View source for Tradition

{{short description|Long-existing custom or belief}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
[[File:Tradition-Warner-Highsmith.jpeg|thumb|upright=1.1|''Traditions'', an 1895 bronze [[tympanum (architecture)|tympanum]] by [[Olin Levi Warner]] over the main entrance of the [[Thomas Jefferson Building]] at the [[Library of Congress]] in [[Washington, D.C.]]|alt=|220x220px]]
A '''tradition''' is a system of [[beliefs]] or behaviors ('''folk custom''') passed down within a group of people or [[society]] with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past.<ref name="Green1997">{{cite book |author=Thomas A. Green |title=Folklore: an encyclopedia of beliefs, customs, tales, music, or art |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S7Wfhws3dFAC&pg=PA800 |year=1997|publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-0-87436-986-1|page=800}}</ref><ref name="Shils2006-12"/> A component of [[cultural expressions]] and [[folklore]], common examples include [[holiday]]s or impractical but socially meaningful clothes (like [[court dress|lawyers' wig]]s or military officers' [[spur]]s), but the [[idea]] has also been applied to [[social norm]]s and [[behavior]]s such as greetings, etc. Traditions can persist and evolve for thousands of years— the word ''tradition'' itself derives from the [[Latin]]  word ''tradere'' literally meaning to transmit, to hand over, to give for safekeeping. While it is reportedly assumed that traditions have an ancient history, many traditions have been invented on purpose, whether it be political or cultural, over short periods of time. Various [[academic discipline]]s also use the word in a variety of ways.

The phrase "according to tradition" or "by tradition" usually means that what follows is known only through [[oral tradition]] and is not supported (and might even be refuted) by solid evidence. Here, "tradition" describes the source or nature of the information. For example, "According to tradition, [[Homer]] was born on [[Chios]], but many other places have historically claimed him as theirs." This tradition may never be proven or disproved. Another example is, "[[King Arthur]], according to history, a true British king, has inspired many well loved stories." Whether the claims are supported by evidence or not does not reduce their value as cultural history and literature.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tradition Definition & Meaning {{!}} Britannica Dictionary |url=https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/tradition |website=The Britannica Dictionary |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |quote=According to tradition, the goddess lies sleeping beneath the mountain.}}</ref>

[[File:Indian historical Traditional drama( In stage performance -1).jpg|left|thumb|Traditional dress and arts, such as in  this performance of Traditional Hindi Drama -- the performance of tradition through [[folklore]], reinforces the stories and memory reinforces the concept of tradition, and its importance in local communities.]]
Traditions are subject of study in several academic fields of learning, especially in the humanities and social sciences, including [[anthropology]], [[archaeology]], [[history]], and [[sociology]].

The conceptualization of tradition, as the notion of holding on to a previous time, is also found in political and philosophical discourse. For example, it is the basis of the political concept of [[Traditionalist conservatism|traditionalism]], and also strands of many world religions including [[traditional Catholicism]]. In artistic contexts, tradition is used to decide the correct display of an [[art form]]. For example, in the performance of traditional genres (such as traditional dance), adherence to guidelines dictating how an art form should be composed are given greater importance than the performer's own preferences. A host of factors can exacerbate the [[loss of tradition]], including [[industrialization]], [[globalization]], and the assimilation or [[marginalization]] of specific cultural groups. In response to this, tradition-preservation attempts and initiatives have now been started in many countries around the world, focusing on aspects such as traditional [[language]]s. Tradition is usually contrasted with the goal of [[modernity]] and should be differentiated from customs, conventions, [[law]]s, [[Social norm|norms]], routines, rules and similar concepts.
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==Definition==
[[File:LeningradCodex text.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Leningrad Codex|Textual traditions]] of bound manuscripts of the [[Sefer Torah]] (Torah scroll) are passed down providing additional [[niqqud|vowel points]], [[dagesh|pronunciation marks]], and [[Hebrew cantillation|stress accents]] in the authentic [[Masoretic Text]] of the [[Jewish Bible]], often the basis for translations of [[Christianity]]'s [[Old Testament]].]]
The English word ''tradition'' comes from the [[Latin]] ''traditio'' via [[French language|French]], the noun from the verb ''tradere'' (to transmit, to hand over, to give for safekeeping); it was originally used in [[Roman law]] to refer to the concept of legal transfers and [[inheritance]].<ref name="Giddens2003-39">{{cite book|author=Anthony Giddens|title=Runaway world: how globalization is reshaping our lives|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KPMtVIsNo-wC&pg=PA39|date=2003|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-415-94487-8|page=39}}</ref><ref name="Congar2004"/> According to [[Anthony Giddens]] and others, the modern meaning of tradition evolved during the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] period, in opposition to modernity and [[progress (history)|progress]].<ref name="Giddens2003-39"/><ref name="Shils2006-3">Shils [https://books.google.com/books?id=L-zr1Ovc5ggC&pg=PA3 3–6]</ref><ref name="Shils2006">Shils [https://books.google.com/books?id=L-zr1Ovc5ggC&pg=PA3 18]</ref>

