious rituals that are established in our society do not have any logical basis behind them. Such customs and signs are common among superstitious people. Why do students eat lucky tickets from the bus before the test?

Why do people, when returning home if they have forgotten something, always look in the mirror? There were once explanations for these customs, but today they are impossible to find. Life is too changeable. Each person has the opportunity to create their own customs. How? Before an important event, he can develop the habit of walking outside for an hour to clear his head, or introduce summing up the day into his evening ritual.

How customs disappear

Time passes, everything changes. Human life very fickle. Today one job, tomorrow another, today one love, and tomorrow you can meet a new one. That's why customs have to change. An example of such changes: the disappearance of witnesses at weddings.

These people used to play the same important role as the bride and groom. But over time, the custom of inviting witnesses lost its relevance. Today, newlyweds get along just fine without them, which means there is no need to appoint friends to this role.

Another example is Epiphany fortune-telling. Previously girls We did this every year. Today this custom has fallen out of favor. Young ladies do not want to spend time in a dark bathhouse in the company of candles and mirrors. They have more exciting things to do. It turns out that customs know how to die due to changing public interests.

• vital;
• lifestyle;
• imposed from outside;
• rituals and ceremonies.

Why are customs needed?

Today there is American globalization of all countries. Most of goods and services that we are used to consuming every day are not a product of our culture. Morals and customs must be known and observed so as not to lose your roots and nationality. After all, Russia is a country with its own unique culture, speech and art. Of course, it is necessary to modernize the country by updating customs and traditions, but this does not mean that it is necessary to borrow them from other countries. Why is it so bad to borrow someone else's culture, because previously it was the norm of life and when one country was captured by another, the culture was imposed against the will of the citizens. But today it seems terrible, because, forgetting their history, people are restructuring their thinking. And in the end, an option may arise when one person rules society, imposing the only possible way of life on everyone. It’s worth reading at least one dystopia to understand how bad life would be in this situation.

Examples of customs

Today there are many rituals that people perform automatically, without even thinking about their essence. The sources of custom are folk legends, transmitted to writing or word of mouth. There are many examples that can be given.

When meeting on the street, men take off their gloves to shake hands. It seems to be a sign of courtesy and attention, but this custom has long roots. Previously, men took off their gloves to show that they did not hide weapons there, and as a result, their intentions were pure.

Another example of a custom is Maslenitsa. More precisely, the rituals associated with this holiday. For example, burning an effigy. This custom also has long roots going back to ancient times. By burning effigies, people say goodbye to winter and welcome spring.

Jumping over a fire is considered another Russian custom. True, in Lately few people do this. But before this kind of fun was popular. A guy and a girl were jumping over the fire, holding hands. If they did not release their hands and successfully overcame the obstacle, it was believed that their living together will have a long and happy life. But if young people moved away from each other during the jump, this meant that they were not destined to be together.

Unusual customs

It doesn’t seem strange to us Russians to burn an effigy on Maslenitsa or decorate a Christmas tree on New Year. But for Thais it is completely normal to launch boats down the river, in which people put flowers, put candles and light incense. This all happens in early November on a day dedicated to the spirits of water.

The norms of customs are determined by the society in which we live. And in other countries things are the same. In Turkey, for example, there is a custom: before a man takes a second wife, he must give his first chosen one jewelry worth 10 thousand dollars. This should prove to the woman that her husband is wealthy man and will be able to feed both her and the second woman.

In Kenya there is a custom according to which the young husband must do all the work of his wife for a month. It is believed that after this acquired experience, he will not reproach the woman all his life for doing nothing while doing housework.

(from Latin traditio - transfer) - formed on the basis of long-term experience of group activities and firmly rooted in Everyday life, transmitted to those new to the team, social community rules, norms and stereotypes of behavior, actions, communication of people, the observance of which has become a social need for everyone.

TRADITIONS

from lat. tradrtio - transfer) - elements of social or cultural heritage transmitted from generation to generation and preserved in social groups During a long time. Tradition is defined as certain social institutions, norms and rules of behavior, attitudes towards specific moral and moral values, customs, rituals. T. differ in content (ideas, norms, etc.), in functions (the essence of T. - customs and their form - rites or rituals), in the nature of existence (oral and written T.), from an evaluative point of view (T. . positive, neutral and negative), in socio-historical terms (T. folk and elite), etc. T. are the most stable stereotypical part of culture, in this regard they are opposed to innovations - innovations. However, this contrast is relative. In the process of interaction between technology and innovation, many technologies not only die off, but also change, taking the form of innovations, and many innovations become technology. There are four stages of such interaction: 1) Technologies resist innovations; 2) both coexist; 3) T. and innovations are mixed, forming compromise forms - palliations; 4) innovations turn into technology. Thus, the stability of technology is also relative, but nevertheless they are the most stable part of the culture, ensuring its continuity. In ethnology and cultural studies there is no consensus on the relative role of T. in different historical eras However, it is apparently more correct to consider that the normative role of T. in the course of the historical process is gradually decreasing, leaving more space freedom own choice individual or group. An example is the attitude towards etiquette, the violation of which for a long time was punished, and then only became condemned.

