Culture and Tradition

When you hear the word culture what do you think of? Do you think of authentic food, countries, your family? Do you think of traditional dances or outfits in a specific culture like Native American or Hispanic? For me I think of traditional clothing and history of certain nations or people. However, these are examples of culture on a large scale. What about the smaller scale? What cultures do we have in the US, in our state, our city, our home, or even between other individuals?

There is culture everywhere we look. Culture can be defined as a group of people with similar patterns of living or traditions. Take a few minutes and think about your own life, think about your family. What cultures do you have? Now out of those cultures which ones do you want to keep and which ones do you want to do away with? I have heard that it takes about 3 generations for a bad habit or tradition within a family to dissipate.

This is a perfect time to be thinking about traditions with the holidays coming up. Everyone has a different thing they do for each holiday and little traditions that somehow became a tradition because one year someone did something and it became memorable. My thanksgivings growing up included us sitting around the table with food overflowing and so many options available. Before we began the feast-which lasts about 2-3 hours- we would go around in a circle and say one thing we were grateful for that year, then we hold hands and say a prayer of thanks and a blessing over the food. Then we eat and enjoy each others company. I have never sat at the "kids table" because there never was one. My favorite foods at Thanksgiving is the candied yams and the olives. Thanksgiving is not the same without these things. This past year I had Thanksgiving in California. This was a completely different experience for me. One, we ate outside. Two, we had salad. I have never had salad at Thanksgiving before. Three, we had three separate tables for people to sit at that weren't pushed together. Now all of this was very strange to me and I missed so much the foods that are tradition in my family.

Traditions can cause a problem in some families lives. When two people are married they have to make the decisions what traditions and culture they plan to keep together and there is some compromising that will have to be made. Changes in tradition and culture can really impact and drastically change the family structure. Immigration as an example can change the family structure so much not just with their culture but the traditions they bring with them or choose to leave behind.

With the holidays coming up, look at what traditions you have and ask yourself how they came about, why are they kept, and would you continue them in your own family setting or change them?