Evolving Traditions
Yuletide, the turning of the year, is a time for remembering. Memories are rekindled every time we hear the same songs and taste and smell the traditional holiday foods being cooked. So many people get together with their families at the beginning of the winter, traveling long distances and spending so much money that it’s a major boost to the American economy. It doesn’t seem remarkable because your parents have always done it, you've always done it, your friends have always done it.
One of the most fascinating aspects of being human is how we are both unique and similar. We all have mothers. We all share the same basic needs for food, water, and shelter. We are a social species, like dogs and bees, we need each other to survive. Traditions and rituals help us to stay connected to the people we need for our own survival. Our instincts for social engagement are pretty powerful on their own and then they are supercharged by our cultural inheritance.
Human beings in general feel pretty strongly about traditions, whether they are religious, cultural or family based (usually a mix of all three). We experience them as fixed, eternal, a solid connection to our ancestors, They seem permanent because they are usually constant in our lives, But they are not, like most human things they are constantly changing and evolving.
Traditions are a kind of cultural scaffolding that creates a framework for humans to express their uniqueness and creativity. For example, the Passover seder not only is provides a script but an assigned menu for its ritual meal. And yet, because it is practiced in the home, every family puts their own spin on it. Some people are more traditional, some are non-sectarian, some people play with the menu. Like a haiku, the structure supports the creativity.
We can think of traditional practices as guidebook, as opportunities to enjoy our personal expression of the bigger culture. Having fun with it, making it your own, brings joy into other people’s lives. You can follow traditions as tightly or as loosely as you want. You can make your great grandmother’s strudel recipe exactly as written by your grandmother or a vegan variation that suits your current diet. The important part of it all is the love and connection you and your loved ones derive from the practice. And the pleasure you gain from eating the treat!
Every culture has traditions, they define a society's identity, values, and shared history, Traditions help us understand ourselves, by creating meaning, connection, and identity by linking past, present, and future. But they are not set in stone, they are constantly shaped and reshaped to suit the people practicing them. Traditions might feel unchangeable, but the reality is that traditions are dynamic and reflect the evolving story of the people who practice them. Homo sapiens is famous for its adaptability and creativity and our traditions are as flexible and resilient as we are.