habits in society. Law and custom

Each family has its own indescribable atmosphere of love, understanding and warmth. Children born in families adopt this atmosphere. How does it arise? A similar halo in the family is created by family traditions, customs or laws of family leisure. Often such laws take their roots from the family foundations of previous generations - they are strong and unshakable. They create a sense of security family relations, there is a strong bond between family members, close and trusting relationships are maintained, children feel the stability of the family.

What are family traditions: examples

Family traditions are regularly repeated actions of family members aimed at rallying intra-family ties and strengthening the family as the main foundation of society. Traditions are an indispensable attribute of family happiness and well-being, reflecting the moral position of all family members. Each family is individual and has its own history. Family customs allow all members to feel their importance, give time and attention to relatives, show them respect and love.

Examples of traditions: joint holidays, themed dinners on weekends, family vacations, reading fairy tales to children before bedtime or singing lullabies, going to church on Sundays or religious holidays, writing letters to Santa Claus for the New Year by children, baking Easter cakes by household members, sharing meals and many others.

What are family traditions and holidays

• Holding family holidays. This tradition has its roots in the distant past - for centuries it was customary to celebrate holidays with family and friends. The main such holiday should be called a birthday. In most families, it is customary on this day to invite guests to the house, set the festive table, give gifts to the birthday man and by all means blow out the candles on the birthday cake, making a wish. TO family holidays include weddings, births, baptisms, etc.

• Holding public holidays. They include everyone's favorite holiday - the New Year. Most families practice the custom of holding it together at a large table, with Olivier salad, traditional for our country, and champagne. Children write letters to Santa Claus asking for the desired gifts. Many families celebrate Easter by baking Easter cakes and lighting them up in the church. Among the national holidays, the World Workers' Day is traditionally celebrated on May 1. On this holiday, most families go on a picnic and cook meat dishes on the grill.

• Games with children. It is important that both parents take part in the upbringing of the child, play with him. During games, the child learns the world, acquires new skills, improves his physical and intellectual level. For example, according to custom, a mother teaches a child to play chess every Saturday, and a father plays football with his son on Sundays. Children love stability, so try not to break the established customs.

• Reading stories before bed. This is the most important tradition in raising children, because fairy tales allow the child to develop imagination, to know the world. In addition, daily reading of fairy tales before going to bed develops a certain mode of going to bed in the child. Even if the child is too small to understand the meaning of what he read, the calm and measured voice of mom or dad will calm him down. Such an evening ritual will calm even the most active children, contributing to a good sound sleep.

• Family walks. For the development of the physical abilities of the child, and maintaining their own, it is important to take joint walks. During such a walk, you need to communicate, you can see the sights. In order to instill spiritual values, it is advisable for the whole family to visit cinemas, theaters, museums, and exhibitions. Such trips can broaden one's horizons and increase cultural level families in general.

• Kissing tradition. To create an atmosphere of love, it is important to kiss your loved ones more often. It is advisable to kiss children at least twice a day - in the morning when they wake up, in the evening - before going to bed. More frequent kisses and hugs are welcome, even with an older child, because when there is a lack of affection, children grow up callous. It is also important to wish all relatives a good night before going to bed and good morning when you wake up.
• Joint vacation trips. Do not underestimate this type of leisure, because most psychologists recommend regularly changing the environment to maintain good relationships. The main thing is to visit new cities and countries all together in order to escape from routine and everyday life, to expand your horizons.

• Orthodox traditions. These include joint visit churches on Orthodox holidays or every Sunday, the celebration of Christmas and Easter, fasting, baptism of children, reading the Bible, prayers before going to bed, regular visits to deceased relatives.

What values ​​underlie family traditions

Family traditions generate and nurture important values ​​in people: love for the family, respect for one's relatives, care for loved ones, a correct understanding of the family and its role in life. Failure to comply with family customs and foundations can lead to a weakening of ties between its members, to the destruction of family ties. Even a cell of society in which love reigns cannot exist without certain important and pleasant customs, for example, joint leisure.

Traditions strengthen in children a sense of gratitude to their parents, as well as to grandparents, instilling respect for the older generation. Spouses customs give a sense of inviolability, stability of family relationships. L.N. Tolstoy said: "Happy is he who is happy at home." A person living in a family that respects traditions will surely be surrounded by care, love, warmth and tenderness. In such a person, family well-being will certainly be transferred to other areas of life.

