Custom examples from history. Customs - what they are, their functions, types and examples of customs

Unlike manners and etiquette, customs are inherent to the broad masses of people. A custom is a spontaneously formed, habitual, stereotypical way of behavior of people. Custom - traditionally established order of behavior. It is based on habit and refers to collective forms of action. Customs are mass patterns of actions approved by society that are recommended to be performed. Informal sanctions are applied to violators - disapproval, isolation, censure. The Slavs had such collective actions as the custom of giving birth to the first child in the parental home, the custom of feeding the father of the newborn at the christening dinner with a mixture of porridge, pepper, salt, vodka, and sometimes vinegar, the custom of “sealing the grave,” etc.

Inset

M. Kupriyanova English etiquette

Most people associate the word “etiquette” with something like a white starched tablecloth, which is pulled out on holidays. Meanwhile, using the rules of etiquette every day, you get additional pleasure from communicating with others. A few words about specific rules of good manners. Who should go through the door first - a man or a woman? There are two legends about this. Our ancestors, to check whether the cave was inhabited, launched a woman first. If she returned, the husbands boldly took over the shelter; if not, they looked for another. In the Middle Ages, a woman walked in front of a man and thereby seemed to protect him - the cult of the Beautiful Lady was so strong that it was unthinkable to attack not only the woman, but also her companion. Today, a man should go ahead of a woman when he can protect her from possible danger, say, when entering a restaurant or an elevator. In other cases, he walks behind.

Approaching the door, a woman expects a man to open it. She can count on the same service when leaving the car. ^Which side should a man walk from a woman - to the right or to the left? Since he is obliged to hold you with his right, his strongest hand,

Hey, we need to move to the right. But there are two exceptions to this rule: if your companion is a military man and if you are moving along the street, then you need to choose the least dangerous or dirty side. Who greets whom first? French military regulations say that the most polite person greets first. But according to etiquette, a young man should greet an older man, a man should greet a woman. But the hand is offered to shake -

in reverse order: woman to man, elder to younger.

In general, a handshake is not a very desirable form of greeting for a woman. When she extends her hand, she often doesn’t know whether they will shake her fingers or kiss her. Therefore, it is better for a woman to offer her hand in a relaxed and vague way, so that the man has a choice. Adapted and abridged from: Moskovsky Komsomol member. 1994. April 7.

Tsivyan T.V. On some issues of constructing the language of etiquette // Proceedings on sign systems. "artu, 1965. T. 2. P. 144.

Custom regulates the behavior of group members, strengthens group cohesion, and introduces the individual to the social and cultural experience of the group. Examples of customs are New Year celebrations, weddings, visiting, etc. Compliance with customary norms is ensured by the strength of the group's public opinion.

A custom that is preserved and passed on from generation to generation is called tradition (from lat. traditional- transmission, legend). Tradition is everything that is inherited from predecessors. Tradition is represented by values, norms, patterns of behavior, ideas, social institutions, tastes, and views. Meetings of former classmates, fellow soldiers, and the raising of the national or ship’s flag can become traditional. Some traditions are performed in a casual setting, while others are performed in a festive, upbeat setting. They belong to the cultural heritage, are surrounded by honor and respect, and serve as a unifying principle.

Tradition is a method of reproduction, the process of transmission (transmission) from one generation to another of the basic content of culture - values ​​and norms. Traditions preserve all that is most valuable in culture.

The mechanism of such transfer is:

♦ folklore, i.e. oral tradition;

♦ imitation, repetition of a pattern of behavior. Adequacy is achieved through repeated repetition of actions, and rituals play a great role in this.

In pre-industrial societies, most, and in pre-literate societies, the entire content of culture was transmitted through traditions.

The importance of traditions for the life of society is difficult to overestimate. They play a role similar to heredity in a living organism. And just as disturbances in the apparatus of heredity can lead to the death of an organism, so cultural destruction and loss can lead to the degradation of society.

Traditions do not allow the “connections of times” to disintegrate; they accumulate the cultural experience of previous generations and pass it on to their descendants, which allows them to build their lives not from scratch, but from the place where their ancestors left off. The interruption of a cultural tradition (as a result of natural disasters, wars) leads society to decline. The loss of traditions means the loss of socio-historical memory (public amnesia), as a result, the people cease to feel that they are subjects of history, just as a person who has lost his memory ceases to feel that he is a person. Such people (and society) are easy to manipulate, like a child.

