As I prepare for my vacation next week, I decided to take a moment to ruminate about traditions. Halloween is probably my favorite holiday, though Christmas and Thanksgiving definitely rank second and third by very small margins. Every year, though, I take off the week of Halloween to work on my costume and prepare for what is one of my favorite nights of the year. I always ensure we have candy to pass out to visitors, and I always decorate the front of my house, though this year the decorations are fairly sparse as I have been busy with work, school, and family life. Still, I love dressing up, I love costumes, and I absolutely adore the fact that on Halloween, you can wear crazy stuff and people don't look at you funny; instead they compliment you and ask who or what you're dressed up as!
But because I always take off the last week of October, it struck me that Halloween was my tradition. I always take off work, I always have a costume even if I make no plans to go anywhere or do anything special, and I always decorate even if it's just a couple of pumpkins on my porch. That prompted thoughts about other traditions, like how Thanksgiving typically includes a turkey, a giant meal, and family. Or how the 25th of December always includes gifts. We have traditions because they give us something to build upon that we know will always be consistent. December 25th will always be a day to celebrate family and joy, Thanksgiving will always be a day to give thanks for what we have and spend time with those we love, and Halloween will always be a day where we dress up and play pretend.
Traditions are a societal foundation, and each society has different ones. Like, for example, how in India it is traditional to give gold at weddings, or in China how they celebrate their new year, or the right of passage ceremony for the Maasai. These are all cultural traditions that are a part of a particular ethnic group's culture the same way saluting the flag and shooting fireworks on the 4th of July are a part of American culture. Traditions are just another part of culture, a critical part upon which expectations and beliefs are built. They are a way for other cultures to connect through similar beliefs and celebrations, and a way for diverse peoples to come to understandings about their varied and sometimes divergent influences.
They are also a part of how we shape our children's views of society. We teach them about our culture by taking part in the traditions that mean something to us while they're still young and impressionable; by the time they reach adulthood they assume the traditions are normal and "what everyone does". Traditions can help us to form the foundations of their belief systems, whether or not we tie them to religious connotations. Simple, personal traditions passed on down family lines can eventually become societal norms, as families expand and more people adopt its traditions. It's worth the time to think about things that are your own, personal traditions. Where did they come from? Why do you celebrate them? And perhaps most importantly, what do they mean for others around you?
After all, sometimes the simplest of habits can become a tradition without you even realizing it.