The best laws emerge from customs - abstract. Custom - what is it? Examples of legal, national, folk customs and business practices

CUSTOMS, TRADITIONS, CONSTITUTIONS.

Custom is a way of behavior inherited from ancestors that is reproduced in a society or social group and is habitual and logical for its members. The term “custom” is often identified with the terms “tradition.”

Tradition (from the Latin “tradition”, custom) is a set of ideas, rituals, habits and skills of practical and social activity, passed on from generation to generation, serving as one of the regulators of social relations.

Some people combine concepts such as customs and traditions into one whole. However, this is not entirely true. Most often, when it comes to passing on the foundations of the social order to one’s descendants, we are talking about passing on traditions. If we are talking about the transfer of rituals of weddings, funerals, holidays, then we talk about customs.
If we are talking about the generally accepted national clothing of the people, then this is a tradition, since it concerns the entire people as a whole. If some part of the people adds their own decoration to their national clothing, then this is already a custom that concerns this part of the people. Such a custom can turn into a tradition if it is accepted by all the people. Most likely, this is how different customs became a common tradition.

That is, various customs in combination create generally accepted traditions. Therefore, people equate traditions, customs and rituals into one concept, although this is not so. Tradition is not born immediately. It emerges from established customs. And customs are born from the life and behavior of people themselves.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Russian photographer and inventor S.M. Proskudin-Gorsky invented the technique of color photography. He did this autonomously at the same time as the French brothers Auguste and Louis Lumiere, who are considered the official inventors of color photography. Proskudin-Gorsky captured in his photographs precisely people in national clothes, believing that this tradition should be remembered through documentation. Thanks to him, we have an idea of ​​the national clothes of the peoples of Russia.

All nations have traditionally had a high value for a person's word. There were times when there was not even written language. Therefore, the word spoken by a person was not only valued. The word was given a mystical meaning. It was believed, as it is now, that a wish spoken out loud, a statement, an obligation, or even a curse, always has its consequences and is sure to come true. Moreover, this happens regardless of whether the person who spoke out wants it or not. The wishes of health and happiness among ancient people were always perceived as something material. It happened that people asked for their words and wishes to be returned to them if it turned out that these wishes were expressed to the wrong person who deserved it. There have been cases when people who spoke a lie were required to take back their words.
This is where the expression “take back your words” comes from. Some people even today believe that words are material and try not to waste them. Others do not attach any importance to this and their words are worthless in the eyes of other people. And today no one takes seriously the words of talkers and boasters, but the words of worthy people are highly valued. They are listened to. They are referred to.

The value of a word was the higher, the larger the family of the person giving the word. Not keeping your word is the same as disgracing your family as a whole. For example, the Chechens have a concept that defines the uniquely high price of a man’s word. They call it "DOSH". That is, if a man declared DOSH, then not only he, but his entire family is responsible for this. Among the Chechens, this concept exists to this day, since they have preserved ancestral teips, each of which unites many people. I believe that such concepts as “DOSH” also existed among other nations, but since the collapse of clan relations, people’s share of clan responsibility has decreased and loyalty to their word remained at the level of personal responsibility of each person individually, and not of the whole clan. And there’s someone who’s into something. Those who are ready to die for their word, and those who lie will be taken inexpensively. The level of personal responsibility is immeasurably lower than the level of responsibility of an entire clan, but clan responsibility is also based on the personal responsibility of each relative. Another thing is that once a disgraced relative is deprived of the right to say “DOSH” to someone.

If a person claims something, he must prove it to those who listen to him. After all, he is interested in having those listening to him believe him. Then, to prove the veracity of his words, he begins to cite as an example the words of authoritative, worthy people. Those words and statements that have been tested by time and no longer need proof of honesty. If these arguments correspond to the words of the speaker, then people begin to believe him. They make sure that the person is not a hypocrite and does not lie.

However, there is another tradition that appeared relatively recently and also relates to the value of the spoken word. Hitler invented this tradition. He argued: if you want your lies to be believed, you don’t need to tell one lie. You need to mix lies with truth and then everyone will believe you.

This is a false tradition, but it also has a certain value. The desire to deceive listening people once again emphasizes how important the value of the human word is for everyone without exception. For both honest people and liars. So, whether we like it or not, our tradition of valuing the word lives with us to this day. Even scammers are trying to take advantage of this tradition.

In addition to the value of words, there is also the value of human action. Actions are different. Significant and not very significant. But they can all be positive or negative. All of humanity works to provide for people's needs. Many people work every day in their jobs and do the things they should do. These actions are not considered unusual, but they are the ones that help provide society with everything it needs. These are positive actions. However, some people also commit negative actions. These are crimes. In order to protect itself from crime, society comes up with laws that protect honest and decent people. But there have been times in human history when laws did not protect people. Then people defended themselves. They responded to any crime against friends or relatives with revenge. Revenge is one act, or a series of acts logically interconnected. Revenge on enemies was considered obligatory. Refusal to take revenge had to have strong justifications, otherwise it became a shame.