Therefore, sometimes a cultural tradition is interrupted not only by force, but artificially. Some forces, in arrogant impatience, are trying to “drive the nag of history” by making a “great leap.” The main way of this is to break the connection between generations, pitting “progressive” children against “backward” fathers: the Hitler Youth in Germany, the Red Guards in China. The sad consequences of this are well known. In general, the desire to renounce the old world, to destroy everything to the ground, to throw Pushkin off the ship of modernity is a manifestation of extreme lack of culture, sociological illiteracy and national unconsciousness.

The implementation of sociocultural norms is often expressed in rites and rituals - a strictly defined sequence of symbolic actions embodying certain social ideas.

Rituals accompany the most important moments in a person’s life - birth (baptism, naming), growing up (initiation), creating a family (wedding, wedding), death (funeral service, burial, wake). The social meaning of the ritual is to promote better assimilation by the individual of group values ​​and norms. The power of the ritual lies in its emotional and psychological impact. The aesthetic side of the ritual is aimed at this - music, songs, dances, expressive gestures, etc.

Often ritualism is associated only with religion. In fact, ceremonial (ritual) actions are common in all spheres of social reality: the military oath, initiation into students, opening of a monument, inauguration of the president, etc. Even in prison there are rituals. For example, the ritual of “registration”, i.e. welcoming a newcomer into the prison community; ritual of “lowering” - transfer to a low-status group, lower “caste”.

Rituals associated with birth, wedding, death are called family; agricultural and other rituals - calendar ones.

In medieval England there was such a custom. When an apprentice, engaged in unskilled dirty work, was transferred to master printers, who were engaged in clean, highly skilled work, the comrades finally arranged a wash in reverse. The young man was immersed in a vat of waste. It could have been yogurt stored in advance, into which colleagues spat, urinated, and did whatever came to mind for several days. Through the rite of passage, i.e. Literally everyone went through the rite of passage from one job to another. It survived in England until recent days, but in a purely symbolic form.

Many ancient rituals are associated with bread. Twinning is the sharing of a cake between named brothers, a wedding ceremony is the ritual of sharing bread between husband and wife. “Bread and salt” - this greeting is a symbol of cordiality and hospitality. In the religious rite of communion, believers “eat the flesh” of God in the form of bread.

Ceremony and ritual

They exist not only in the sphere of religion, as one might think. Symbolic actions permeate all areas of human culture.

Ceremony- a sequence of actions that have symbolic meaning and are dedicated to marking (celebrating) any events or dates. The function of these actions is to emphasize the special value of the events being celebrated for the society or group. A coronation is a prime example of a ceremony that is important to society.

Ritual- a highly stylized and carefully planned set of gestures and words, performed by persons specially selected and trained for this purpose. The ritual is endowed with symbolic meaning. It is intended to dramatize this event and evoke awe in those present. An example of a ritual is making a sacrifice to a pagan god.

Most rituals break down into their component parts and elements. Thus, an obligatory part of the aircraft takeoff ritual is waiting for the command “Takeoff is cleared.”

The farewell ritual includes the following: sit on the path, hug, cry, wish a safe journey, do not sweep the floor for three days, etc. The ritual of submitting a scientific dissertation is a complex set of elements.

The history of many rituals goes back to ancient times. For example, no one knows where and when the ritual of “fire dancing” first arose (only written mentions of it, made in the 1st century BC, remain). People can walk on fire and even dance barefoot on all continents. This is done, in particular, by the North American Indians of the Navajo tribe, the peasants of Sri Lanka and Muslims in India, the inhabitants of Landagas (Greece), the shamans of the Chinese Lolo tribe, and the Bulgarians. In Rus', people did not walk on hot coals, but during the celebration of the arrival of spring, young peasants jumped through the high flames of a large fire.

According to K. Lorenz, the ritual has a cultural origin and fulfills three Features: prohibition of fighting between group members; keeping them in a closed community; delimitation of this community from other groups. The ritual deters aggression and unites the group. The accumulation of aggression is all the more dangerous the better the members of a given group know each other, the more they understand and love each other. Sometimes we respond to minor gestures from our best friend, whether he coughs or blows his nose, as if we had been hit by a drunken hooligan. Human culture is entirely based on ritual. Non-ritualized actions such as picking, scratching, sneezing, spitting, etc. there is very little left in it. They are called uncivil actions.