As with many other generic terms, there are many definitions of tradition.<ref name="Green1997"/><ref name="Shils2006-12">Shils [https://books.google.com/books?id=L-zr1Ovc5ggC&pg=PA12 12]</ref><ref name="Congar2004">{{cite book|author=Yves Congar|title=The meaning of tradition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aBDnQg5zw8oC&pg=PA9|year= 2004|publisher=Ignatius Press|isbn=978-1-58617-021-9|page=9}}</ref><ref name="Boyer1990-7"/> The concept includes a number of interrelated ideas; the unifying one is that tradition refers to beliefs, objects or customs performed or believed in the past, originating in it, transmitted through time by being taught by one generation to the other, and are performed or believed in the present.<ref name="Green1997"/><ref name="Shils2006-12"/>

Tradition can also refer to beliefs or customs that are [[prehistory|prehistoric]], with lost or [[wikt:arcane|arcane]] origins, existing from ''[[time immemorial]]''.<ref name="Shils2006-15">Shils [https://books.google.com/books?id=L-zr1Ovc5ggC&pg=PA15 15]</ref> Originally, traditions were passed orally, without the need for a [[writing system]]. Tools to aid this process include [[figures of speech|poetic devices]] such as [[rhyme]], epic stories and [[alliteration]]. The stories thus preserved are also referred to as tradition, or as part of an [[oral tradition]]. Even such traditions, however, are presumed to have originated (been "invented" by humans) at some point.<ref name="Shils2006-12"/><ref name="Giddens2003-39"/> Traditions are often presumed to be [[ancient]], unalterable, and deeply important, though they may sometimes be much less "natural" than is presumed.<ref name="HobsbawmRanger-2-3"/><ref name="HobsbawmRanger-3-4"/> It is presumed that at least two transmissions over three [[generation]]s are required for a practice, belief or object to be seen as traditional.<ref name="Shils2006-15"/> Some traditions were deliberately introduced for one reason or another, often to highlight or enhance the importance of a certain institution or truth.<ref name="HobsbawmRanger-1">Hobsbawm [https://books.google.com/books?id=sfvnNdVY3KIC&pg=PA1 1]</ref> Traditions may also be adapted to suit the needs of the day, and the changes can become accepted as a part of the ancient tradition.<ref name="HobsbawmRanger-2-3">Hobsbawm [https://books.google.com/books?id=sfvnNdVY3KIC&pg=PA2 2–3]</ref><ref name=slang/> Tradition changes slowly, with changes from one generation to the other being seen as significant.<ref name="Shils2006-14">Shils [https://books.google.com/books?id=L-zr1Ovc5ggC&pg=PA14 14]</ref> Thus, those carrying out the traditions will not be consciously aware of the change, and even if a tradition undergoes major changes over many generations, it will be seen as unchanged.<ref name="Shils2006-14"/>

There are various origins and fields of tradition; they can refer to:
# the forms of artistic heritage of a particular culture.<ref>{{cite book | last = Lilburn | first = Douglas | title = A Search for Tradition | publisher = Alexander Turnbull Library Endowment Trust, assisted by the New Zealand Composers Foundation | location = Wellington | year = 1984 | isbn = 0-908702-00-0 |author-link= Douglas Lilburn}} {{Page needed|date=February 2011}}</ref>
# beliefs or customs instituted and maintained by societies and governments, such as [[national anthem]]s and [[Public holiday|national holidays]], such as [[Federal holidays in the United States]].<ref name="HobsbawmRanger-2-3"/><ref name="HobsbawmRanger-3-4"/>
# beliefs or customs maintained by [[religious denomination]]s and [[Church (congregation)|Church bodies]] that share history, customs, culture, and, to some extent, body of teachings.<ref name="WilliamsCox1992">{{cite book|author1=Michael A. Williams|author2=Collett Cox|author3=Martin S. Jaffee|title=Innovation in religious traditions: essays in the interpretation of religious change|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AD2hShiXNjEC&pg=PA1|date=1992|publisher=Walter de Gruyter|isbn=978-3-11-012780-5|page=1}}</ref><ref name="Giddens2003-39"/> For example, one can speak of Islam's tradition or Christianity's tradition.
[[File:Tradisi Unggahan Bonokeling.jpg|left|thumb|A ''[[slametan]]'' tradition of a ritual proceeding before Ramadan to honor ancestors and Ramadan in Banyumas, Central Java, Indonesia]]
Many objects, beliefs and customs can be traditional.<ref name="Shils2006-12"/> Rituals of [[social interaction]] can be traditional, with phrases and gestures such as saying "thank you", sending [[birth announcement]]s, [[greeting card]]s, etc.<ref name="Shils2006-12"/><ref name="Boyer1990-8">{{cite book|author=Pascal Boyer|title=Tradition as truth and communication: a cognitive description of traditional discourse|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C7cu0joBSM8C&pg=PR8|date=1990|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-37417-0|page=8}}</ref><ref name="Handler and Innekin">{{cite journal|last=Handler|first=Richard|author2=Jocelyn Innekin |title=Tradition, Genuine or Spurious|journal=Journal of American Folklore|year=1984|volume=29}}</ref> Tradition can also refer to larger concepts practiced by groups (family traditions at Christmas<ref name="Handler and Innekin"/>), organizations (company's [[picnic]]) or societies, such as the practice of national and public holidays.<ref name="HobsbawmRanger-2-3"/><ref name="HobsbawmRanger-3-4"/> Some of the oldest traditions include [[monotheism]] (three millennia) and [[citizenship]] (two millennia).<ref name="Shils2006-16">Shils [https://books.google.com/books?id=L-zr1Ovc5ggC&pg=PA16 16]</ref> It can also include material objects, such as buildings, works of art or tools.<ref name="Shils2006-12"/>

