Growing up, my family and I would watch “The Fiddler on the Roof” every Sunday, it was our tradition. For those of you not familiar with this musical, I’ll give you a quick run-down. This film is set in Pre-Revolutionary Russia, in a small town called Anatevka, and is about a family living in this small mostly Jewish community. Tevye, the main character gives a dialogue on tradition both within his religion as well as the way things work in their town, this includes the role of each person in the family. He also mentions a very important part about traditions though, in the very beginning. “Because of our traditions, we have kept our balance for many, many years. Here in Anatevka, we have traditions for everything: how to how to eat, how to sleep, how to wear clothes. For instance, we always keep our heads covered, and always wear a little prayer-shawl. This shows our constant devotion to God. You may ask, how did this tradition start? I'll tell you. I don't know. But it's a tradition.” Tevye is not wrong, many long lived traditions have been through so many generations that much of the real meaning, significance, and its origin are lost. I am of course not saying this is applicable only to religion, nor am I trying to say anything ill of Jewish culture or religion. I respect all cultures and religions, and I think that Jewish are lucky in that they have so much of their history and symbolism kept and preserved so well. What I am trying to say is that from a young age I have been exposed to the idea that tradition is something to think about and be more aware of, so as to recognize what traditions would benefit my own family.
I have been blessed to live in very culturally diverse areas of the U.S., most recently I spent a couple of years in Southern California. I have always been very open to learning about so many different places and cultures, and they have always fascinated me. Every culture has different aspects and traditions that are positive and others that negative toward individuals, families and communities.
I believe that in order to know which aspects of one’s culture to perpetuate through to future generations, involves be willing experiment a little. Your future family might be a little different than your nuclear family was, and so needs have an important role to play. Perhaps in your nuclear family the culture was very traditional, dad worked and mom stayed home with the children. In your little family, now that you have one of your own, is set up very different as your wife works and you can cook better meals anyways. While this may not be traditional of your culture you have not decided to keep that aspect for your own family. Another example might be that you grew up in a small town in France and your family was very poor. You could not afford a refrigerator and so growing up on the way home from school you would buy the milk, your sister would buy the meat and your father would buy the bread needed for your dinner that evening. Now, as a grown man, you and your wife decide you can afford a refrigerator but you continue the tradition of everyone helping to buy meals together because you thought it was a great way to teach your children and to feel united as a family.
Much of what we decide to keep or to discontinue in our own families is based on our own feelings about the culture. Was the tradition so strong that we overlooked even thinking it through? Did we love it so much that we wanted to share it with our children? Did we despise it? Whatever it might be ALL aspects of our culture are important to think through and decide if we want to continue those traditions or if we think we need to end them. We could make the difference our children need!
I have been blessed to live in very culturally diverse areas of the U.S., most recently I spent a couple of years in Southern California. I have always been very open to learning about so many different places and cultures, and they have always fascinated me. Every culture has different aspects and traditions that are positive and others that negative toward individuals, families and communities.
I believe that in order to know which aspects of one’s culture to perpetuate through to future generations, involves be willing experiment a little. Your future family might be a little different than your nuclear family was, and so needs have an important role to play. Perhaps in your nuclear family the culture was very traditional, dad worked and mom stayed home with the children. In your little family, now that you have one of your own, is set up very different as your wife works and you can cook better meals anyways. While this may not be traditional of your culture you have not decided to keep that aspect for your own family. Another example might be that you grew up in a small town in France and your family was very poor. You could not afford a refrigerator and so growing up on the way home from school you would buy the milk, your sister would buy the meat and your father would buy the bread needed for your dinner that evening. Now, as a grown man, you and your wife decide you can afford a refrigerator but you continue the tradition of everyone helping to buy meals together because you thought it was a great way to teach your children and to feel united as a family.
Much of what we decide to keep or to discontinue in our own families is based on our own feelings about the culture. Was the tradition so strong that we overlooked even thinking it through? Did we love it so much that we wanted to share it with our children? Did we despise it? Whatever it might be ALL aspects of our culture are important to think through and decide if we want to continue those traditions or if we think we need to end them. We could make the difference our children need!
Knowledge is power. If I am going to keep a tradition, I need to know why. Tevye knew it was important, but not why it was important.
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