Family traditions of different countries and peoples of the world

Each nation has its own special traditions related to all areas of life, and especially the family. This is due, first of all, to the fact that each nation or country has its own special geography, location, climate, history, unique culture, adheres to different religions. All these factors influence the formation of cultural and family customs. Family traditions, in turn, shape the worldview and attitude to life. Such family structures have existed for centuries, practically unchanged, passing from older family members to younger ones.

Family cultural traditions in Russia history and modernity

If we turn to history, it becomes obvious that there are many traditions in Rus'. From time immemorial, the main family custom in Russia has been genealogy - in the past it was considered indecent not to know one's family, and the expression "Ivan, who does not remember kinship" was an insult. An integral part of the family structure was the compilation of a pedigree or family tree. Also known are such traditions of the Russian people as the transfer of valuable things from generation to generation and naming a child in honor of one of the respected ancestors.

IN modern Russia the importance of family customs was somewhat lost. For example, nowadays you rarely meet a family leading their own genealogy. Often the memory of generations is reduced to an album with photographs. But such wonderful traditions as a joint meal and holding joint holidays have been preserved. Family customs and traditions in the Kuban still suggest a Cossack life, raising children in the spirit of a Cossack family.

Traditions in Germany

There is a stereotype that the Germans are extremely pedantic. The most strict traditions among the Germans relate to the family:

• it is customary to treat your home with the utmost care, carefully cleaning it and bringing beauty to it;
• it is not customary to leave grandchildren to be raised by their grandmother or grandfather - for this it is necessary to determine the amount of money for them;
• parents in old age do not live with children - they are looked after by nurses or they live in special boarding houses;
• At Christmas, it is customary for the whole family to gather in parental home;
• The Germans are prudent and economical, so they have a tradition of saving for old age, during which they usually travel a lot around the world.

In England

The British have traditions - these are the three pillars on which the Earth rests, so they honor them with special trepidation. Who does not know about the notorious English custom of drinking tea? Family gatherings and discussions are sure to be held over a cup of real Earl Gray with milk. The British are Catholics, so they especially celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving, gathering with the whole family, preparing traditional dishes. An excellent tradition among the British must be called the custom of giving children a good education. It is considered bad form not to send your child to a private boarding school or college.

In France

In France, the custom is widespread - on Sundays to gather at a common table, drink wine and have a meal. Of the holidays, the French like to celebrate Christmas, gathering in their parents' house. At the festive banquet, there are always such delicacies as foie gras, salmon, seafood, iscariot snails and noble cheeses. The traditional drink for Christmas is champagne, and the dessert is “Christmas log”.

In India

India is a country of the strictest family customs and traditions. Indian society is divided into social castes, so the issue of marriage is approached very unusually there. The father of the family must himself choose the future groom for his daughter, she was given in marriage only to a representative of her social caste. A lavish wedding celebration is more of a duty than a wish. The bride traditionally had to provide a dowry. Divorce and remarriage in India used to be prohibited.

Indian family life is greatly influenced by Buddhist traditions. According to them, a man should:

• Show respect for your spouse.
• Do not change.
• Provide for a family.
• Teaching children the craft.
• Choose the right pair for the kids.

A woman must:

• Respect your husband.
• To raise children.
• Perform all household duties.
• Don't cheat on your husband.
• Fulfill all the wishes of the spouse.

Tatar traditions

Tatars are Muslims, so family structures are based on Sharia and the Koran. Among the Tatars, the creation of a family is considered a necessity dictated by religion. Interestingly, after marriage, the husband receives full power over his wife, and the wife is dependent on him - she does not even have the right to leave the house without the consent of her husband. Divorces among Tatars are extremely rare, exclusively at the initiative of the husband. It is customary for children to be brought up by their wife, but they are required to show complete obedience to their father.

What family traditions are important in raising children

Family customs play an important role in the upbringing of children. It is extremely difficult to instill traditions in an adult, so they are often passed down from generation to generation from parents to children. Children perceive the world the way their parents do, therefore, pleasant family customs determine the child's perception of the family as the main element of his life, as well as determining its place in the value system.

Traditions will be useful family reading before going to bed, singing lullabies, kisses at every meeting, joint dinners, walks. They define in the child the concept of stability, the inviolability of family structures, give a sense of solidarity, make children more tender and affectionate. It is also important to instill from childhood the custom of respecting and honoring one's ancestors by regularly visiting them on holidays.