The rigidity of traditional ritual and the persistence with which we adhere to it are necessary for society. But every person needs them too. After all, adherence to rituals and cultural patterns requires control on the part of our consciousness and will, and insistent control over our behavior further develops the sphere of morality and morality.

Manners and prohibitions

Morals are a type of custom. Manners- these are especially significant and highly respected customs for the group that have moral significance.

Mores reflect the moral values ​​of society; violation of them is punished more severely than violation of traditions. From the word “mores” comes “morality” - ethical standards, spiritual principles that determine the most important aspects of the life of society. Latin moralis means "moral". Mores are customs that have moral significance. This category includes those forms of human behavior that exist in a given society and can be subjected to moral assessment. In ancient Rome, this concept meant “the most respected and sanctified customs.” In many societies, it is considered immoral to walk the streets naked (although it is allowed to do this at home), insult elders, beat a woman, offend the weak, mock the disabled, etc.

A special form of morals are special prohibitions, which are called taboo. This Polynesian word denotes a system of prohibitions on performing certain actions (using any objects, pronouncing words), the violation of which in primitive society was punishable by supernatural forces.

Taboo- an absolute prohibition imposed on any action, word, object. It regulated the most important aspects of human life: it ensured compliance with marriage norms, protected from dangers associated

in particular, with touching a corpse. Taboo(the process of imposing taboos) was widespread in archaic societies, but taboos have not disappeared in modern cultures.

Taboos served as the basis for many later social and religious norms. In modern society, certain aspects are subject to taboo: consanguineous relationships - the ban on incest (incest); food process - a ban on cannibalism, a ban on eating pork among Jews and Muslims. Desecration of graves or insulting feelings of patriotism are taboo. Taboo is the strongest type of social prohibition existing in human society, the violation of which is punished especially harshly.

Fashion and hobbies

A person learns traditions and customs regardless of his will and desires. There is no freedom of choice here. On the contrary, such elements of culture as tastes, hobbies and fashion indicate a person’s free choice.

Taste- an inclination or predilection for something, most often a feeling or understanding of the graceful. Taste in clothing shapes individual style,

Inset

Prohibitions on food and drink

They exist in different religions. In Orthodoxy, the principle of Christian freedom is observed in matters of food intake. Christ freed people from the obligation to observe the requirements of the Mosaic Law, set out in the Old Testament, in food and drink.

And yet some prohibitions exist: you cannot eat strangled animals and blood (i.e. meat containing blood), for “blood is the soul.” You cannot indulge in excesses in food and drunkenness, for “drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Orthodox Christians have a special diet during fasting. God-obedient Jews eat kosher food, i.e. ritual, prepared according to special rules. It is divided into several categories - vegetable, fish and meat. However, fish food is not considered kosher if the fish does not have scales. Meat food is considered kosher if the animal has no wounds. Orthodox Jews do not eat meat with blood. In addition, Jews can only eat animals with cloven hooves and regurgitation. They do not eat meat food after dairy food for six hours, but they can eat dairy food after meat food, but after rinsing their mouth first. The most detailed rules regarding food are developed in Islam. In addition to direct prohibitions, there are also indirect ones, meaning censure or disapproval. Eating pork is absolutely prohibited. Such a ban existed in Ancient Egypt, among the Jews, and then among the early Christians. The reason is that pork spoils faster in hot climates and

There are more chances to be poisoned by this meat than by lamb or beef. Islam strictly prohibits the consumption of alcohol. Even being present at a drunken feast is considered a sin for a Muslim. The appearance of the ban on alcohol is not accidental. Drunkenness interfered with the fulfillment of religious orders. For a devout Muslim it is considered

It is a sin to miss at least one of the five obligatory daily prayers. It is condemned, although not prohibited, to eat mule meat. Historians explain this relaxation by the fact that the Turkic peoples, whose menu traditionally included horse meat, joined Islam. It is allowed to eat fish. Sharia - the Muslim code of laws and rules - separately stipulates which parts of the body of animals cannot be eaten: blood, genitals, uterus, tonsils, spinal cord, gall bladder, etc. Finally, the meat of even “edible” animals becomes forbidden if the animal is not slaughtered according to Sharia rules. Abridged by source: AiF. 1994. No. 9.

manner of dressing. Taste is individual, so it shows how much a person has deviated from generally accepted norms, average standards.