Tradition is often used as an [[adjective]], in contexts such as [[traditional music]], [[traditional medicine]], [[traditional values]] and others.<ref name="Green1997"/> In such constructions tradition refers to specific values and materials particular to the discussed context, passed through generations.<ref name="Giddens2003-39"/>

==Invention of tradition==
{{main|Invented tradition}}
The term "[[invention of tradition]]", introduced by [[E. J. Hobsbawm]], refers to situations when a new practice or object is introduced in a manner that implies a connection with the past that is not necessarily present.<ref name="HobsbawmRanger-1-2">Hobsbawm [https://books.google.com/books?id=sfvnNdVY3KIC&pg=PA1 1–2]</ref> A tradition may be deliberately created and promulgated for personal, commercial, political, or [[National interest|national self-interest]], as was done in colonial Africa; or it may be adopted rapidly based on a single highly publicized event, rather than developing and spreading organically in a population, as in the case of the white [[wedding dress]], which only became popular after [[Queen Victoria]] wore a white gown at her wedding to [[Albert of Saxe-Coburg]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Ingraham|first=Chrys|title=White Weddings: Romancing Heterosexuality in Popular Culture|year=2008|publisher=Taylor & Francis, Inc.|location=New York|isbn=978-0-415-95194-4|pages=60–61}}</ref>

An example of an invention of tradition is the rebuilding of the [[Palace of Westminster]] (location of the [[British Parliament]]) in the [[Perpendicular Gothic|Gothic style]].<ref name="HobsbawmRanger-1-2"/> Similarly, most of the traditions associated with [[monarchy of the United Kingdom]], seen as rooted deep in history, actually date to 19th century.<ref name=slang/> Other examples include the invention of tradition in Africa and other colonial holdings by the occupying forces.<ref name=invention>[[Terence Ranger]], ''The Invention of Tradition in Colonial Africa'', in {{cite book|author1=E. J. (Eric J.) Hobsbawm| author1-link = E. J. Hobsbawm|author2=T. O. (Terence O.) Ranger| author2-link = Terrence Ranger |title=The Invention of tradition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sfvnNdVY3KIC&pg=PA211|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-43773-8|pages=211–263|year=1992}}</ref> Requiring [[legitimacy (political)|legitimacy]], the [[colonial power]] would often invent a "tradition" which they could use to legitimize their own position. For example, a certain succession to a chiefdom might be recognized by a colonial power as traditional in order to favour their own candidates for the job. Often these inventions were based in some form of tradition, but were exaggerated, distorted, or biased toward a particular interpretation.

Invented traditions are central components of modern national cultures, providing a commonality of experience and promoting the unified national identity espoused by [[nationalism]].<ref name="HobsbawmRanger-7">Hobsbawm [https://books.google.com/books?id=sfvnNdVY3KIC&pg=PA7 7]</ref> Common examples include public holidays (particularly those unique to a particular nation), the singing of national anthems, and traditional national cuisine (see [[national dish]]). [[Expatriate]] and immigrant communities may continue to practice the national traditions of their home nation.

==In scholarly discourse==
In science, tradition is often used in the literature in order to define the relationship of an author's thoughts to that of his or her field.<ref name = Kurz129>Kurz-Milke and Martignon 129</ref> In 1948, philosopher of science Karl Popper suggested that there should be a "rational theory of tradition" applied to science which was fundamentally sociological. For Popper, each scientist who embarks on a certain research trend inherits the tradition of the scientists before them as he or she inherits their studies and any conclusions that superseded it.<ref name = Kurz129/> Unlike [[myth]], which is a means of explaining the natural world through means other than logical criticism, scientific tradition was inherited from Socrates, who proposed critical discussion, according to Popper.<ref name = Kurz129-130>Kurz-Milke and Martignon 129–130</ref> For [[Thomas Kuhn]], who presented his thoughts in a paper presented in 1977, a sense of such a critical inheritance of tradition is, historically, what sets apart the best scientists who change their fields is an embracement of tradition.<ref name = Kurz129-130/>

Traditions are a subject of study in several academic fields in [[social sciences]]—chiefly anthropology, [[archaeology]], and biology—with somewhat different meanings in different fields. It is also used in varying contexts in other fields, such as history, [[psychology]] and [[sociology]]. Social scientists and others have worked to refine the commonsense concept of tradition to make it into a useful concept for scholarly analysis. In the 1970s and 1980s, [[Edward Shils]] explored the concept in detail.<ref name="Handler and Innekin"/> Since then, a wide variety of social scientists have criticized traditional ideas about tradition; meanwhile, "tradition" has come into usage in biology as applied to nonhuman animals.