Proverbs and poems about family traditions

There are many instructive proverbs about family customs and traditions:

• "What is the treasure when the family is in harmony."
• "Children are not a burden, but a joy."
• "When the sun is warm, when the mother is good."
• "Not the mother who gave birth, but the one who raised."
• "A family is strong when there is only one roof over it."
• "The whole family is together, and the soul is in place."
• "A tree is supported by roots, but a man is a family."
• “If I have granddaughters, I know fairy tales.”
• "Don't hide your failures from your parents."
• "Honour your parents - you will not go astray from the true path."
• "In a family where they help each other, troubles are not terrible."

Poems about the family, as well as traditions, see the photo below:

Family traditions are one of critical aspects life of everyone, therefore it is so important to cultivate and support them in every possible way. Family life without traditions would be boring. It's great when young families do it themselves, relying on the experience of their parents' family life, adding their own personal moments to them. the main objective- rapprochement with the rest of the relatives, building a strong reliable family, as well as enjoying communication with loved ones. Be happy!

Introduction INTRODUCTION
Traditions, customs, ceremonies, rituals
play a lot important role V
life and directly
development of society. These words may
evoke ideas about the power of the past,
striving to subdue the new,
young, delay the course of development of life.
That's how we sometimes imagine
the meaning of these ancient and wise words,
sometimes forgetting that customs and traditions
always consolidate what has been achieved in
public and private life,
they stabilize the public
relationships, reinforcing what was
achieved over the centuries by our generations
ancestors.

Between traditions, customs and
rituals have much in common. All of them
are special forms
transmission to new generations
social and cultural experience.
Traditions and customs may include
themselves ritual elements, but it is not yet
rites.
Traditions and customs can be
different character: religious,
secular, family, etc.
All of them play an important role
role for both small and large
social groups. Besides,
some of them may not be interpreted
right and not be involved in
the way society has become accustomed to them
observe.
Now on well-known examples
reveal the essence of some customs and
traditions, as well as prove the importance and
the significance of each.

Traditions

TRADITIONS
Tradition is special form securing public
relations, expressed in the historically established,
sustainable and most common actions, norms and
principles of social conduct transmitted from
generation to generation and preserved, as a rule, by force
public opinion» Therefore, the tradition arises
as a result of certain historical conditions.
So, in Rus' with the advent of Christianity arose
tradition of baptism of newborns. Baptism is one of
the Christian sacraments, which marks the acceptance of a person
in the bosom of the church. According to the clergy, a person in
as a result of baptism dies for the life of the flesh, sinful
and is reborn to a holy, spiritual life. According to Christian
people are born stained
original sin, and baptism is designed to "wash away" this
sin, open before man the prospect of salvation.

Although in reality this is not entirely true.
It is necessary to distinguish between concepts
"Baptism" with the concept of "Repentance", they
complement each other, not replace
how Baptism happens not only with water,
and also by the Holy Spirit, after
the person consciously repented and accepted
the decision to try not to sin.
Therefore, is it really true
baptize infants who knowingly
did not accept repentance? Whatever it was,
such a tradition has a place to be for her
followed by many people, despite the fact that,
often do not understand its true meaning,
but just act like everyone else.

customs

CUSTOMS
A custom is a repetitive, habitual way
behavior of people in a given situation. TO
customs include generally accepted methods of work,
common forms in a given society
relationships between people at home and in the family,
diplomatic and religious rituals and others
repetitive actions reflecting features
the life of a tribe, a class, a people. customs
formed historically.
In custom, the mores of society find their manifestation,
their occurrence and nature are influenced by the features
the history of the people, economic life, climatic conditions, social status
people, religious beliefs, etc.

Easter celebrations -
one of the most important religious
customs of Christians. like Easter
known to paint eggs,
bake Easter cakes and talk to each other
"Christ is risen". Exactly
many people celebrate this
holiday from year to year, repeating
historical actions.
In fact, coloring eggs and
cakes in fact have no one
relation to Easter
according to the Bible, because nowhere in it
none of the data is mentioned
deeds.

The holiday is associated with a historical event, described in detail in the second book of the Torah, which in Russian
tradition is called "Exodus" (Old Testament). This is a legend about the slave life of Jews in Egypt, persecution
small people by the pharaoh and his priests, as well as the subsequent liberation. last of ten
Egyptian death penalty is associated with the command of God to anoint the doorposts with the blood of the sacrificial lamb,
so that the angel of death could pass by the Jewish houses and kill only the firstborn of the Egyptians.
After leaving the territory of a powerful country, the Jews, led by the leader Moses, became a real
people with their own hierarchy and institutions, and after moving to the Promised Land, they managed to establish
own state, build the only temple to serve the Almighty and create the first
history of the royal dynasty. And now the Jews celebrate this holiday and it is called "Passover".