Enthusiasm- short-term emotional addiction. Each generation has its own hobbies: tight trousers, jazz music, wide ties, etc.

Fashion- a change in hobbies that have taken hold of large groups.

fashion also understood as the quickly passing popularity of something or someone. Usually these are some minor standards - in clothing, nutrition, behavior, etc. If a person’s taste can remain throughout his life, then hobbies are constantly changing. When hobbies take hold of the masses, they develop into fashion. A taste for twists, short skirts or flying saucers can be called both fashion and hobby. Unlike fads, fashion expresses social symbols. Having fashionable slacks is considered prestigious not because they are beautiful, but because slacks are a symbol of popular culture. Fashionable items are more expensive than ordinary clothes, and their purchase is regarded as success. Fashion trends are more characteristic of an urban environment, where a person’s status and prestige depend not so much on hard work or character, but on lifestyle, level of well-being, and manner of dressing.

If customs and mores are stable and long-term social norms, then fashion and hobbies are among the unstable and short-term patterns of behavior. Fashion - periodic changes in patterns of mass behavior: in clothing, musical tastes, architecture, art, speech behavior. Custom is oriented toward tradition, while fashion is oriented toward modernity, renewal, and innovation.

Fashion is not characteristic of primitive societies, but becomes common in complex, industrial societies. It could not be found in a caste society. In a class society, fashion was limited to a circle of aristocrats; in a class society, it subjugated the masses of people. The so-called mass, or flow, production, when standardized and cheap products are manufactured, is such because it satisfies

Inset

Versailles fashion

From the middle XVII V. The French court of King Louis XIV became the trendsetter. This was the heyday of the absolute monarchy in France. Its manifestation in fashion was the fashion of the nobility and royalty, a continuation of Spanish fashion, adapted to the tastes of the French. Strict geometry was replaced by bright tones and colors, complex cut. From that time on, French taste and fashion conquered all of Europe and did not cease to dominate it for centuries. Baroque fashion introduced new materials and decorations; silk and lace replaced velvet. The clothes became very picturesque. The freely flowing dress embodied fantasy, and with it the desire for eccentricity and luxury. The nobles wore camisoles made of brocade and decorated with gold

ribbons, vests, tight knee-length trousers, silk stockings. Near 1640 wigs with curled curls appeared. The king was the trendsetter. Louis XIV loved extravagant clothes, wore shoes decorated with 40 cm wide ribbons. The king's favorites were allowed to wear a blue cloak with a red lining, embroidered with gold.

meets the needs of the broad mass of consumers. With mass production, mass art and its element, fashion, came to modern society.

Fashion has the ability to come quickly and disappear quickly. The cycle of changing people's tastes and preferences is very short - several years. Often, at a new stage, something that once existed returns. The cycle of returning the old lasts 20-30 years. For example, in the 1980s. among young people, torn jeans and scarves on the forehead were in fashion; This is how hippies dressed back in the 1960s. Twist, neck, tight trousers, sleeveless dresses, fire-in-the-jungle ties, walks near bodies of water and cultural conversations (about nature, weather, music, books) became fashionable among teenagers. The culture of the 1960s and 1970s has returned to everyday life, i.e. the clothes, manners, music and spirit of their parents' generation. Teenagers of the “new wave” began to be called fans of their parents’ childhood (hipsters).

Not all segments of human behavior are subject to fashion and hobbies. Religious activities, political activities, and family life are regulated to a greater extent by customs and traditions and to a lesser extent by fashion and hobbies.

Flavors determined by the climatic and geographical conditions in which the people live. Thus, among the landlocked Zulus and Mongols, fish has never been a fashionable delicacy, and in Oceania they rarely eat meat. The main product (mass fashion) here is fish, but the residents lack protein and even eat insects.

However, with all the diversity of human tastes, there is one product that is consumed by all peoples - bread. Until the Middle Ages, most of the civilized world used unleavened flatbread as bread. It was only at the very beginning of the Middle Ages that flatbreads in Europe were replaced by bread made from fermented dough. Yeast appeared in Egypt 3.5 thousand years ago, but at first yeast bread was available only to a select few. The experience of his baking was borrowed from Egypt in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, where the baker was elevated above other artisans. When people mastered the technology of baking cheap bread, it became a fashionable product available to the general population.