In one of his stories, a writer writing under the pseudonym “Kont,” a former Afghan warrior, describes an incident that occurred in one of the Afghan villages. A Soviet army checkpoint was located next to it. It was a small fortress, bristling with machine guns and machine guns. The fighters were constantly expecting Mujahideen attacks from anywhere, but not from the village. In order not to bring trouble to the residents, the Mujahideen did not enter the village and there was an unspoken agreement with the Soviet soldiers on this score. One night the incredible happened. The checkpoint was attacked out of nowhere. From the village side. The attack was met with dagger fire from the checkpoint. When it blossomed, the fighters saw that dead old men and villagers were lying on the ground, armed with whatever they had. Only a few of them had old hunting rifles, useless in battle. Next to the others lay sabers, daggers, and axes. The investigation showed that one of the checkpoint soldiers entered one of the houses at night and first raped and then stabbed to death a 13-year-old girl. They saw him, but he managed to escape. None of the old people in the village had any doubts that there were too few of them and they were all aged. They did not see any other development of events for themselves other than revenge. Without waiting for the morning, they rushed into the last attack of their lives. To say that their opportunities for revenge were negligible is to say nothing. They would not have been able to take revenge, but no one could blame them for not taking revenge. As the Russian prince Svyatoslav said: “The dead have no shame.” Only the old people didn’t think that someone would say something. They went out for revenge because that’s how they were raised.

Laws appeared in every country, but revenge still remained among the people. Laws don't always work. Revenge has always been feared more than the law. This is a very ancient custom. Each nation had its own characteristics of manifestation of revenge, but they were all distinguished by cruelty. Cruelty doesn't make anyone better. Cruelty begets other cruelty and then there is no end in sight to evil. In ancient Greek Sparta, revenge had to be fierce by killing all the relatives of the culprit. So that he would suffer from every news of the death of his relatives. The culprit was killed last. It is clear that the latter had no choice but to start a war against his avengers.

When Jesus Christ came to teach people, he called on everyone to forgive each other. It was he who said that if you are hit on your right cheek, turn your left. Thus the Savior laid the foundation for the custom of forgiveness. For many, this custom is incomprehensible, since it contradicts the custom of revenge to which people are accustomed. But revenge does not stop evil, but continues it. Murders can also be random. The ancient Jews, for example, identified several cities in which a murderer could hide from revenge and it was forbidden to pursue him in these cities.

1. Annual customs.

Almost all nations had a HARVEST HOLIDAY. The exception was the peoples who could receive 2-3 harvests per year. For them it was not such a significant event. Then other traditions were invented. The bulk of the Earth's population received a harvest once a year and tried to celebrate this event magnificently. This holiday was a symbol of abundance. After this holiday, it was customary to have weddings, and not only among Christians, Muslims, or representatives of other religions. In the spring there was no longer enough food. This custom came to us from pagan times. Weddings were celebrated by everyone, since immediately after the harvest there was plenty of food, and work stopped due to the end of the harvest. Harvest festival, a natural and logical holiday.

Today, the harvest festival is not celebrated as magnificently as before. Only peasants celebrate it. This happens for several reasons.
- Not the entire population is engaged in harvesting, but only a small part of it. For example, in the United States, only 3% of the population works in agriculture. For other people, this means nothing. In the Middle Ages, about 90% of the population worked in agriculture.
- Now that the harvest is over, work on the land does not end and practically continues all year round. The new agricultural technology system intensively exploits the soil. Previously, people used one field once every two or three years. That is, the field worked for one year, and rested for two years. Today the fields are not resting. They are actively fertilized with mineral fertilizers. Some fields are sown for the winter, but previously this was done quite rarely. In other words, there is no winter downtime in agriculture now.
- Many other magnificent holidays have appeared that did not exist before, including those that are celebrated at the same time as the harvest festival.

Farewell to winter was celebrated very lavishly among the people. In Rus' this holiday is known as Maslenitsa. Surviving the winter was not easy. The peasants did not have central heating. It was necessary to prepare firewood. The huts were small, so that it was easier to warm them with one stove. Food was cooked in the same oven. In winter, the entire population was tied to their homes as sources of heat. Therefore, people celebrated farewell to winter with great joy. This holiday fell during the spring equinox. During the celebration of Maslenitsa in Rus', it was customary to burn an effigy of winter. In different places of Rus' this custom was celebrated with its own details. Somewhere they were burning an effigy wrapped in pea straw. It burns well. Such a stuffed animal was called the pea jester. In Kostroma, the scarecrow was called “Kostroma”.

In different places, different chants were dedicated to this holiday, but the meaning and time of the holiday always remains the same. This custom also came to our time from pagan times. The Orthodox Church celebrates Shrovetide Week on the eve of the beginning of strict Easter fasting. Throughout Holy Week, people baked pancakes, pies and held folk festivals. On Thursday, it was considered a tradition for mothers-in-law to cook pancakes for their sons-in-law and treat them. Oil Sunday is called Forgiveness Sunday. On this day, all people ask each other for forgiveness. Before the revolution, on Forgiveness Sunday, wall-to-wall fist fights were held. This is a special custom. That is, up to several dozen adult boys and men lined up opposite each other. On command they approached and began to fight. The rules were strict. If a fighter fell, he was out of the fight. It was impossible to hit a prone fighter. The fight was not supposed to be traumatic or unreasonably cruel, but blood from injuries was considered common. The battle continued until complete victory. After the fight, the opponents hugged and asked each other for forgiveness.

Weddings are rightfully considered the most striking customs. Nowadays, this ritual has been preserved and people hold lavish weddings to leave a memory of this event. But not only. A wedding is not just a joyful holiday. This is an event that not only makes many people responsible for the lives and happiness of a young family, but also makes the young family responsible to everyone present for their life together, which they promise to create at the wedding. That is, a wedding is not only a holiday, but also a mutual obligation. How else? The bride and groom and their parents invite everyone they respect to the wedding. This invitation can be seen as a statement that they are not just inviting guests, but are promising to start a family with honesty and dignity. In turn, everyone who is invited to the wedding must further provide all possible assistance to the young family if they turn to him for help. So a wedding is not just a feast. This is not just collecting gifts. This is an important life event.

