“Tradition” – Fiddler On The Roof
This is post # 25 in my quest for 30 in 30.
Tradition can be a wonderful thing. The idea of carrying on the ideas and traditions of family or of an organization can make you feel like part of a much bigger whole. I have great great respect for tradition but I think there’s one important factor in tradition that isn’t always there but should be. I every tradition needs proper and relevant cause.
Often times in tradition we end up blindly following along with what’s been done for ages in our family or in society yet we can’t really define why it is we’re doing it. Sometimes the very reason that the tradition started in the first place has been lost and we don’t even know how it all got started. Still, we continue to follow along with the traditions because it’s, well because it’s tradition. It’s very important from time to time to take a look at some of the things that we do in the name of tradition and analyze a few things. You’ll find most of your the information you need by answering the following:
- Who
Who started the tradition? Was it someone from your family? An ancestor perhaps? Maybe it was some of the founding members of your community that thought it was a good thing for the town. It’s important to know just who started the tradition if it can be traced back that far. Sometimes it can’t. If not, go backas far as you can. It’s also a good excuse to learn about the history of whatever group has the tradition. - What
What exactly does the tradition entail? How has it evolved, if it has at all, over the years? When analyzing the what’s of a tradition it’s a good time to start thinking about the practicality of what you’re doing. If there’s a tradition of spending 36 hours strait in a wool knit cap in July in a small town in Texas, that might be a good time to review what your doing and see if it’s something that still holds merit (more on this in the ”Why” section). - When
When did your traditions start? This can have a huge impact on today’s practicality. I heard a story once about a woman who’s tradition when cooking a turkey was to cut all of the limbs of first and cook them on the sides. When someone asked the woman why she went through this process she said she really didn’t know. It was always “just how we did it”. The question peaked her curiosity and so she called her oldest living relative and asked if she know why they always cut the limbs off the turkey first. The woman on the other end said “Oh, of course dear. It’s because when my mother started cooking thanksgiving turkeys that was the only way to make them fit in the pan that she had”. So when that family’s tradition started they had a smaller pan and couldn’t afford to buy a new one. So what was done out of necessity became a family tradition passed down through the years. Yet, even though today’s turkey pans (and turkeys for that matter) have been made larger to accommodate, the tradition is so ingrained that it survives. - Where
Where did the tradition start? Take the wool knit cap in Texas in July idea for a moment. Going through that ritual doesn’t seem like the most practical idea to me and I can’t see where Texas ever had a lot of sub zero July days in its history. So, maybe a tradition like that gets started somewhere further north or in another country all together and settlers came to Texas from that colder climate where they celebrated a winter ritual in July. Knowing the details of where a tradition started is another way to take a logical look at it to seeif it’s still needed. - Why
Why do we do what we do when we do it? This is really the big question when it comes to traditions. Why exactly do we feel the need to continue to wear that knit cap in 100+ degree temps every year? Why is it that we have turkey at thanksgiving or presents at Christmas. Analyze why we do what we do and when you come up with an answer see if there’s any good reason to continue doing it. You may find that you’re blindly doing what others have taught you to do for some once practical and meaningful reason. You may also find that there’s no good reason to give yourself heat stroke.
Realize, I have no problem with tradition at all. I think it can be a great unifier and in troubled times we need all the unity we can get. Still, it’s important that we are all in agreement with the traditions that we celebrate. Just coldly following along without emotion is useless especially if it’s just because “it’s what we’ve always done”. Take a look at some of the traditions that you recognize and see if they still have a purpose in your life. If they do, celebrate your heart out. If they don’t then think of changing them. If you’re not sure, use it as an opportunity to lean more about your traditions and your heritage. As you lean about the traditions you’ll gain a your own feelings about how important they really are to you now.
Tomorrow, Part 2. Making new traditions.
Thanks for being here. Talk to you tomorrow.
-JB
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Today’s Music: Tradition
By: The cast of The Fiddler On The Roof
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