Tradition as a concept variously defined in different disciplines should not be confused with various traditions (perspectives, approaches) in those disciplines.<ref name="Patel2009">{{cite book|author=Sujata Patel|title=The ISA Handbook of Diverse Sociological Traditions|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yWZGj7WghCEC&pg=PA5|year= 2009|publisher=SAGE Publications|isbn=978-1-84787-402-3|page=5}}</ref>

===Anthropology===
Tradition is one of the key concepts in anthropology; it can be said that anthropology is the study of "tradition in traditional societies".<ref name="Boyer1990-7">{{cite book|author=Pascal Boyer|title=Tradition as truth and communication: a cognitive description of traditional discourse|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C7cu0joBSM8C&pg=PR7|date=1990|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-37417-0|page=7}}</ref> There is however no "theory of tradition", as for most anthropologists the need to discuss what tradition is seems unnecessary, as defining tradition is both unnecessary (everyone can be expected to know what it is) and unimportant (as small differences in definition would be just technical).<ref name="Boyer1990-7"/> There are however dissenting views; scholars such as [[Pascal Boyer]] argue that defining tradition and developing theories about it are important to the discipline.<ref name="Boyer1990-7"/>

===Archaeology===
In [[archaeology]], the term ''tradition'' is a set of [[archaeological culture|cultures]] or [[archaeological industry|industries]] which appear to develop on from one another over a period of time. The term is especially common in the study of [[American archaeology]].<ref name="Handler and Innekin" />

===Biology===
Biologists, when examining groups of non-humans, have observed repeated behaviors which are taught within communities from one generation to the next. Tradition is defined in biology as "a behavioral practice that is relatively enduring (i.e., is performed repeatedly over a period of time), that is shared among two or more members of a group, that depends in part on socially aided learning for its generation in new practitioners", and has been called a precursor to "culture" in the anthropological sense.<ref name = Fragaszy2>Fragaszy and Perry 2, 12</ref>

Behavioral traditions have been observed in groups of fish, birds, and mammals. Groups of orangutans and chimpanzees, in particular, may display large numbers of behavioral traditions, and in chimpanzees, transfer of traditional behavior from one group to another (not just within a group) has been observed. Such behavioral traditions may have evolutionary significance, allowing adaptation at a faster rate than genetic change.<ref>{{Cite journal
| doi = 10.1016/j.cub.2007.05.031
| issn = 0960-9822
| volume = 17
| issue = 12
| pages = 1038–1043
| last = Whiten
| first = Andrew
 |author2=Antoine Spiteri |author3=Victoria Horner |author4=Kristin E. Bonnie |author5=Susan P. Lambeth |author6=Steven J. Schapiro |author7=Frans B.M. de Waal
| title = Transmission of Multiple Traditions within and between Chimpanzee Groups
| journal = Current Biology
| year = 2007
| pmid=17555968
| s2cid = 1236151
| doi-access = free
| bibcode = 2007CBio...17.1038W
}}</ref>

===Musicology and ethnomusicology===
{{listen
|filename=Omar Rabbi Elozor.ogg
|title=Amar Rabbi Elazar
|description=A traditional setting of the last passage of the first tractate, [[Berakhot (Talmud)|Berakhot]] of the [[Oral Torah]], which describes how scholars of the Talmud create peace in the world. Performed by [[Hazzan|Cantor]] Meyer Kanewsky in 1919 for [[Edison Records]].
}}
In the field of [[musicology]] and [[ethnomusicology]] tradition refers to the belief systems, repertoire, techniques, style and culture that is passed down through subsequent generations. Tradition in music suggests a historical context with which one can perceive distinguishable patterns. Along with a sense of history, traditions have a fluidity that cause them to evolve and adapt over time.
While both musicology and ethnomusicology are defined by being 'the scholarly study of music'<ref>{{cite web|last=Duckles|first=Vincent|title=Musicology.|url=http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/46710pg1|work=Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online|access-date=6 October 2011}}</ref> they differ in their methodology and subject of research. 'Tradition, or traditions, can be presented as a context in which to study the work of a specific composer or as a part of a wide-ranging historical perspective.'<ref>{{cite book
| title     = Musicology The Key Concepts
| first     = David Beard
| last      = Kenneth Gloag
| publisher = Routledge
| year      = 2005
}}</ref>