It is still customary among Muslims, but not everywhere, to pay a ransom - dowry. It is believed that the man who paid the bride price is wealthy enough to support his own family. The size of the bride price is discussed individually, but this custom is not practiced in all Islamic countries. At weddings, it is customary to give only money. This money is given to the parents of the young people. But parents must provide their children with housing, furniture, and everything necessary for life, including clothes and dishes. Accordingly, they bear all the costs of organizing the wedding. Money received at a wedding from guests, as a rule, cannot reimburse parental expenses.

Christians can give anything. Both money and gifts. Everything is given to the young. No bride price is paid, but the bride must bring a dowry with her. The amount of the dowry depends on the wealth of the bride's family. Parents pay for the wedding. But in this sense, the differences between Muslims and Christians are not significant.

Before the wedding, it is customary for Christians to negotiate the wedding. This is called a conspiracy and it ends in engagement, or betrothal. Senior representatives of the groom come to negotiate with the bride's parents. Representatives may not be relatives. Usually these are matchmakers, but the presence of the groom's parents is required.

Matchmakers observe the ritual of the event. The parents of the bride and groom learn about the intentions of the newlyweds and if they are positive, then an agreement is made on the timing of the wedding. The bride and groom are engaged with wedding rings. From now on, they can communicate in public, but they cannot live together until the wedding. Why is this being done?

If one of the young people changes his mind about getting married, then all preparations will be stopped and the wedding will not take place. In this case, the young people are not bound by any circumstances and can find other chosen ones. That is, young people are given time to take a closer look at each other. The rings are returned to the groom because they are purchased by the groom's parents for the engagement.

The agreement may not take place. If the bride does not like the groom, she can immediately refuse him. This event becomes shameful for the groom, so he must be sure that the girl will consent to the marriage.

In Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Russia and many other nations, it was customary to bring a pumpkin (watermelon) to the unlucky groom. It was a shameful sign of refusal. Why shameful? Because if the groom sees that the girl doesn’t like him, but continues to be persistent, then having received the pumpkin, he no longer has the right to send matchmakers to this girl a second time. That is, the girl has the opportunity to get rid of the annoying groom once and for all.

Muslims also have a similar custom. If a bride hits the groom with a whip at a wedding in front of everyone, the wedding will not take place. However, both the groom and the bride herself are considered disgraced in the eyes of the guests and the whole society.

Today, many young people strive to earn big money and only then get married in order to pay their own expenses. They don't want to depend on their parents. In this case, two problems arise, of which it is difficult to choose the worst. Firstly; this situation may be offensive to parents. Parents, as a rule, are ready to get into any debt in order to fulfill their duty to their children. Secondly; the process of making money can last an unknown number of years. This may deprive a person of the opportunity to start his own family.

Giving a girl away in marriage without matchmaking has always been considered a disgrace. According to the logic of the weddings, it turned out that no one was interested in protecting the interests of the young people. No one even knows that a new family has appeared. There are no witnesses to the obligations that the groom and his parents undertake. Therefore, it is not customary to give a girl to a husband secretly. And it doesn’t matter whether a bride price is paid for her, or she gets married in an Orthodox church, the meaning is always the same. Family commitments should be public and frank.

In difficult times, when guests were unable to give gifts and parents were unable to prepare a rich feast, they still tried to hold a wedding. Often this was done through joint efforts, but the wedding still became a memorable, joyful event. Even the most modest gifts were made, but weddings were made.

Any speculation in this regard does not promise anything good. Previously, parents often themselves decided who to marry their daughters to and who to marry their sons to. Many acted on the principle of material interest. That is, they tried to become related to a rich groom or a rich bride. Often young brides married older grooms and vice versa.

This situation gave rise to another custom. This is bride kidnapping. The act is radical, but it solves all problems at once, including the costs of the wedding. The logic of the kidnapping is simple. The abduction of an unmarried girl by her groom puts her in the category of either disgraced or married women. But the kidnapper can immediately abandon her and leave her in disgrace. The bride's parents, who were unable to prevent the abduction, look impartial among people and are ready to give their daughter to the kidnapper, just to comply with all the necessary rituals and enlist the support of relatives and witnesses. Even if before that they publicly refused this groom. At the same time, they are trying to do everything to keep the kidnapping a secret. If the parents fundamentally do not recognize the kidnapping groom, then the bride without a wedding becomes his wife. This is understandable. Not a single groom, after the abduction, will woo her.

However, there were also frequent cases of a preliminary conspiracy to kidnap the groom and the bride, the groom and his parents, the groom and his parents and the bride in order to avoid the costs associated with holding a big wedding. The logic here is very simple. If a girl is kidnapped but not married, then this is considered a shame. If she was kidnapped, but after numerous trials and clarification of relationships (sometimes turning into fights), a family was created, then the image of the bride even takes on a certain romantic connotation. Therefore, kidnappings are sometimes even staged at rich weddings.

BURIAL.
What could be no less significant than a wedding? Of course, the funeral of a deceased person. The Bible mentions that a person who interred a dead person looks worthy before God, but after the funeral he must cleanse himself. And today there is a custom of washing hands after attending a funeral.

