Traditions around the World

 

We are living in a world that every tradition passes from generation to generation, even little ones. Knowing why it's a tradition or not doesn't matter. After all, “it's a tradition " that we say to ourselves. They make people nostalgic, immortal, safe and seen. There are too many traditions we have observed around the world that are pleasing, amusing and uncommon and some traditions are between family, some traditions are for public happiness, some traditions’ roots come from fear. Some people think traditions might be useless. Personally, I believe these traditions help us to express our feelings and beliefs.

 

Firstly, family traditions are a magnificent way of showing that we love each member of our family and we care about them. Most of them are about parents’ love for their children. For example, there’s a tradition called “man3 yue4” in Singapore and China. It shows the first month's emphasis of the baby's birth at full moon time. There is another tradition named “100 Day Celebration” in China and Korea. This tradition is a hugely important milestone for Chinese because it represents a wish that the baby will live to 100 years old, leading a prosperous and fulfilling life. Not only parents exist at this celebration, but also other relatives are there, too. They bring gifts like cash and gold to the celebration. Also, they make wishes for the baby to be healthy, happy, wisdom, prosperity and long life. In Netherlands during Sinterklaas, the Dutch winter holiday season, everyone picks a name out of a hat and has to write a funny poem about that person. The goal is to be as mischievous as possible, and then families will usually vote on who has the funniest poem while sitting around a fire with a warm drink.  

 

Secondly, traditions are important for everybody in public not for only families. Most traditions bring society together by celebrating specials day like religious celebration days or national celebration days. For example, Hanami is a Japanese tradition of enjoying the beauty of cherry blossoms in the spring. People gather beneath the blooming trees to have picnics, drink sake, and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Midsummer Eve, also known as Midsommar, is a widely celebrated holiday in Sweden. It takes place on the weekend closest to the summer solstice. Midsummer Eve traditions are dancing around the Maypole, enjoying traditional Swedish food and picking flowers. Flowers play a significant role in Midsummer celebrations. Women and girls often wear flower crowns made of wildflowers, especially of birch leaves and seven different types of flowers. It is believed that placing seven different flowers under your pillow in Midsummer Eve will make you dream of your future spouse. Most Swedish celebrate this festival by gathering with their friends, families or neighbour in the countryside or by the sea.

 

Finally, fear is a factor that make easy to grow and spread new traditions. Halloween is most visible example of that. Although it has spread differently from its original form, main idea is still same as its first day. People wear scary things and make jack o'lantern to be protected from evil spirits. In Chinese New Year celebrations Chinese wear red clothes, decorate their home and business places with red decorations and exchanging red envelopes with money. They believe red drives away evil spirits.

 

In brief, showing love of each family members for each other, bringing people together and helping people to feel safe are incredible examples why people should keep passing traditions generation to generation to express their feelings and beliefs. A world enriched by traditions is far more meaningful than one that has left nothing from the past.

                                                         BEYZA NUR EKER

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