===Sociology===
The concept of tradition, in early sociological research (around the turn of the 19th and 20th century), referred to that of the [[traditional society]], as contrasted by the more modern [[industrial society]].<ref name=slang>{{cite book|doi=10.1016/B0-08-043076-7/02028-3|chapter=Traditions: Social|title=International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences|pages=15829–15833|year=2001|last1=Langlois|first1=S.|isbn=978-0080430768}}</ref> This approach was most notably portrayed in [[Max Weber]]'s concepts of [[traditional authority]] and modern [[rational-legal authority]].<ref name=slang/> In more modern works, One hundred years later, sociology sees tradition as a [[Social constructionism|social construct]] used to contrast past with the present and as a form of [[rationality]] used to justify certain course of action.<ref name=slang/>

Traditional society is characterized by lack of distinction between family and business, [[division of labor]] influenced primarily by age, gender, and status, high position of custom in the system of values, self-sufficiency, preference to saving and accumulation of capital instead of productive investment, relative [[autarky]].<ref name=slang/> Early theories positing the simple, [[unilineal evolution]] of societies from traditional to industrial model are now seen as too simplistic.<ref name=slang/>

In 1981, Edward Shils in his book ''Tradition'' put forward a definition of tradition that became universally accepted.<ref name=slang/> According to Shils, tradition is anything which is transmitted or handed down from the past to the present.<ref name=slang/>

Another important sociological aspect of tradition is the one that relates to rationality. It is also related to the works of Max Weber (see [[Wertrational|theories of rationality]]), and were popularized and redefined in 1992 by [[Raymond Boudon]] in his book ''Action''.<ref name=slang/> In this context tradition refers to the mode of thinking and action justified as "it has always been that way".<ref name=slang/> This line of reasoning forms the basis of the logical flaw of the [[appeal to tradition]] (or ''argumentum ad antiquitatem''),<ref>{{cite web|author=Texas University |title=Is-Ought fallacy |url=http://www.txstate.edu/philosophy/fallacies/isought.htm |work=Fallacies Definitions |publisher=Texas State University Department of Philosophy |access-date=2008-02-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060826004350/http://www.txstate.edu/philosophy/fallacies/isought.htm |archive-date=26 August 2006 }}</ref> which takes the form "this is right because we've always done it this way."<ref>{{cite book
| title     = Argumentation and Debating
| first     = William
| last      = Trufant
| publisher = Houghton Mifflin company
| year      = 1917
| id        = Digitized 9 May 2007
}}</ref> In most cases such an appeal can be refuted on the grounds that the "tradition" being advocated may no longer be desirable, or, indeed, may never have been despite its previous popularity.

===Philosophy===
{{further|Tradition (perennialism)}}
The idea of tradition is important in philosophy. Twentieth century philosophy is often divided between an 'analytic' tradition, dominant in Anglophone and Scandinavian countries, and a 'continental' tradition, dominant in German and Romance speaking Europe. Increasingly central to continental philosophy is the project of deconstructing what its proponents, following [[Martin Heidegger]], call 'the tradition', which began with [[Plato]] and [[Aristotle]]. In contrast, some continental philosophers - most notably, [[Hans-Georg Gadamer]] - have attempted to rehabilitate the tradition of [[Aristotelianism]]. This move has been replicated within analytic philosophy by [[Alasdair MacIntyre]]. However, MacIntyre has himself deconstructed the idea of 'the tradition', instead posing [[Aristotelianism]] as one philosophical tradition in rivalry with others.

==In political and religious discourse==
{{Conservatism sidebar|concepts}}
{{main|Traditional values|Traditionalist conservatism}}
{{also|Tradition (disambiguation)#Religion}}
The concepts of tradition and traditional values are frequently used in political and religious discourse to establish the legitimacy of a particular set of values. In the United States in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the concept of tradition has been used to argue for the centrality and legitimacy of conservative religious values.<ref name="Bronner"/> Similarly, strands of orthodox theological thought from a number of world religions openly identify themselves as wanting a return to tradition, although "tradition" or its plural can also refer simply to the core teaching of religious group: thus [[Paul the Apostle|Paul]] in [[1 Corinthians 11]]:2 refers to "the traditions, even as I delivered them to you".<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Corinthians|11:2|ASV}}: [[American Standard Version]] (1901), cf. {{bibleverse|2 Thessalonians|2:15|ASV}}</ref> In contrast to the [[Protestantism|Protestant]] Christian doctrine of "scripture alone" (Latin: ''[[Sola scriptura]]''), [[Catholic theology|Catholic theological doctrine]] sees "tradition" alongside "scripture" as sources of authority:{{quote|[[Sacred tradition]], therefore, and Sacred Scripture of both the Old and New Testaments, are like a mirror in which the pilgrim Church on earth looks at God.<ref>Second Vatican Council, [https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html ''Dei Verbum''], paragraph 7, published on 18 November 1965, accessed on 24 August 2025</ref>
}}

The term "[[traditionalist Catholic]]" refers to those, such as [[Marcel Lefebvre|Archbishop Lefebvre]], who want the worship and practices of the Church to be as they were before the [[Second Vatican Council]] of 1962–65.<ref>{{cite book|last=Marty|first=Martin E.|title=Fundamentalisms observed|year=1994|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-50878-8|page=92|author2=R. Scott Appleby }}</ref> Likewise, [[Sunni Islam|Sunni Muslims]] are referred to as ''Ahl el-Sunnah wa Al-Jamā‘ah'' ({{langx|ar|أهل السنة والجماعة}}), literally "people of the tradition [of [[Muhammad]]] and the community", emphasizing their attachment to religious and cultural tradition.