According to the New Testament, Easter is the day of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, who brought
himself as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind and conquered death. Indeed, according to Scripture,
the wages of sin is death. Often in the Bible you can see the comparison of Jesus with the Lamb (
lamb), this is a metaphor, according to the previously mentioned lamb being sacrificed
for the life of the Jewish people. So Easter is Christ sacrificed for humanity.

Stereotypes prevailing in society

STEREOTYPES IN SOCIETY
The main purpose of religious rites
is that they are important
means of ideological and emotional
impact on believers, and thereby
form a system of habitual religious
representations in the minds of people and cult
stereotypes in their behavior. And despite the fact
that they are often wrong or not
carry no significant meaning, people all
follow them equally and will continue to follow,
as they folded and repeatedly
repeated for centuries.

The same thing happens with various kinds
symbols, such as the five-pointed star,
known in society as the Pentagram, the Star
devil. No wonder people's opinions about
this symbol matches, because this is a stereotype,
existed in the minds of people for many years. On
actually Pentagram or Pentacle
("Svechennoe femininity", "Sacred
goddess") is one of the oldest symbols on earth.
Appeared 4 thousand years before Christ. Refers to
worship and deification of nature. ancient
people divided the whole world into two halves - male
and female. They had gods and goddesses
maintaining the balance of power. The pentacle symbolizes
the female half of everything on earth. His
lines divide the Pentacle into segments equal to the number
PHI. Symbolizes Venus, goddess of love and
beauty. The planet and the goddess Venus are one and the same.
Known in the world also under the names Eastern
star, Ishtar, Astarte.

Every 8 years Venus describes absolutely
right pentacle in a large circle
celestial sphere. The ancient Greeks paid tribute
this, arranging the Olympic Games every 8
years.
The meaning of the pentacle was changed by the Roman
the Catholic Church at an early stage
development. It's part of the Vatican's company
destruction of pagan religions and conversion
masses to Christianity. There was also a number
transformations such as:
Trident of Poseidon - devil's pitchfork
Sage's cap - witch's hat
Pentacle - the sign of the devil
Egyptian sun disks - haloes of saints
Image of Isis cradling the son of Horus Image of Mary with Jesus

After all, as now, it was impossible to just take and break the pagan customs, symbols and traditions of
people who have evolved over a fairly long period of time. The only way out was
gradually replace them with Christian ones. And now some Christian holidays are still
contain pagan rituals.

Some Conclusions

SOME CONCLUSIONS
The very concept of "tradition", used in the context of "customs", "ritual", "ritual",
includes everything spiritual heritage from generation to generation. public
the significance of any tradition, including educational, must be consistent with the goals and
tasks of education moral education the rising generation.
Customs and traditions cannot be so easily taken and removed or changed, as they have a huge
impact on society. This process takes quite a long time.
Religious traditions, customs and rituals may be inaccurate and even built on others,
obsolete or antecedent customs, traditions and rituals. What might entail
mass delusion in some details.
People do not always understand what any custom or tradition means, but follow them only
because that's what most people do.
Customs, traditions and rituals of a religious nature are found most often in society.
Creating new and improving existing public, family and household, personal
traditions and customs, we have a huge impact on the consciousness and feelings of people who
forced to reconsider and overcome habits, ideas associated with the previous way
life.
There is not a single people in the world that does not have own customs and traditions, not to mention small
social groups.

Unlike manners and etiquette, customs are inherent in the broad masses of people. A custom is a spontaneously formed, habitual, stereotyped way of people's behavior. Custom - the traditionally established order of conduct. It is based on habit and refers to collective forms of action. Customs are mass patterns of actions approved by society that are recommended to be performed. Informal sanctions are applied to violators - disapproval, isolation, censure. The Slavs had such collective actions as the custom of giving birth to the first child in the parental home, the custom of feeding the father of the newborn at the baptismal dinner with a mixture of porridge, pepper, salt, vodka, and sometimes vinegar, the custom of “printing the grave”, etc.