Traditions

lat. traditio - transmission, narration) - historically established and transmitted from generation to generation forms of activity and behavior, as well as accompanying ideas, customs, habits, skills, rules, values. T. were formed on the basis of those forms of activity that acted as regulators of societies. relations and have repeatedly confirmed their societies. significance and personal benefit. During the era of the European Enlightenment, the basis of which was rationalism, the traditional institutions, customs and morals that existed at that time were sharply criticized. Criticism undermined the authority of the aristocracy and the influence of the church, the bearer of Christian T., on social and political issues. life. The influence of traditional institutions was seen as a reactionary, repressive force based on prejudice. At this time, history itself was formed. understanding of T. as a time-limited and changeable phenomenon. The educational struggle unfolded between “traditionalists” and supporters of “critical reason.” IN early XIX V. Conservative romanticism and an ambivalent attitude towards T., which included an understanding of it as a universal history, triumphed. strength, and as a “spiritual opium” that lulls individual initiative and critical thinking. K ser. XX century Almost all the mass movements that arose during this period were various. ethnic groups and political directions were based on a critical negation of existing social T., but at the same time they revealed a desire to invent and perpetuate new, own T. This fact testifies to the attributive nature of T. for social reality, which led to the emergence of various. conceptual approaches to understanding the essence and social significance of technology. Such approaches include, for example, modernism and progressivism, for which technology is something that ultimately retreats under the onslaught of the new, it is “doomed and historically relative” . According to M. Weber, theory and rationality constitute two poles, between which there is tension that determines the direction of social dynamics. Traditional society, noted M. Weber, is radically different from modern ones. slowness of action and subordination of personal and social initiative authority of T. This implies recognition of the close connection between T. and stereotypes. If we limit our consideration of the problem of O. to a behavioral perspective, then it is obvious that following T. presupposes the stereotyping of social and individual behavior, the strict dominance of the stereotype over the will, personal characteristics and aspirations of a person. That is, a social stereotype constitutes a mechanism for implementing T. Main. The problem associated with T. in this case becomes the relationship between stereotypical experience and emerging innovations. Innovations appear in the process of organic recombination of elements of technology. With a change in the social situation of the development of a particular community, technology can be destroyed, transformed, and replaced by new ones. At the same time, T. inevitably serve as an important factor in the regulation of people’s life and form the basis of education. In ethnopsychology, the concept of a ligament or bundle of T. serves as one of the characteristics of nationalities. community. Lit.: Ivanenkov S.P. Traditions and the future // Credo. 1997. No. 1; Markaryan E. S. Theory of culture and modern science. Logical and methodological analysis. M., 1983. L. A. Karpenko

And Sergei Nesterovich.

Name

There is no established name for the resource at the moment, but one way or another everything possible options are based on the word Tradition. Initially, the project itself, while still being a network resource, was called that (sometimes also Traditio, by domain name), but due to the transition to wiki technology, the name came into circulation Wikitradition. The authors themselves, however, prefer to call their encyclopedia simply Tradition, that is, without a prefix or more full name - Russian Encyclopedia Tradition.

Story

As stated in the FAQ, “the server is dedicated to issues of metaphysics, philosophy, political science, and partly music, literature and the fine arts.” Functioned primarily as an online library; also used as personal media:

• Konstantin Krylov ran a weekly online magazine on it called “As I already said” (61 issues were published, the last one was April 7 of the year).
• Andrey Ashkerov several times started projects on “Tradition” (“I didn’t want to say, no...”, “Slow”).
• most successful project“Traditions” - online magazine “Russian Udod” (19 issues were published, the last one was dated December of the year).

Primary publications are permitted.

Tradition and Wikipedia

It should be noted that many people interested in the project are somehow connected with Wikipedia (they participate in this encyclopedia or simply read it), and therefore it is necessary to clearly describe how our project differs from it. Initially, it is proposed to highlight the following main differences:

1. Russian Wikipedia - project section international organization, Tradition is an exclusively Russian encyclopedia, organized and developed by the forces of comrades-in-arms.
2. The Russian section of Wikipedia forms the content of the encyclopedia based on the so-called. “neutral” point of view, but in essence - from the point of view of a common person who does not have own opinion. We proceed from the fact that we are creating an encyclopedia for the benefit and development of the Russian nation, and therefore our opinion, as a rule, is quite definite.
3. Tradition, unlike Wikipedia, is not only a resource of the structure “1 subject described - 1 article”, but also a repository of various information works that are closely related to each other.
4. Wikipedia's goal is to describe everything that is possible. Tradition is only something that can be useful for Russian people.
5. Wikipedia is largely a compilation of material that can be found elsewhere on the web. The Tradition community does not hesitate to be the primary source of information.
6. There are almost no flooders in the Traditio.ru project (ideally).
7. The Traditio.ru project has a predominantly friendly atmosphere, conducive to normal and fruitful work (ideally, in reality there are conflicts).