More generally, tradition has been used as a way of determining the [[political spectrum]], with [[right-wing politics|right-wing]] parties having a stronger affinity to certain ways of the past than [[left-wing politics|left-wing]] ones.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Farrell|first1=Henry John|last2=Lawrence|first2=Eric|author3-link=John M. Sides|last3=Sides|first3=John|date=2008|title=Self-Segregation or Deliberation? Blog Readership, Participation and Polarization in American Politics|journal=SSRN Working Paper Series|doi=10.2139/ssrn.1151490|issn=1556-5068|doi-access=free}}</ref> Here, the concept of adherence tradition is embodied by the political philosophy of traditionalist conservatism (or simply ''traditionalism''), which emphasizes the need for the principles of [[natural law]] and transcendent moral order, [[hierarchy]] and [[organic unity]], [[agrarianism]], [[classicism]] and [[high culture]], and the intersecting spheres of loyalty.<ref>Frohnen, Bruce, Jeremy Beer, and Jeffrey O. Nelson, ed. (2006) ''American Conservatism: An Encyclopedia'', Wilmington, DE: ISI Books, pp. 870–875.</ref> Traditionalists would therefore reject the notions of [[individualism]], liberalism, modernity, and [[social progress]], but promote cultural and educational renewal,<ref>Frohnen, Bruce, Jeremy Beer, and Jeffrey O. Nelson, ed. (2006) ''American Conservatism: An Encyclopedia'' Wilmington, DE: ISI Books, p. 870.</ref> and revive interest in the Church, the family, the State and local community. This view has been criticised for including in its notion of tradition practices which are no longer considered to be desirable, for example, stereotypical views of the [[Feminism|place of women in domestic affairs]].<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Sex Roles|volume=7|issue=2|pages=183–188|doi=10.1007/BF00287804|title=Feminists and traditionalists: An attitudinal comparison|author=M. Dwayne Smith|author2=George D. Self |year=1981|s2cid=143401247}}</ref>

In other societies, especially ones experiencing rapid social change, the idea of what is "traditional" may be widely contested, with different groups striving to establish their own values as the legitimate traditional ones. Defining and enacting traditions in some cases can be the means of building unity between subgroups in a diverse society; in other cases, tradition is a means of [[othering]] and keeping groups distinct from one another.<ref name="Bronner"/>

==In artistic discourse==
[[File:Wigilia potrawy 76.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Holiday celebrations may be passed down as traditions, as is the case with this distinctly Polish [[Christmas]] meal, decor with [[Christmas tree#Poland|Christmas tree]], a tradition since the late 18th and early 19th centuries.]]
In artistic contexts, in the performance of traditional genres (such as [[traditional dance]]), adherence to traditional guidelines is of greater importance than performer's preferences.<ref name="Green1997"/> It is often the unchanging form of certain arts that leads to their perception as traditional.<ref name="Green1997"/> For artistic endeavors, tradition has been used as a contrast to ''[[creativity]]'', with traditional and [[folk art]] associated with unoriginal imitation or repetition, in contrast to [[fine art]], which is valued for being original and unique. More recent [[philosophy of art]], however, considers interaction with tradition as integral to the development of new artistic expression.<ref name="Bronner"/>

==Relationship to other concepts==
In the social sciences, ''tradition'' is often contrasted with ''modernity'', particularly in terms of whole societies. This dichotomy is generally associated with a linear model of social change, in which societies progress from being traditional to being modern.<ref name="Gusfield">{{Cite journal
| issn = 0002-9602
| volume = 72
| issue = 4
| pages = 351–362
| last = Gusfield
| first = Joseph R.
| title = Tradition and Modernity: Misplaced Polarities in the Study of Social Change
| journal = The American Journal of Sociology
| date = 1 January 1967
| jstor=2775860
| doi = 10.1086/224334
| pmid = 6071952
| s2cid = 8013111
}}</ref> Tradition-oriented societies have been characterized as valuing [[filial piety]], harmony and group welfare, stability, and [[interdependence]], while a society exhibiting modernity would value "individualism (with free will and choice), mobility, and progress."<ref name="Bronner">Bronner, Simon J. "Tradition" in ''International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences''. Ed. William A. Darity, Jr.. Vol. 8. 2nd ed. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. p420-422.</ref> Another author discussing tradition in relationship to modernity, Anthony Giddens, sees tradition as something bound to ritual, where ritual guarantees the continuation of tradition.<ref name = Giddens>Giddens, "Living in a Post-Traditional Society" 64</ref> Gusfield and others, though, criticize this dichotomy as oversimplified, arguing that tradition is dynamic, heterogeneous, and coexists successfully with modernity even within individuals.<ref name="Gusfield"/>