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M. Kupriyanova English etiquette

For most, the word "etiquette" is associated with something like a starched white tablecloth that is pulled out on holidays. Meanwhile, using the rules of etiquette every day, you get additional pleasure from communicating with others. A few words about specific rules good manners. Who should go through the door first - a man or a woman? There are two legends about this. Our ancestors, in order to check whether the cave was inhabited, were the first to launch a woman. If she returned, the men boldly mastered the shelter, if not, they looked for another. In the Middle Ages, a woman walked ahead of a man and thus, as it were, guarded him - the cult of the Beautiful Lady was so strong that it was unthinkable to attack not only a woman, but also her companion. Today, a man must go ahead of a woman when he can protect her from possible danger, say, entering the hall of a Restaurant or an elevator. In other cases, he walks behind.

Approaching the door, the woman expects the man to open it. She can count on the same service when she gets out of the car. ^ which side of the woman should the man go - on the right or on the left? Since he is obliged to you P 0 To support his right, his strongest hand-

Whoa, you gotta move to the right. But there are two exceptions to this rule: if your companion is military and if you are moving down the street, then you need to choose the least dangerous or dirty side. Who greets whom first? The French military regulations say that the more polite one greets first. But according to etiquette, the young should greet the elder, the man - the woman. But the hand for shaking gives -

Xia in the reverse order: a woman - a man, an older one - a younger one.

In general, a handshake is not a very desirable form of greeting for a woman. Holding out her hand, she often does not know whether they will shake her fingers or kiss her. Therefore, it is better for a woman to give her hand in a relaxed, indefinite form, so that a man has a choice. Adapted and abridged by: Moscow Komsomolets. 1994. April 7th.

Tsivyan T.V. On some issues of constructing the language of etiquette // Proceedings on sign systems. "Artoo, 1965. Vol. 2. S. 144.

The custom regulates the behavior of group members, strengthens group cohesion, introduces the individual to the social and cultural experience of the group. Examples of customs are celebrating the New Year, weddings, visiting guests, etc. Compliance with the norms of custom is ensured by the strength of the public opinion of the group.

A custom that is preserved and passed down from generation to generation is called tradition (from lat. traditions transmission, tradition). Tradition is everything that is inherited from predecessors. Values, norms, patterns of behavior, ideas, social institutions, tastes, and views act as traditions. Meetings of former classmates, fellow soldiers, hoisting the national or ship flag can become traditional. Some traditions are performed in an everyday setting, while others are performed in a festive, upbeat one. They belong to cultural heritage surrounded by honor and respect, serve as a unifying principle.

Tradition is a way of reproduction, the process of transmission (transmission) from one generation to another of the main content of culture - values ​​and norms. Traditions preserve all the most valuable things in culture.

The mechanism for this transfer is:

♦ folklore, i.e. oral tradition;

♦ imitation, repetition of a pattern of behavior. Adequacy is achieved by repeated repetition of actions, and the role of rituals is great in this.

IN pre-industrial societies most of, and in pre-literate - the entire content of culture was transmitted through traditions.

The importance of traditions for the life of society cannot be overestimated. They play a role similar to heredity in a living organism. And just as violations in the apparatus of heredity can lead to the death of an organism, so cultural destruction and loss can lead to the degradation of society.

Traditions do not allow the "connection of times" to fall apart, accumulate the cultural experience of previous generations and pass it on to their descendants, which allows them to build their lives not from scratch, but from the place where their ancestors left off. Interruption of cultural tradition (as a result of natural disasters, wars) leads society to decline. The loss of traditions means the loss of socio-historical memory (public amnesia), as a result of which the people cease to perceive themselves as the subject of history, just as a person who has lost his memory ceases to feel himself a person. Such people (and society) are easy to manipulate like a child.

Therefore, sometimes the cultural tradition is interrupted not only by force, but artificially. Some forces in arrogant impatience are trying to "drive the horse of history" by making a "great leap". The main way to do this is to break the connection between generations, setting "progressive" children on "backward" fathers: the Hitler Youth in Germany, the Red Guards in China. The sad consequences of this are well known. In general, the desire to renounce the old world, to destroy everything to the ground, to throw Pushkin off the ship of modernity, is a manifestation of extreme lack of culture, sociological illiteracy and national unconsciousness.

The implementation of sociocultural norms is often expressed in rites and rituals - a strictly defined sequence of symbolic actions embodying certain social ideas.