As life shows, not all people get married, but everyone dies. Death makes burial rituals mandatory. Our ancestors buried their dead in the ground so that they would not be desecrated by animals and birds. After all, we were talking about dead relatives. But the attitude towards strangers who died was the same. Subsequently, burial rituals in coffins were invented. The coffin symbolizes the boat in which the deceased goes to another world. Among believers, it is customary to attach special meaning to funerals. After all, this is a person’s last journey to another world. It is customary for Orthodox Christians to bury people in the ground. In India, Japan and other countries, dead people are cremated. They burn it. Materialists also follow general religious traditions and cremate the dead.

It is customary for Christians to keep the dead at home for one to two days. This is done so that those who are far away and cannot quickly come to the funeral can say goodbye to the deceased. On the day of the funeral of the deceased, it is customary to have a funeral service in church or at home. It is customary to carry the coffin from home along the street where the deceased lived. A farewell ceremony takes place at the cemetery, when relatives kiss the deceased on the forehead. Those who wish can speak out loud about the deceased, but it is customary to speak about the dead either well or nothing. After lowering the coffin into the grave, each person present throws three pinches of earth into the grave as a sign of farewell. After the funeral, people go to the wake. It is not customary to knock glasses at a funeral table. The feast is short-lived. The buried person is remembered, and deceased relatives are also remembered. Alcohol is not consumed at the funerals of deceased children.

Then relatives gather to remember the deceased after 7 days. The deceased is commemorated more magnificently on the fortieth day. It is believed that for 40 days the soul of a deceased person still wanders, and on the 40th day it finds itself where it should be. On the day of the funeral, a cross is placed on the grave, and a year later, on the anniversary of the death, it is customary to erect a monument. But all this is in abundance.

Among Muslims, funerals are usually completed before sunset on the day the person dies. They are not waiting for anyone. The mullah performs his prayers and rituals. Only men carry the deceased to the cemetery. Women don't go to the cemetery. The deceased is commemorated for seven days in a row. These commemorations are not so much table-based as they are thoughtful. Every day people talk about life, death, God, faith, etc. They try not to leave the family of the deceased unattended so that it is easier for them to get used to the loss. Muslims celebrate the 40th day just like an anniversary.

Funeral customs and rituals are quite diverse and can only be described in specialized work on a very large scale. All of them are logically determined. Only the most general rules are described here. People learn it by participating in the funerals of dead people. A large number of people come to the funerals of the most famous and respected people. But the number of people at a funeral does not indicate what a person was like during his lifetime. It is important with what thoughts people come to a funeral and how they later remember the deceased. Good or bad.

COMMON CUSTOMS.

There are many such customs. They are inherent in every nation, since they are logically determined by the same circumstances. Let's take a simple case related to the fact that a young man gives up his seat in transport. This is not just an element of good manners. This is a generally accepted custom that has changed, but its essence remains the same. There was no public transport yet, but it was customary for every nation for the younger ones not only to give up their seats, but to stand up when the older ones approached them. Moreover, the age difference did not matter. And today it is customary to stand up if a person comes up to you and starts a conversation with you. And even if he is the same age as you. It is simply considered impolite if you sit down and talk to the person standing in front of you.

In ancient Sparta, it was allowed not to stand in front of an elder if he did not have children. The explanation was simple. His children will stand before no one.

It was not customary to sit and talk to women. This was considered a rule of bad taste and a well-mannered woman would not continue a conversation with the interlocutor sitting in front of her, unless, of course, he was disabled. Today, in many nations, it is customary to give up a seat to those standing in public transport not only to elderly people or pregnant women, but simply to older people. This is not perceived as help in a difficult situation, but as a tribute.
Before the revolution, all men showed such respect to women, but with the development of feminism, people began to perceive the politeness of men towards women in transport as harassment.

It is interesting that before the revolution, aristocrats and townspeople had a custom when meeting a pregnant woman to take off their hat. A tribute to motherhood.

INTERESTING TRADITIONS OF SOME PEOPLES.
I find some Japanese customs interesting. Every year they celebrate boys' day and girls' day separately. These days are dedicated specifically to children under 6-7 years old. These days they always dress up in the most beautiful clothes and they can do anything.

Japanese schools traditionally have a food lesson. Every day, two students serve school lunch for their class. Thus, students study Japanese table traditions of serving, eating, and behavior at the table.

In Italy, on New Year's Eve, it is customary to throw old things out of windows onto the street. It is believed that they will remain in the old year, and the family will acquire new ones in the new year.

In Finland and Norway it is not customary to praise a person in public. This is considered rude flattery and can even hurt the person you are praising.

In China, it is not customary to give anything related to the number 4. This number symbolizes death. There it is not even customary to designate floors with the number 4. They go like this: 1,2,3,5,6,

In India, it is not customary to say thank you for a gift. This is considered a rule of bad manners. You can praise the gifted item.

In the USA, it is not customary to pay for a woman in a taxi, open the door for her, carry things for her... because she may take this for sexual harassment and contact the authorities with a complaint.

In Greece, it is not customary to praise the hosts’ utensils or paintings when visiting. According to customs, the owner will have to give it to you.

In Georgia, it is not customary to leave guests' glasses empty. The guest may or may not drink, but his glass will always be full.

The words of greeting are different for different nations. When meeting a Chinese, he asks: “have you eaten?”, an Iranian will say: “be cheerful,” a Zulu will warn: “I see you.”

One of the most ancient social regulators is custom. In the early stages of the development of society, custom was the simplest form of social control, i.e. submission to custom occurred unconditionally, custom was considered the only possible way of life.

