Traditions and Shared Meaning

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Additional Information for Chapter 2, page 18
The importance of traditions and share meanings can't be over emphasized. At one level they are simple acts (or complex ones in some instances), but their influence extends far beyond the acts themselves. As a parallel look at the names below and consider all the images that go with the name

"Bach" to a classical musician
"Hepburn" to a classic movie enthusiast
"Pele" to a soccer fan
"Hope" to a stand-up comic
"Montana" to a professional football fan
"Bryant" to an Alabama football fan
"Spielberg" to a film production major
"FDR" to a US history buff
"Patton" to an Army general
"Cobb" to a baseball historian

Some of the names listed above may reverberate with you, others may not. But to enthusiasts in each of these areas they could undoubtedly talk for days about the single word listed to the left.

Traditions are similar in that a single act may carry great significance that extends far beyond the effort required to do the act. For example tucking your children into bed at night not only keeps them warm but also says that you love them.

Traditions come from two major sources:

1) Traditions that are continued from past family traditions, national and ethnic traditions, or religious traditions. The film Fiddler on the Roof highlights these types of traditions as the very essence of Jewish culture in late 19th century Russia.

2) Activities that are initiated by a couple or family that continue over time until they eventually become traditions.