Tradition should be differentiated from ''customs, [[Convention (norm)|conventions]], laws, [[Norm (sociology)|norms]], routines, rules'' and similar concepts. Whereas tradition is supposed to be invariable, they are seen as more flexible and subject to innovation and change.<ref name="Green1997"/><ref name="HobsbawmRanger-2-3"/> Whereas justification for tradition is [[ideology|ideological]], the justification for other similar concepts is more practical or technical.<ref name="HobsbawmRanger-3-4">Hobsbawm [https://books.google.com/books?id=sfvnNdVY3KIC&pg=PA3 3–4]</ref> Over time, customs, routines, conventions, rules and such can evolve into traditions, but that usually requires that they stop having (primarily) a practical purpose.<ref name="HobsbawmRanger-3-4"/> For example, wigs worn by lawyers were at first common and fashionable; [[spur]]s worn by military officials were at first practical but now are both impractical and traditional.<ref name="HobsbawmRanger-3-4"/>

==Preservation==
[[File:GOOD SHABBES -.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|A woman welcoming the [[Shabbat]], a tradition dating back over 3,300 years]]
The legal protection of tradition includes a number of international agreements and national laws. In addition to the fundamental protection of cultural property, there is also cooperation between the [[United Nations]], [[UNESCO]] and [[Blue Shield International]] in the protection or recording of traditions and customs. The protection of culture and traditions is becoming increasingly important nationally and internationally.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID%3D15207%26URL_DO%3DDO_TOPIC%26URL_SECTION%3D201.html|title=UNESCO Legal Instruments: Second Protocol to the Hague Convention of 1954 for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict 1999|access-date=29 March 2020|archive-date=25 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210825150547/http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID%3D15207%26URL_DO%3DDO_TOPIC%26URL_SECTION%3D201.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Roger O’Keefe, Camille Péron, Tofig Musayev, Gianluca Ferrari "Protection of Cultural Property. Military Manual." UNESCO, 2016.</ref><ref>Gerold Keusch "Kulturschutz in der Ära der Identitätskriege" (German) in Truppendienst - Magazin des Österreichischen Bundesheeres, 24 October 2018.</ref><ref>Vgl. auch {{cite web|title=Karl von Habsburg on a mission in Lebanon|date=28 April 2019 |url=https://www.krone.at/1911689|language=de|access-date=29 March 2020|archive-date=26 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526200932/https://www.krone.at/1911689|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Vgl. z.&nbsp;B. Corine Wegener, Marjan Otter: ''Cultural Property at War: Protecting Heritage during Armed Conflict.'' In: The Getty Conservation Institute, Newsletter 23.1, Spring 2008; Eden Stiffman: ''Cultural Preservation in Disasters, War Zones. Presents Big Challenges.'' In: ''The Chronicle of Philanthropy,'' 11 May 2015.</ref>

In many countries, concerted attempts are being made to preserve traditions that are at risk of being lost. A number of factors can exacerbate the loss of tradition, including industrialization, [[globalization]], and the [[Cultural assimilation|assimilation]] or [[marginalization]] of specific cultural groups.<ref name="UVic">{{cite book|last=McIntosh|first=Tracey|title=New Zealand identities: departures and destinations |year=2005 |publisher=Victoria University Press |location=Wellington, N.Z.|isbn=0-86473-517-0|editor=James H. Liu|page=40|chapter=Maori Identities: Fixed, Fluid, Forced}}</ref> Customary celebrations and lifestyles are among the traditions that are sought to be preserved.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/03/11/bahrain.pearling.industry/index.html |title=Bahrain seeks to preserve ancient pearling traditions |work=CNN|date=11 March 2010 |access-date=5 February 2011 }}</ref> Likewise, the concept of tradition has been used to defend the preservation and reintroduction of minority languages such as [[Cornish language|Cornish]] under the auspices of the [[European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6554120/Cornish-street-signs-to-be-translated.html|access-date=6 February 2010|title=Cornish street signs to be translated|work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |author=Richard Savill|date=12 November 2009}}</ref> Specifically, the charter holds that these languages "contribute to the maintenance and development of Europe's cultural wealth and traditions". The Charter goes on to call for "the use or adoption... of traditional and correct forms of place-names in regional or minority languages".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://conventions.coe.int/treaty/en/Treaties/Html/148.htm|title=European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages|date=5 November 1992|access-date=6 February 2010|publisher=[[Council of Europe]]|archive-date=26 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110226052008/http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/EN/Treaties/HTML/148.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Similarly, [[UNESCO]] includes both "oral tradition" and "traditional manifestations" in its definition of a country's cultural properties and heritage. So therefore it works to preserve tradition in countries such as Brazil.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unesco.org/en/brasilia/culture-in-brazil/world-heritage-in-brazil/|title=World Heritage in Brazil|publisher=UNESCO|access-date=11 February 2011|archive-date=26 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110126152427/http://www.unesco.org/en/brasilia/culture-in-brazil/world-heritage-in-brazil/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In [[Japan]], certain artworks, structures, craft techniques and performing arts are considered by the Japanese government to be a precious legacy of the Japanese people, and are protected under the Japanese Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties.<ref name="ACA">{{cite web| url =http://www.bunka.go.jp/bunkazai/pamphlet/pdf/pamphlet_en_03.pdf| title =Cultural Properties for Future Generations| date =June 2007| work =Administration of Cultural Affairs in Japan ― Fiscal 2009| publisher =[[Agency for Cultural Affairs]]| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20090327083232/http://www.bunka.go.jp/bunkazai/pamphlet/pdf/pamphlet_en_03.pdf| archive-date =27 March 2009}}</ref> This law also identifies people skilled at traditional arts as "[[Living National Treasure (Japan)|National Living Treasures]]", and encourages the preservation of their craft.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/books/article/Treasures-of-Japan-Its-Living-Artists-2928110.php|title=Treasures of Japan&nbsp;– Its Living Artists|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=30 May 1999|access-date=5 February 2011|archive-date=11 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511201607/http://articles.sfgate.com/1999-05-30/books/17688560_1_living-treasures-art-works-authors|url-status=live}}</ref>