A custom is a general rule of behavior that has developed historically as a result of long-term repeated repetition and has become a habit. 8

The formation of customs occurs both among the people (tribe, ethnic group) as a whole, and within its structural units (classes, professions). Customs regulate a wide variety of areas of activity, therefore they are legal, commercial, religious, international, military, etc.

As society develops, a more effective regulator of human life appears—law. The law that appears in the conditions of eastern, ancient or feudal societies does not suppress custom: for quite a long time the authorities consider themselves obliged to obey it, to rely on it in their actions (including in lawmaking). There are even customs that are taken under the protection of the authorities and become legal customs, i.e. right. The further development of society displaces customs into the unofficial sphere of human relations.

In the cultures of modern societies, the role and place of customs are different.

The peoples of Western Europe no longer have ancient customs; they have lost their original meaning. Many customs have been forgotten. Some customs were transformed into the mentality of nationalities, thereby defining the national psychology.

The countries of the East are distinguished by their traditionalism; for the peoples living in the East, the importance of customs is very great. For countries where Islam has a strong position, customs remain an active regulator of social relations and often openly compete with state institutions and even oppose them. This situation undermines the formal legal system. History and modern times are replete with examples of the inability of state authorities to use force due to the opposition of various clans (many African countries, Afghanistan, Sicily in Italy, the Caucasus and Transcaucasia in Russia). 9

In the modern world, customs play a secondary role. However, they continue to arise (albeit with less intensity compared to antiquity). An example is the emergence of a system of customs that reflects the Soviet way of life. The emergence of customs in modern life is explained by the unpredictability of human life and the desire to systematize life phenomena. Such customs turn into law and, accordingly, are called legal. Legal customs are designed to facilitate the legal implementation process, complement and enrich the mechanism of legal mediation of various social relations. 10 (Article 5 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation “Business customs”)

Social regulators such as tradition, ritual and business practices are closely related to customs.

Tradition (from the Latin tradition - transmission, legend) is a set of elements of social and cultural heritage passed on from generation to generation and preserved in society or its individual groups for a long period of time. 11 According to O.V. Martyshina, tradition is a broader concept than custom. In addition to custom, tradition includes values, ideas, and ideological guidelines, which are stable forms of the material and spiritual culture of a particular people. Tradition influences the life of society much more widely than custom.

Ritual (from Latin ritualis - ritual, from ritus - religious rite, solemn ceremony) is one of the forms of symbolic action, expressing a person’s connection with the system of social relations and values ​​and devoid of any utilitarian meaning. 12 Ritual was historically used for the purpose of giving external honors to the gods. A ritual is a strictly regulated sequence of actions designed to create an atmosphere of mystery and solemnity when performing religious rituals. Symbolism is important when performing rituals, which should indicate the connection of people with God or some higher values. Nowadays ritual occupies an important place in non-church and civil life. Examples of rituals are marriage ceremonies, giving military honors, the procedure for taking office as head of state - inauguration, playing the anthem at a football match, etc. Despite the fact that the external attitude towards this kind of rituals seems formal, their deep rootedness in national cultures is obvious. Without general civil rituals, society at this stage of its development cannot exist.

Business customs develop in the production, scientific, and educational activities of people and are aimed at increasing its efficiency.

Social norms such as customs are unlikely to ever lose their weight in the general system of social norms, since they concentrate the experience of generations and serve for the further development of culture.

More on the topic of Law and Customs:

1. 8.5. Law in the system of social regulation. Interaction of law with morality, customs, traditions and other regulators

Most families have their own public or unspoken traditions. How important are they for raising happy people?

Traditions and rituals are inherent in every family. Even if you think that there is nothing like this in your family, most likely you are a little mistaken. After all, even the morning: “Hello!” and evening: “Good night!” - this is also a kind of tradition. What can we say about Sunday dinners with the whole family or the collective making of Christmas tree decorations.

First, let’s remember what the word “family,” so simple and familiar from childhood, means. Agree, there may be different options on the topic: “mom, dad, me,” and “parents and grandparents,” and “sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts, etc.” One of the most popular definitions of this term says: “A family is an association of people based on marriage or consanguinity, connected by a common life, mutual moral responsibility and mutual assistance.” That is, these are not just blood relatives living under the same roof, but also people who help each other and are mutually responsible. Family members in the true sense of the word love each other, support each other, rejoice together on happy occasions and are sad on sad occasions. They seem to be all together, but at the same time they learn to respect each other’s opinions and personal space. And there is something that unites them into one whole, unique to them, in addition to the stamps in the passport.

This “something” is family traditions. Do you remember how you loved to come to your grandmother for the summer as a child? Or celebrate birthdays with a large crowd of relatives? Or decorate the Christmas tree with your mother? These memories are filled with warmth and light.

What are family traditions? Explanatory dictionaries say the following: “Family traditions are the usual norms, behavior patterns, customs and views accepted in the family that are passed on from generation to generation.” Most likely, these are the usual standards of behavior that the child will take with him to his future family and pass on to his children.

What do family traditions give to people? Firstly, they contribute to the harmonious development of the child. After all, traditions imply repeated repetition of some actions, and, therefore, stability. For a baby, such predictability is very important; thanks to it, over time he ceases to be afraid of this big, incomprehensible world. Why be afraid if everything is constant, stable, and your parents are nearby? In addition, traditions help children see in their parents not just strict educators, but also friends with whom it is interesting to spend time together.

Secondly, for adults, family traditions give a feeling of unity with their relatives, bring them closer, and strengthen feelings. After all, these are often moments of pleasant time spent together with those closest to you, when you can relax, be yourself and enjoy life.