Values

Culture, like society, rests on a value system. Values- socially approved and shared by most people ideas about what goodness, justice, patriotism, romantic love, friendship, etc. are. Values ​​are not questioned; they serve as a standard and ideal for all people. If fidelity is considered a value, then deviation from it is condemned as betrayal. If cleanliness is a value, then sloppiness and uncleanliness are condemned as indecent behavior.

No society can survive without values. Individuals can choose whether to share these or other values. Some are committed to the values ​​of collectivism, while others are committed to the values ​​of individualism. For some, the highest value may be money, for others - moral integrity, for others - a political career. To describe what values ​​people are guided by, sociologists introduced the term "value orientations". They describe individual attitudes or the choice of specific values ​​as a norm of behavior.

So, values ​​belong to the group or society, value orientations belong to the individual. Values ​​are beliefs shared by many people about goals to strive for.

The honor and dignity of the family has been one of the most important values ​​of the human community since ancient times. By showing concern for his family, a man thereby demonstrates his strength, courage, virtue and everything that is highly valued by others. He chose highly respected values ​​to guide his behavior. They became his cultural norm, and the psychological attitude toward their observance became his value orientation. By studying the value orientations of modern Russians using a survey method, sociologists can find out: a) what specific values ​​they prefer to be guided by at work and at home; b) how the social ideals behind private orientations are understood, correctly or incorrectly.

Even the simplest norms of behavior represent what is valued by a group or society. Cultural norms and values ​​are closely interrelated. The difference between a norm and a value is expressed as follows:

♦ norms - rules of behavior;

♦ values ​​- abstract concepts of what is good and evil, right and wrong, due and improper

The basis of the eastern culture of Japan and China is filial piety(Chinese: xiao). It includes such officially recognized duties as respect for parents, unquestioning obedience to them, and the duty to take care of one’s father and mother throughout one’s life. Compliance with this cultural standard alone has so restructured social relations in society that the Chinese people today are perhaps superior to all others in terms of parts of respect for elders.

Values ​​have a common basis with norms. Even common habits of personal hygiene (washing your face, brushing your teeth, blowing your nose into a handkerchief, ironing your trousers) in a broad sense act as values ​​and are translated by society into the language of regulations.

Prescriptions- is a prohibition or permission to do something, addressed to an individual or group and expressed in any form (oral or written, formal or informal).

Values is what justifies and gives meaning to norms. Human life is a value, and its protection is the norm. A child is a social value, the responsibility of parents to take care of him in every possible way is a social norm. Some norms are obvious, perceived at the level of common sense, and we implement them without thinking. Others require tension and serious moral choices. Giving your seat to older people and saying hello when meeting people you know seems obvious. However, staying with a sick mother or going to fight for the liberation of the Motherland (the hero of one of J.P. Sartre’s plays was faced with such a dilemma) is a choice between two fundamental moral values.

Thus, in a society, some values ​​can come into conflict with others when both are equally recognized as inalienable norms of behavior. Not only norms of the same type come into conflict, but also different types, for example, religious and patriotic: a believer who sacredly observes the norm “thou shalt not kill” is asked to go to the front and kill enemies.

People have learned to resolve value conflicts (in whole or in part, real or illusory) in various ways. For example, the Orthodox

vie and Catholicism do not give hope of salvation to a person who has unjustly acquired wealth: “let no rich man enter the kingdom of God.” To atone for the sin of money-grubbing, Russian merchants donated huge amounts of money for the construction of churches and shelters for the poor. In Western Europe they found a more radical solution - Protestantism justified wealth. True, Protestantism only justifies what it has acquired through tireless personal labor. Therefore, the Protestant ethic has served humanity a great service, ultimately becoming a teaching not justifying wealth, but calling for diligent work.

Rice. 34. To atone for the sin of money-grubbing, Russian merchants donated huge amounts of money

for the construction of temples

Values ​​are generally accepted beliefs about the goals to which a person should strive. They form the basis of moral principles. In Christian morality, the Ten Commandments include the preservation of human life (“thou shalt not kill”), marital fidelity (“thou shalt not commit adultery”), and respect for parents (“honor thy father and thy mother”).

