Editing Tradition (section)

{{short description|Long-existing custom or belief}}
{{other uses}}
{{Redirect|Traditional|Traditional music|Folk music}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
[[File:Tradition-Warner-Highsmith.jpeg|thumb|upright=1.1|''Traditions'', an 1895 bronze [[tympanum (architecture)|tympanum]] by [[Olin Levi Warner]] over the main entrance of the [[Thomas Jefferson Building]] at the [[Library of Congress]] in [[Washington, D.C.]]|alt=|220x220px]]
A '''tradition''' is a system of [[beliefs]] or behaviors ('''folk custom''') passed down within a group of people or [[society]] with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past.<ref name="Green1997">{{cite book |author=Thomas A. Green |title=Folklore: an encyclopedia of beliefs, customs, tales, music, or art |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S7Wfhws3dFAC&pg=PA800 |year=1997|publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-0-87436-986-1|page=800}}</ref><ref name="Shils2006-12"/> A component of [[cultural expressions]] and [[folklore]], common examples include [[holiday]]s or impractical but socially meaningful clothes (like [[court dress|lawyers' wig]]s or military officers' [[spur]]s), but the [[idea]] has also been applied to [[social norm]]s and [[behavior]]s such as greetings, etc. Traditions can persist and evolve for thousands of years— the word ''tradition'' itself derives from the [[Latin]]  word ''tradere'' literally meaning to transmit, to hand over, to give for safekeeping. While it is reportedly assumed that traditions have an ancient history, many traditions have been invented on purpose, whether it be political or cultural, over short periods of time. Various [[academic discipline]]s also use the word in a variety of ways.

The phrase "according to tradition" or "by tradition" usually means that what follows is known only through [[oral tradition]] and is not supported (and might even be refuted) by solid evidence. Here, "tradition" describes the source or nature of the information. For example, "According to tradition, [[Homer]] was born on [[Chios]], but many other places have historically claimed him as theirs." This tradition may never be proven or disproved. Another example is, "[[King Arthur]], according to history, a true British king, has inspired many well loved stories." Whether the claims are supported by evidence or not does not reduce their value as cultural history and literature.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tradition Definition & Meaning {{!}} Britannica Dictionary |url=https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/tradition |website=The Britannica Dictionary |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |quote=According to tradition, the goddess lies sleeping beneath the mountain.}}</ref>

[[File:Indian historical Traditional drama( In stage performance -1).jpg|left|thumb|Traditional dress and arts, such as in  this performance of Traditional Hindi Drama -- the performance of tradition through [[folklore]], reinforces the stories and memory reinforces the concept of tradition, and its importance in local communities.]]
Traditions are subject of study in several academic fields of learning, especially in the humanities and social sciences, including [[anthropology]], [[archaeology]], [[history]], and [[sociology]].

The conceptualization of tradition, as the notion of holding on to a previous time, is also found in political and philosophical discourse. For example, it is the basis of the political concept of [[Traditionalist conservatism|traditionalism]], and also strands of many world religions including [[traditional Catholicism]]. In artistic contexts, tradition is used to decide the correct display of an [[art form]]. For example, in the performance of traditional genres (such as traditional dance), adherence to guidelines dictating how an art form should be composed are given greater importance than the performer's own preferences. A host of factors can exacerbate the [[loss of tradition]], including [[industrialization]], [[globalization]], and the assimilation or [[marginalization]] of specific cultural groups. In response to this, tradition-preservation attempts and initiatives have now been started in many countries around the world, focusing on aspects such as traditional [[language]]s. Tradition is usually contrasted with the goal of [[modernity]] and should be differentiated from customs, conventions, [[law]]s, [[Social norm|norms]], routines, rules and similar concepts.
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