Thirdly, this is the cultural enrichment of the family. It becomes not just a combination of individual “selves”, but a full-fledged unit of society, bearing and making its contribution to the cultural heritage of the country.

Of course, these are not all the “advantages” of family traditions. But even this is enough to make us think: how do our families live? Perhaps we should add some interesting traditions?

There is a huge variety of family traditions in the world. But still, in general, we can try to roughly divide them into two large groups: general and special.

Common traditions are traditions found in most families in one form or another. These include:

• Celebrating birthdays and family holidays. This tradition will certainly become one of the first significant events in the baby’s life. Thanks to such customs, both children and adults receive many “bonuses”: anticipation of the holiday, good mood, the joy of communicating with family, a feeling of being needed and important to loved ones. This tradition is one of the warmest and most cheerful.
• Household duties of all family members, cleaning, putting things in their places. When a child is accustomed to his household duties from an early age, he begins to feel included in the life of the family and learns to care.
• Joint games with children. Both adults and children take part in such games. By doing something together with their children, parents show them an example, teach them different skills, and show their feelings. Then, as the child grows up, it will be easier for him to maintain a trusting relationship with mom and dad.
• Family dinner. Many families honor the traditions of hospitality, which helps unite families by gathering them around the same table.
• Family council. This is a “meeting” of all family members, at which important issues are resolved, the situation is discussed, further plans are made, the family budget is considered, etc. It is very important to involve children in the council - this way the child will learn to be responsible, as well as better understand his family.
• Traditions of “carrot and stick”. Each family has its own rules for what you can (if possible) punish a child for, and how to encourage him. Some give you extra pocket money, while others give you a trip to the circus together. The main thing for parents is not to overdo it; excessive demands from adults can make the child uninitiated and lethargic or, conversely, envious and angry.
• Rituals of greeting and farewell. Wishes of good morning and sweet dreams, kisses, hugs, greetings when returning home - all these are signs of attention and care from loved ones.
• Days of remembrance of deceased relatives and friends.
• Walking together, going to the theater, cinema, exhibitions, traveling - these traditions enrich the life of the family, making it brighter and more eventful.

Special traditions are special traditions specific to one given family. Perhaps this is the habit of sleeping until lunch on Sundays, or going on a picnic on weekends. Or a home theater. Or hiking in the mountains. Or…

Also, all family traditions can be divided into those that developed on their own and those that were consciously introduced into the family. We'll talk about how to create a new tradition a little later. Now let’s look at some interesting examples of family traditions. Perhaps you will like some of them and want to introduce them into your family?

How many families - how many examples of traditions can be found in the world. But sometimes they are so interesting and unusual that you immediately begin to think: “Shouldn’t I come up with something like that?”

So, examples of interesting family traditions:

• Joint fishing until the morning. Dad, mom, children, night and mosquitoes - few people will dare to do this! But a lot of emotions and new impressions are also guaranteed!
• Family cooking. Mom kneads the dough, dad twists the minced meat, and the child makes dumplings. So what if it’s not quite straight and correct. The main thing is that everyone is cheerful, happy and covered in flour!
• Birthday quests. Each birthday person - be it a child or a grandfather - is given a card in the morning, using which he looks for clues leading him to the gift.
• Trips to the sea in winter. Packing your whole family's backpacks and going to the seaside, breathing in fresh air, having a picnic or spending the night in a winter tent - all this will give an unusual feeling and unite the family.
• Draw cards for each other. Just like that, without any reason or special artistic talent. Instead of being offended and pouting, write: “I love you! Although you are sometimes unbearable... But I’m not a gift either.”
• Together with the little ones, bake shortcakes for the feast of St. Nicholas for orphans. Joint selfless good deeds and trips to an orphanage will help children become kinder and more compassionate, and grow up to be caring people.
• Bedtime story. No, it’s not easy when a mother reads to her baby. And when all the adults read in turn, and everyone listens. Light, kind, eternal.
• Celebrate the New Year in a new place every time. It doesn’t matter where it will be - in the square of a foreign city, on the top of a mountain or near the Egyptian pyramids, the main thing is not to repeat yourself!
• Evenings of poems and songs. When the family gets together, everyone sits in a circle, composes poems - each one a line - and immediately comes up with music for them, and sings with a guitar. Great! You can also organize home performances and puppet theaters.
• “Putting” gifts for neighbors. Remaining unnoticed, the family gives gifts to neighbors and friends. How nice it is to give!
• We say warm words. Every time before eating, everyone says nice words and compliments to each other. Inspiring, isn't it?
• Cooking with love. “Did you put down love?” “Yes, of course, I’ll put it in now. Please give it to me, it’s in the locker!”
• Holiday on the top shelf. It is a custom to celebrate all holidays on the train. Have fun and on the move!

In order to create a new family tradition, you only need two things: your desire and the fundamental consent of your household. The algorithm for creating a tradition can be summarized as follows:

1. Actually, come up with the tradition itself. Try to involve all family members as much as possible to create a friendly, cohesive atmosphere.
2. Take the first step. Try your "action". It is very important to saturate it with positive emotions - then everyone will look forward to the next time.
3. Be moderate in your desires. You shouldn’t immediately introduce many different traditions for every day of the week. It takes time for customs to take hold. And when everything in life is planned down to the smallest detail, it’s also not interesting. Leave room for surprises!
4. Strengthen the tradition. It is necessary to repeat it several times so that it is remembered and strictly observed. But don’t take the situation to the point of absurdity - if there’s a snowstorm or rainstorm outside, you might want to give up the walk. In other cases, it is better to observe tradition.