Different cultures may give preference to different values ​​(heroism on the battlefield, material enrichment, asceticism). Each society has the right to determine for itself what is a value and what is not. For example, the traditional values ​​of American culture include personal success, activity and hard work, efficiency and usefulness, progress, things as a sign of well-being, and respect for science. Russian culture has always valued not individualism, but collectivism, which is sometimes respectfully called conciliarity, non-personal success, but the public good, not profit and utilitarianism, but compassion and mercy. At the same time, values ​​such as hard work and respect for science are highly valued not only in American culture, but also in Russian. What other similarities and differences can you find? Ponder this.

IntroductionINTRODUCTION
Traditions, customs, rites, rituals
play an important role in
life activity and directly
development of society. These words can
evoke ideas about the power of the past,
striving to subjugate the new,
young, delay the development of life.
This is how we sometimes imagine
the meaning of these ancient and wise words,
sometimes forgetting that customs and traditions
always consolidate what has been achieved in
public and personal life, namely
they stabilize social
relationships, consolidating what was
achieved over centuries by our generations
ancestors

Traditions

Customs

Stereotypes that have developed in society

Some conclusions

Hello, dear readers of the blog site. The human psyche seeks to reduce the instinctive feeling of anxiety associated with the desire to survive.

To do this, people consciously and unconsciously organize a clear, predictable reality around themselves: all our life activities are built on the basis of certain rules and patterns.

As an example: eating a tram ticket, curling your nose at the sight of a black cat, or waving your panties out the window to attract good weather. When people return home to retrieve a forgotten item, they look in the mirror. And the empty bottle on the table? Funny? And many believe and practice this, believing that this way life will become better and happier.

Perhaps once upon a time there was a reasonable explanation for all this nonsense, corresponding to the level of mental development of the people who invented them. But time flows, develops, progress moves briskly and, in theory, such customs should leave people’s consciousness. But we continue to adhere to them, forgetting what they are for and where they come from.

The first sign that the custom it's worth saying goodbye– its uselessness, loss of public interest in it. Thus, witnesses disappeared from the marriage registration procedure, although they were once considered almost family members. Girls' Christmas fortune-telling and other familiar rituals have almost disappeared into oblivion.

What are they needed for

Each country has its own national customs that reflect the consciousness of the public. What are they needed for? To remain different preserve your culture and history. Russian people are different from others in their originality, speech,...

We are proud of our roots, achievements and exploits of our ancestors. By borrowing behavioral habits from other peoples, we will cease to be who we are: we will forget our past, change our thinking and become part of someone else's society.

Currently, global Americanization is taking place all over the world. Just 20 years ago, Russians didn’t know what fast food and a sweatshirt were, but today, instead of the familiar “good,” we say “ok.”

Most of the products we consume from various fields of activity are not ours (food, words, technology, art, etc.). Nobody argues that sharing experience in itself is useful. The main thing is not to cross the line and understand where is yours and where is someone else’s.

Examples of customs of different nations

As stated above, stereotypical behavior becomes automatic and is not subject to logical analysis.

In this regard, many of these behavioral acts have lost the history of their origin.

Let us give examples of customs, and at the same time remember how they appeared:

1. In male society, it is customary to say hello through handshake. If this happens in the cold season, then gloves should be removed. Nowadays, such a gesture is considered a sign of respect. However, initially, the hands were exposed to demonstrate to the other the absence of weapons and the purity of their intentions. It meant “I come in peace.”
2. Every year at the end of winter, Russian people celebrate Maslenitsa- folk festivals dedicated to seeing off winter and welcoming spring. Burning an effigy symbolizes farewell to the cold season. In the old days, young boys and girls in love jumped over a fire, clasping their hands: if their hands did not open during the jump, then a happy future awaited them. Now such a ritual has been canceled due to its unsafety.
3. And here Thais Every year on one November day, boats with flowers and incense are launched along the river, paying tribute and showing respect to the spirits of the water.
4. There is a wonderful custom in Kenya: the first month after the wedding, the young husband performs all women's work around the house. This is done so that he later understands that being a housewife is not as easy as it seems, and he never reproaches his wife for not working.
5. In the Caucasus The custom still lives on. At the legislative level, such actions are prohibited, but servants of the people often turn a blind eye to this and justify those who take revenge under any pretext.
6. At French train stations forbidden kiss, because once upon a time the perons were very narrow and hugging people created obstacles for others. Now the stations have already been disrupted, but the custom still exists and is supported by law (you can get a fine).
7. If in Greece you are going to go to someone’s house, then know that there is nothing in it you can't praise. According to their custom, the praised item must be immediately presented to the guest. Can you imagine what will happen if you start praising everything around you? Therefore, the Greeks considered it indecent to praise someone else’s goodness.
8. In Norwegian schools, teachers never not voiced student evaluations in front of the whole class: this information is considered confidential. This happened for reasons of preserving the honor and dignity of students. A deuce voiced in front of everyone can humiliate a child’s personality and undermine his self-esteem.
9. In South Korea, the indigenous people are accustomed to eating very spicy food, which brings tears to their eyes. If you find yourself visiting and didn't cry during a meal, the owner of the house may be offended, considering that his treats are not spicy enough for you.
10. Before matchmaking, Turkish men must buy the girl they like jewelry in the amount of at least 10 thousand US dollars. In this way, the groom demonstrates his material wealth and convinces the parents of his future wife that he can support their daughter with dignity.

Good luck to you! See you soon on the pages of the blog site

You might be interested

What are traditions (family, folk) and why are they so important What are social norms - their types and examples from life 4 years of marriage - linen wedding traditions, options for gifts and congratulations What is religion - its functions and types, world (Christianity, Islam, Buddhism) and national religions What is a moratorium: approaches to the concept and scope of application What are priorities, how to set them correctly and where else is this word used? What is indemnity in simple words What is society and how does this concept differ from society? What is law - definition, characteristics, principles and branches of law, legal norms and its sources What is power

In our language there are a large number of familiar words, the meaning of which cannot always be quickly explained. For example, not everyone can tell you what tradition is, even though all people encounter its varieties every day in one way or another.

Tradition - what is it?

The concept comes from the Latin word traditio, the literal translation of which is “transmission.” Thus, the meaning of what the word tradition means comes down to the transmission of something in a specific environment without belonging to a specific individual. A more complete interpretation of the concept is the historical transmission of socio-cultural heritage from person to person or from generation to generation.

Any intangible values, principles and methods of action in specific situations can be transferred. Traditions allow a person to act in a certain way in a specific situation, without comprehending it and making an independent decision. These include the following components:

• behavioral habits;
• views;
• tastes;
• rules and regulations;
• skills and abilities.

The concept of what tradition is includes its various varieties:

• family;
• professional;
• national;
• cultural;
• culinary;
• religious;
• social.

What are traditions for?

Many traditions become outdated and forgotten over time and the change of eras, while others continue to function in society. That is, they can be progressive, associated with development, and reactionary, which are relics of the past. The main functions of why traditions are needed in modern society come down to the following postulates:

How do traditions differ from customs?

Very closely related to the explanation of what traditions are are customs - these are certain norms, rituals and features of interaction that have a national connection. However, it is not uncommon for both of these concepts to be used as synonyms, the differences of which depend on the interpretation of each. It is believed that customs represent a certain automatic habit, while traditions are a set of customs, a kind of direction of activity. This division is considered conditional, because concepts can affect all spheres of society, from personal and family to universal.

What are family traditions?

The concept of what family traditions are includes norms and rules of behavior accepted in a particular unit of society, general rituals and views passed down from generation to generation. Moreover, these are not always specific actions, but rather the general atmosphere of the family, which can include the daily routine and habits of all members of the house. The concept of family traditions is always emotionally charged. These are usually pleasant memories from childhood that are rooted deep in the subconscious.

By creating a new unit of society, husband and wife bring into it the traditions of their families, which may differ. However, for spouses these are habitual actions and views, organically integrated into their lives from early childhood. During family life, they can change and transform. In addition, it is quite acceptable to generate new customs, which are the spiritual foundation of the family.

Why are family traditions important?

Philosophers and psychologists, describing why family traditions are needed, highlight the following aspects:

What are the family traditions?

Each home may have its own unique or completely typical customs. As an example of what is included in the spiritual traditions of families, we can cite:

What are national traditions?