For native peoples like the [[Māori people|Māori]] in New Zealand, there is conflict between the fluid identity assumed as part of modern society and the traditional identity with the obligations that accompany it; the loss of language heightens the feeling of isolation and damages the ability to perpetuate tradition.<ref name="UVic"/>

==Traditional cultural expressions==

The phrase "[[traditional cultural expressions]]" is used by the [[World Intellectual Property Organization]] to refer to "any form of artistic and literary expression in which traditional culture and knowledge are embodied. They are transmitted from one generation to the next, and include handmade textiles, paintings, stories, legends, ceremonies, music, songs, rhythms and dance."<ref>{{citation|url=https://arts.adelaide.edu.au/linguistics/guide.pdf|title=ENGAGING - A Guide to Interacting Respectfully and Reciprocally with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, and their Arts Practices and Intellectual Property|author=Zuckermann, Ghil'ad |display-authors=etal |publisher=Australian Government: Indigenous Culture Support|year=2015|page=7|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160330114112/http://arts.adelaide.edu.au/linguistics/guide.pdf|archive-date=30 March 2016|author-link=Ghil'ad Zuckermann}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Folklore]]
* [[Origin myth]]
* [[Perennial philosophy]]
* [[Sacred tradition]]

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist |colwidth = 30em }}

=== Works cited ===
* {{cite book |title = Towards a biology of traditions |first1 = Dorothy Munkenbeck |last1 = Fragaszy |first2 = Susan |last2 = Perry |publisher = Cambridge University Press |year = 2003 |isbn = 978-0-521-81597-0 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=kjcFqak6rSAC&pg=PA1 }}
* {{cite book |chapter = Living in a Post-Traditional Society |first = Anthony |last = Giddens |title = Reflexive modernization: politics, tradition and aesthetics in the modern social order | publisher = Stanford University Press |year = 1994 |isbn = 978-0-8047-2472-2 }}
* [[E. J. Hobsbawm|Hobsbawm, E. J.]], ''Introduction: Inventing Traditions'', in {{cite book |author1 = E. J. (Eric J.) Hobsbawm |author1-link = E. J. Hobsbawm |author2 = T. O. (Terence O.) Ranger |author2-link = Terrence Ranger |title = The Invention of tradition |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=sfvnNdVY3KIC&pg=PA1 |publisher = Cambridge University Pressv |isbn = 978-0-521-43773-8 |year=1992 }}
* {{cite book |chapter = Modeling Practices and "Tradition" |first1 = Elke |last1 = Kurz-Milcke |first2 = Laura |last2 = Maritgnon |title = Model-based reasoning: science, technology, values |pages = 127–144 |chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=4fz-HWgO78QC&q=%22Using%20tradition%22&pg=PA127 |publisher = Springer |year = 2002 |isbn = 978-0-306-47244-2 }}
* {{cite book |last = Shils |first = Edward |title = Tradition |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=L-zr1Ovc5ggC&pg=PA3 |year= 2006 |publisher = University of Chicago Press |isbn = 978-0-226-75326-3 }}

==Further reading==
* Sowell, T (1980) ''Knowledge and Decisions'' Basic Books. {{ISBN|0-465-03738-0}}
* Polanyi, M (1964) ''Personal Knowledge: Towards a Post-Critical Philosophy'' {{ISBN|0-226-67288-3}}
* Pelikan, Jaroslav (1984). ''The Vindication of Tradition''. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press. {{ISBN|0-300-03638-8}} pbk.
* Klein, Ernest, ''A comprehensive etymological dictionary of the English language: Dealing with the origin of words and their sense development thus illustrating the history and civilization of culture'', Elsevier, Oxford, 7th ed., 2000.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Traditions}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* [https://hindi.webdunia.com/my-blog/parampara-nagar-chorasi-118100600052_1.html विविधता में एकता का परिचायक है 'परंपरा- नगर चौरासी'] {{In lang|hi}}

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