When a new family is created, it often happens that the spouses do not have the same ideas about traditions. For example, in the groom’s family it is customary to celebrate all holidays with numerous relatives, but the bride celebrated these events only with her mother and father, and some dates could not be celebrated at all. In this case, the newlyweds may immediately develop a conflict. What to do in case of disagreement? The advice is simple - just a compromise. Discuss the problem and find a solution that suits both of you. Come up with a new tradition - already common - and everything will work out!

In Russia, from time immemorial, family traditions have been honored and protected. They are a very important part of the country's historical and cultural heritage. What kind of family traditions were there in Russia?

Firstly, an important rule for every person was knowledge of his ancestry, and not at the level of “grandparents,” but much deeper. Each noble family compiled a family tree, a detailed pedigree, and carefully kept and passed on stories about the lives of their ancestors. Over time, when cameras appeared, family albums began to be maintained and stored, and passed on to younger generations. This tradition has survived to this day - many families have old albums with photographs of loved ones and relatives, even those who are no longer with us. It’s always nice to review these “pictures of the past”, to be happy or, conversely, to be sad. Now, with the widespread use of digital photographic equipment, there are more and more frames, but most often they remain electronic files that have not “flowed” onto paper. On the one hand, storing photos this way is much easier and more convenient; they do not take up space on shelves, do not turn yellow over time, and do not get dirty. Yes, and you can shoot much more often. But the trepidation associated with the expectation of a miracle also became less. After all, at the very beginning of the photo era, going to a family photo was a whole event - they carefully prepared for it, dressed smartly, everyone walked joyfully together - why isn’t it a separate beautiful tradition?

Secondly, the primordial Russian family tradition has been and remains to honor the memory of relatives, remember the departed, as well as care and constant care for elderly parents. In this, it is worth noting, the Russian people differ from European countries, where elderly citizens are mainly cared for by special institutions. Whether this is good or bad is not for us to judge, but the fact that such a tradition exists and is alive is a fact.

Thirdly, since ancient times in Russia it has been the custom to pass on family heirlooms from generation to generation - jewelry, dishes, some things of distant relatives. Often young girls got married in their mothers' wedding dresses, who had previously received them from their mothers, etc. Therefore, many families always had special “secrets” where grandfather’s watches, grandmother’s rings, family silver and other valuables were kept.

Fourthly, it was previously very popular to name a newborn child after one of the family members. This is how “family names” appeared, and families where, for example, grandfather Ivan, son Ivan and grandson Ivan.

Fifthly, an important family tradition of the Russian people was and is assigning a patronymic to a child. Thus, already at birth the baby receives part of the clan name. By calling someone by name or patronymic, we express our respect and politeness.

Sixth, previously, very often a child was given a church name in honor of the saint who was honored on the child’s birthday. According to legend, such a name will protect the child from evil forces and help in life. Nowadays, such a tradition is observed infrequently, and mainly among deeply religious people.

Seventh, in Rus' there were professional dynasties - entire generations of bakers, shoemakers, doctors, military men, and priests. Growing up, the son continued his father’s work, then his son continued the same work, and so on. Unfortunately, now such dynasties are very, very rare in Russia.

Eighth, an important family tradition was, and is still being returned to more and more often, the mandatory wedding of newlyweds in church and the baptism of infants.

Yes, there were many interesting family traditions in Russia. Take, for example, a traditional feast. It’s not for nothing that they talk about the “broad Russian soul.” But it’s true that they carefully prepared for the reception of guests, cleaned the house and yard, set the tables with the best tablecloths and towels, served pickles in dishes stored specifically for special occasions. The hostess came out to the threshold with bread and salt, bowed at the waist to the guests, and they bowed to her in return. Then everyone went to the table, ate, sang songs, and talked. Oh, beauty!

Some of these traditions have hopelessly sunk into oblivion. But how interesting it is to notice that many of them are alive, and they are still passed down from generation to generation, from father to son, from mother to daughter... And that means the people have a future!

The cult of family traditions in different countries

In Great Britain, an important point in raising a child is the goal of raising a true Englishman. Children are raised in strictness, taught to restrain their emotions. At first glance, it may seem that the British love their children less than parents in other countries. But this, of course, is a deceptive impression, because they are simply accustomed to showing their love in a different way, not the way, for example, in Russia or Italy.

In Japan, it is very rare to hear a child cry - all the wishes of children under 6 years old are immediately fulfilled. All these years, the mother has been engaged only in raising the baby. But then the child goes to school, where strict discipline and order await him. It is also curious that the entire extended family usually lives under one roof - both old people and babies.

In Germany, there is a tradition of late marriages - rarely does anyone start a family before the age of thirty. It is believed that before this time, future spouses can realize their potential at work, build a career, and are already able to provide for their family.

In Italy, the concept of “family” is comprehensive - it includes all relatives, including the most distant ones. An important family tradition is joint dinners, where everyone communicates, shares their news, and discusses pressing issues. Interestingly, the Italian mother plays a significant role in choosing a son-in-law or daughter-in-law.

In France, women prefer a career to raising children, so after a very short time after the birth of a child, the mother returns to work, and her child goes to kindergarten.

In America, an interesting family tradition is the habit of teaching children to live in society from early childhood, supposedly this will help their children in adulthood. Therefore, it is quite natural to see families with small children both in cafes and at parties.

In Mexico the cult of marriage is not so high. Families often live without official registration. But male friendship there is quite strong, the community of men supports each other, helps in solving problems.

