According to the Oxford dictionary a tradition is the handing down, from generation to generation, of opinions,beliefs,customs,or even objects.A tradition originates from the past, is still maintained in the present and is carried down onto the future.
There are various origins and fields of tradition, the most common referring to the forms of artistic heritage of a particular culture , beliefs or customs instituted and maintained by societies and governments (national anthems and holidays) and beliefs or customs maintained by religious denominations and church bodies (e.g. Jewish , Muslim or Christian traditions etc).
Family traditions are another kind of tradition and they mainly have to do with celebration traditions, family lifestyles and family inheritance and habits. For istance it is customary in many royal families for the boys to attend military schools or go to particular colleges.
In Greek families it is customary for the extended family to celebrate Christmas and Easter holidays together, whereas in American families it is customary to celebrate Thanksgiving together. Belgian families celebrate St Nicolas day together and Danish people instead of having Christmas lunch on the 25th of December they all share a Christmas dinner on the 24th of December.
Depending on the family background and bonding, some families meet every Sunday for a family meal, others go for holidays to the village of the grandparents, whereas others take all major decisions that have to do with important family issues after unanimous voting.
In my family we have the tradition of celebrating the Easter holidays at my grandparents' summer house in the woods, in a very isolated place in the outskirts of Limassol , Agia Paraskevi. We attend the Saturday midnight mass at the small church of a nearby monastery,The Panagia Amirous nuns monastery. It is an old church with no electricity, where the light of candles makes everything very solemn. After the church service finishes, we drive back to the summer house and have the traditional soup,Mageiritsa, my grandmother prepares during the whole of the morning and most of the afternnon of Saturday.
However this tradition of the soup seems to be fading away as my mother does not know how to make this soup and neither does she seem interested in learning how to make it, as it is very complicated to cook and time consuming to make. I hope that one day she will devote the time to learn how to make it so as to be able to continue the family's Easter tradition.
There are various origins and fields of tradition, the most common referring to the forms of artistic heritage of a particular culture , beliefs or customs instituted and maintained by societies and governments (national anthems and holidays) and beliefs or customs maintained by religious denominations and church bodies (e.g. Jewish , Muslim or Christian traditions etc).
Family traditions are another kind of tradition and they mainly have to do with celebration traditions, family lifestyles and family inheritance and habits. For istance it is customary in many royal families for the boys to attend military schools or go to particular colleges.
In Greek families it is customary for the extended family to celebrate Christmas and Easter holidays together, whereas in American families it is customary to celebrate Thanksgiving together. Belgian families celebrate St Nicolas day together and Danish people instead of having Christmas lunch on the 25th of December they all share a Christmas dinner on the 24th of December.
Depending on the family background and bonding, some families meet every Sunday for a family meal, others go for holidays to the village of the grandparents, whereas others take all major decisions that have to do with important family issues after unanimous voting.
In my family we have the tradition of celebrating the Easter holidays at my grandparents' summer house in the woods, in a very isolated place in the outskirts of Limassol , Agia Paraskevi. We attend the Saturday midnight mass at the small church of a nearby monastery,The Panagia Amirous nuns monastery. It is an old church with no electricity, where the light of candles makes everything very solemn. After the church service finishes, we drive back to the summer house and have the traditional soup,Mageiritsa, my grandmother prepares during the whole of the morning and most of the afternnon of Saturday.
However this tradition of the soup seems to be fading away as my mother does not know how to make this soup and neither does she seem interested in learning how to make it, as it is very complicated to cook and time consuming to make. I hope that one day she will devote the time to learn how to make it so as to be able to continue the family's Easter tradition.