Community

Addresses of "Traditions"

• http://traditio.ru - the oldest,
• http://traditio-ru.org - having greatest number links,
• - main.

from lat. traditio - transmission) 1) historically established customs, orders, rules of behavior passed on from generation to generation; based on tradition cultural life; 2) custom, established order in behavior, in everyday life.

Excellent definition

Incomplete definition ↓

Tradition

lat. – transmission) is a way of storing and successively transmitting social experience in human communities (family, class, school, village, city, society). Thus, customs, habits, views, and assessments of actions are stored and transmitted. Traditions exist both in the material and spiritual spheres of human life. There are traditions of education and training, school traditions and children's group, traditions of family and city. Through traditions, the social inheritance of certain qualities, actions, and relationships is carried out. They develop on the basis of long-term experience of joint life activities and manifest themselves as stereotypes of behavior and communication, in stability public opinion, beliefs. Traditions are especially important in education. In children's groups they are created, supported, lived by, and used to make their lives sustainable and historically valuable. Traditions are a means of democratizing the life of society, gaining freedom; they expand the rights of all, the lowest classes.

People's lives, one way or another, are closely intertwined with traditions and customs. Celebrating a birthday or New Year, congratulating you on the eighth of March - is it a custom or a habit? What about a black cat or a bird knocking on the window? And who said that older people need to give up their seat in transport? All of the above are customs and traditions. But how to understand where is custom and where is tradition? What are their main differences?

Definition of “tradition” and “customs”

Traditions are the knowledge that is passed on word of mouth, from generation to generation, this is the knowledge that will be relevant in any area of ​​human life: everyday life, society, culture, work, family, and so on. The main feature of traditions is their universality and lack of attachment to territory.

Customs are stereotypes about the rules and norms of behavior of people in society However, they are relatively stable in society. They are also passed down from generation to generation. These include certain rules, formed in a certain sphere of human life.

The main differences between tradition and customs

The extent of distribution of traditions and customs in society. Customs refer to something specific: a people, a tribe, a territory. Tradition, in turn, relates to family, profession, and so on.

For example, there is a tradition to celebrate New Year, this reflects the connection between the old and new years. People have been seeing off for centuries old year and meet a new one. Nevertheless, everyone is familiar with the action - decorating the Christmas tree is already a custom. It is worth noting that the custom of decorating the Christmas tree and home in each nation has its own characteristics.

Level of influence. Custom, in other words, custom is a habit, people already automatically repeat it every day. And tradition is a direction of activity that is more complex and multifaceted. For example, custom is the position of a woman in the family, the attitude towards her and her responsibilities at home. And traditions include celebrating a birthday or a Saturday family trip to the park, theater, cinema, and so on.

Rooting in human consciousness. Over time, the custom becomes a tradition. Its duration is shorter than traditions. And traditions go on for decades and centuries. The custom of respecting elders in the family has become a tradition - respecting parents, taking care of them, visiting them, and so on.

Direction. The custom is aimed at practicality in the life of every person. And tradition, in turn, is aimed at informing people.

It is customary for household members to look well-groomed, and tradition informs people that they should be well-groomed and take care of their appearance.

The main point. The customs and traditions themselves are very similar. We can say that tradition is a deep custom. But if you look in more detail, you will notice a certain difference. White dress at the bride's wedding is a custom, and the celebration of this holiday is a tradition.

Impact on life. Customs bind modern man with his ancestors, pursuing the customs of a person, reveals his respect to the previous generation. Traditions reflect the life of a people and its development. Through customs people learn, acquire skills and experience, and through tradition a person joins society.

For example, a family has a tradition of cooking turkey for Sunday dinner, but what recipe and what family secrets preparations are a custom.

Change over time. Customs change over time, pursuing fashion trends and do not carry much meaning. IN primitive communal system customs acted as moral law. They depend on the opinion of society on what can be done and what cannot be done. Traditions remain unchanged over time.

Other differences

1. Function.Tradition has informational functions. Every positive experience is passed down from generation to generation as a tradition. Custom performs official, regulatory and social functions.
2. Emergence. Customs arose from the same repeated human actions. Traditions arose thanks to the support of many people, of any type. For example, alumni meet on the same day every year.
3. The nature of the rules of conduct. Traditions contain only general rules one action or another. A custom is always planned in detail and has its own plan of action, depending on the opinion of society. For example, certain nationalities have a number of customs: how a husband should behave with his wife, how to behave in society, how he should treat older people.

1. Scope. Despite the fact that today many areas of life are connected, the custom can be attributed more to family and everyday life. Traditions are more accustomed to being attributed to politics, philosophy, production, and so on.
2. Motives for compliance. People adhere to different customs because they are already accustomed to doing so. And traditions are observed only on the basis of one’s own personal beliefs. After all, not every person celebrates Epiphany or goes to church.
3. Scope of compliance. As previously mentioned, customs are rules governing the behavior of society, so customs can be followed by an entire nation or a large group of people. Traditions are followed by a small group of people, for example, a family.
4. Society's attitude. We can say that customs are viewed neutrally or even negatively. Traditions have always been respected in society.
5. Content. A custom is just an example of how one can or should act in a situation. Tradition is everything inherited from ancestors.