As you can see, family traditions are interesting and great. Do not neglect them, because they unite the family and help it become one.

“Love your family, spend time with them and be happy!”
Anna Kutyavina for the website website

What is a custom? These are rules of behavior that have become entrenched in the minds of the people through repeated repetitions. What customs exist, where they come from and where they disappear, read about all this below.

What is custom

As mentioned above, rules of behavior that have become norms for people due to repeated repetition. This includes customs that are performed on holidays, as well as those that become a daily routine. Mostly people follow them out of habit, without really thinking about the meaning of the actions. Every society has its own customs. Some of them are regulated by the state, while others are observed within the same family. How long does it take for a habit to become a habit? At least for several years, at least 3-4.

How does tradition differ from custom?

Concepts are best learned by comparison. We already know what a custom is, but now let's talk about tradition. What it is? Traditions are a complex of all kinds of actions that are passed on from generation to generation with the aim of preserving and developing culture. And scale plays a role here. Tradition can be considered a local phenomenon, but more often it is created and maintained on a national scale. Nobody forces people to follow established traditions; this is a voluntary matter.

Now let's look at the differences. Tradition is much broader than customs, since it most often has a larger territorial scope. People perform various rituals and sets of actions, often without thinking about the hidden meaning that their ancestors laid in them. But such traditions are supported by the state, since it considers them an integral part of culture. But folk customs often change under the influence of time, government, and the way of human thinking. But for the most part, people do not see much difference in these concepts.

How customs arise

Man is a complex creature. And to better understand what customs are, you need to find out how people create them. Initially, such rituals, or repeated actions, were performed by humans in order to survive. It was a kind of reaction to discomfort. People started the custom of killing a mammoth once a week so as not to go hungry. The girls sewed clothes from animal skins once a month so as not to die from the cold. There were many such small local customs in any society, and they still exist today. True, our contemporaries do not have to survive, so rituals are aimed not at human biological needs, but at creating mental comfort. If you think about it, many of the unconscious rituals that are established in our society do not have any logical basis behind them. Such customs and signs are common among superstitious people. Why do students eat lucky tickets from the bus before the test?

Why do people, when returning home if they have forgotten something, always look in the mirror? There were once explanations for these customs, but today they are impossible to find. Life is too changeable. Each person has the opportunity to create their own customs. How? Before an important event, he can develop the habit of walking outside for an hour to clear his head, or introduce summing up the day into his evening ritual.

How customs disappear

Time passes, everything changes. Human life is very fickle. Today one job, tomorrow another, today one love, and tomorrow you can meet a new one. That's why customs have to change. An example of such changes: the disappearance of witnesses at weddings.

Previously, these people played the same important role as the bride and groom. But over time, the custom of inviting witnesses lost its relevance. Today, newlyweds get along just fine without them, which means there is no need to appoint friends to this role.

Another example is Epiphany fortune-telling. Previously, girls did this activity every year. Today this custom has fallen out of favor. Young ladies do not want to spend time in a dark bathhouse in the company of candles and mirrors. They have more exciting things to do. It turns out that customs know how to die due to changing public interests.

• vital;
• lifestyle;
• imposed from outside;
• rituals and ceremonies.

Why are customs needed?

Today there is American globalization of all countries. Most of the goods and services that we are used to consuming every day are not the product of our culture. Morals and customs must be known and observed so as not to lose your roots and nationality. After all, Russia is a country with its own unique culture, speech and art. Of course, it is necessary to modernize the country by updating customs and traditions, but this does not mean that it is necessary to borrow them from other countries. Why is it so bad to borrow someone else's culture, because previously it was the norm of life and when one country was captured by another, the culture was imposed against the will of the citizens. But today it seems terrible, because, forgetting their history, people are restructuring their thinking. And in the end, an option may arise when one person rules society, imposing the only possible way of life on everyone. It’s worth reading at least one dystopia to understand how bad life would be in this situation.

Examples of customs

Today there are many rituals that people perform automatically, without even thinking about their essence. The sources of custom are folk legends, transmitted in writing or by word of mouth. There are many examples that can be given.

When meeting on the street, men take off their gloves to shake hands. It seems to be a sign of courtesy and attention, but this custom has long roots. Previously, men took off their gloves to show that they did not hide weapons there, and as a result, their intentions were pure.

Another example of a custom is Maslenitsa. More precisely, the rituals associated with this holiday. For example, burning an effigy. This custom also has long roots going back to ancient times. By burning effigies, people say goodbye to winter and welcome spring.

Jumping over a fire is considered another Russian custom. True, few people have been doing this lately. But before this kind of fun was popular. A guy and a girl were jumping over the fire, holding hands. If they did not release their hands and successfully overcame the obstacle, it was believed that their life together would be long and happy. But if young people moved away from each other during the jump, this meant that they were not destined to be together.

Unusual customs

It doesn’t seem strange to us Russians to burn an effigy on Maslenitsa or decorate a Christmas tree for the New Year. But for Thais it is completely normal to launch boats down the river, in which people put flowers, put candles and light incense. This all happens in early November on a day dedicated to the spirits of water.

The norms of customs are determined by the society in which we live. And in other countries things are the same. In Turkey, for example, there is a custom: before a man takes a second wife, he must give his first chosen one jewelry worth 10 thousand dollars. This should prove to the woman that her husband is a wealthy man and will be able to feed both her and the second woman.

In Kenya there is a custom according to which the young husband must do all the work of his wife for a month. It is believed that after this acquired experience, he will not reproach the woman all his life for doing nothing while doing housework.