The concept of what folk traditions are combines rules and stereotypes of behavior, forms of communication between people of the same nationality, which have developed over a long period of time in the life of a nation and are rooted in the consciousness of a person belonging to it. Some national traditions can be enshrined at the legislative level. Failure to comply will result in both public censure and administrative or even criminal punishment.

A striking example of what the traditions of a people mean is the celebration of Maslenitsa among the Slavs or the wearing of a special scarf covering a woman’s head among Muslim peoples. Each nationality has its own unique and inimitable traditions. For example, in China it is customary to give a guest that thing in the house that aroused his delight and earned him praise. The greeting handshake is more typical among European peoples.

What are cultural traditions?

What is a cultural tradition includes the sociocultural heritage of generations, reproduced in certain social groups. This concept is similar, but not identical, to national customs, since culture can include the traditions of a particular country, science or style of thinking. All of them are accepted and interpreted by subsequent generations, being the basis for the development of new values.

Vivid examples of what the cultural tradition of a certain people is:

What are culinary traditions?

Having understood what the concept of tradition means, we can highlight its specific culinary orientation. It is strongly connected with national and cultural values, being a logical continuation of the territorial origin of its carriers, their religion and value systems. This concept is otherwise called the cuisine of the peoples of the world, which includes:

What are religious traditions?

A special variety are the religious customs of different faiths. Understanding what such traditions provide, scientists unanimously consider them to be a connecting link between adherents of different faiths, geographically distant from each other. The traditions of Muslims are for the most part the same among adherents of this faith in Russia, the UAE and America. Many beliefs have a standard answer to the constant questions of young people about why they need to honor the traditions of their religion in saving the soul from chaos, fall and ordering of life.

Customs and mores are a set of norms and stereotypes of the regulatory nature of people’s lives.

They are the ones who make them up. These concepts differ (differ) from each other according to the following characteristics.

What's happenedcustoms - definition and categories

• Their action extends mainly to the practical and behavioral aspects of life; in exceptional cases, customs can affect the intellectual or even figurative spheres. Although there is, of course, a hidden relationship between them.

Customs - concept and definition

• In terms of their sphere of existence, they are mostly associated with private life, since his behavioral stereotypes and social “masks” both in public life and in activities that extend beyond the circle of family or close family relationships are mainly regulated by the norms of the corresponding subcultures.

• For life support, for example - home medicine, home improvement, interior design, preferences for cuisine, clothing, etc.
• To the way of life, for example - standards of upbringing, the position of women, roles and functions in the family, attitude towards parents, acceptable sources of income, etc.
• To external norms of relations and communications, for example - neighborhood, hospitality, obligations in relations with distant or close relatives, the permissible limit of external freedom, etc.
• For rituals and ceremonies, for example - holidays, births, funerals, weddings, etc.

The transmission or transfer of the experience of customs is based on the mechanism of tradition and, in fact, is the very thing that is implemented not by state institutions, but within the framework of the everyday existence of people.

Customs are present as an effective social mechanism in various “post-” societies at the level of private regulation. Of course, the effectiveness of their influence is stronger for the more rooted classes. Thus, in marginal groups their effectiveness is weaker.

The concept of custom is intertwined and often confused with the concept of morals.

What are morals - concept and features

The concept also refers to regulatory instruments, but unlike customs, it is aimed not so much at the behavioral practice of people, but at its moral component, i.e. ordinary level

Morals - concept

• Images of worldview
• Value orientations
• Morals
• Relationship rules, etc.

Morals refer to the everyday presentation of the foundations of morality of an entire nation.

It is difficult to systematize them by type. As the academician noted, they are organic precisely because of their internal order, which is subconscious in nature.

• On the one hand, they are the most mobile features of culture (just like fashion)
• On the other hand, morals are naturally very strictly divided according to the corresponding status and social criteria.

The stability of various morals is explained by the very subject of the corresponding moral attitude. Thus, traditionally stable standards of marriage (fidelity, chastity, etc.) easily coexist with changing customs of hospitality (foreigner, heterodox, etc.).

Our presentation

Morals are also distinguished by less social responsibility than customs. They characterize, rather, an assessment of the admissibility and acceptability of various manifestations or forms of relationships, behavior in individual episodes and situations. Of course, the characteristics of morals depend on and are connected with those prevailing at the moment in history:

• Development of worldview (rationalistic, religious, mythological)
• The degree to which traditions or their atavistic manifestations are rooted in the people.