Rites accompany the most important points in a person's life - birth (baptism, naming), growing up (initiation), creating a family (wedding, wedding), death (funeral service, burial, commemoration). The social meaning of the rite is to promote a better assimilation by the individual of group values ​​and norms. The strength of the rite lies in its emotional and psychological impact on cash. The aesthetic side of the rite is aimed at this - music, songs, dances, expressive gestures, etc.

Ritualism is often associated only with religion. In fact, ceremonial (ritual) actions are common in all spheres of social reality: military oath, initiation into students, opening of a monument, presidential inauguration, etc. Their rituals exist even in prison. For example, the ritual of "registration", i.e. admitting a newcomer to the prison community; the ritual of "lowering" - transferring to a low-status group, a lower "caste".

Rites associated with birth, marriage, death are called family; agricultural and other rituals - calendar.

In medieval England, there was such a custom. When an apprentice, engaged in unskilled dirty work, was transferred to master printers, who were engaged in clean, highly skilled work, the comrades finally arranged a washing in reverse. The young man was immersed in a vat of waste. It could have been sour milk stored in advance, where for several days they spit, urinated and did everything that came to mind, colleagues. Through a rite of passage, i.e. literally everyone went through the rite of passage from one job to another. It has survived in England until recent days, but in a purely symbolic form.

Many ancient rites associated with bread. Twinning - sharing a cake between named brothers, wedding ceremony- the ritual of sharing bread between husband and wife. "Bread and salt" - this greeting is a symbol of cordiality and hospitality. In the religious rite of communion, believers "eat the flesh" of God in the form of bread.

Ceremony and ritual

They exist not only in the realm of religion, as one might think. Symbolic actions permeate all areas of human culture.

Ceremony- a sequence of actions that have a symbolic meaning and dedicated to the celebration (celebration) of any events or dates. The function of these actions is to emphasize the special value of the celebrated events for the society or group. The coronation is a vivid example of an important ceremony for society.

Ritual- a highly stylized and carefully planned set of gestures and words, performed by persons specially selected and prepared for this. Ritual endowed symbolic meaning. It is designed to dramatize this event, to arouse reverent awe among those present. An example of a ritual is the offering of a sacrifice to a pagan god.

Most rituals break down into component parts and elements. So, an obligatory part of the ritual of taking off aircraft is waiting for the command “Takeoff is allowed”.

The farewell ritual includes the following: sit “on the path”, hug, cry, wish a happy journey, do not sweep the floor for three days, etc. The ritual of defending a scientific dissertation is a complex set of elements.

The history of many rituals goes back to ancient times. For example, no one knows where and when the ritual " fire dances”(only written references to him, made in the 1st century BC, remained). Walking on fire and even dancing barefoot can be on all continents. This is done, in particular, by the North American Indians of the Navajo tribe, the peasants of Sri Lanka and Muslims in India, the inhabitants of Landagas (Greece), the shamans of the Chinese Lolo tribe, and the Bulgarians. In Rus', they did not walk on hot coals, but during the celebration of the arrival of spring, young peasants jumped through the high flames of a large fire.

According to K. Lorenz, the ritual has a cultural origin and performs three features: prohibition of fighting between members of the group; keeping them in a closed community; distinguishing this community from other groups. The ritual restrains aggression and unites the group. The accumulation of aggression is the more dangerous, the better the members of this group know each other, the more they understand and love each other. Sometimes the slightest gestures of a best friend, as soon as he coughs or blows his nose, we respond with such a reaction as if we were hit by a drunken bully. Human culture is entirely based on ritual. Non-ritualized actions such as picking, scratching, sneezing, spitting, etc. there is very little left in it. They are called uncivilized actions.

The rigidity of the traditional ritual and the perseverance with which we adhere to it are necessary for society. But everyone needs them too. After all, the observance of rituals and cultural patterns requires control by our consciousness and will, and the urgent control over our behavior further develops the sphere of morality and morality.

Morals and prohibitions

Morals are a kind of custom. manners- these are especially significant for the group and highly respected customs that have moral significance.

Mores reflect the moral values ​​of society, their violation is punished more severely than the violation of traditions. From the word "mores" comes "morality" - ethical standards, spiritual principles that determine the most important aspects of society. latin moralis means "moral". Morals are customs that have moral significance. This category includes those forms of human behavior that exist in a given society and can be subjected to moral assessment. In ancient Rome, this concept meant "the most respected and sanctified customs." In many societies, it is considered immoral to walk the streets naked (although it is allowed to do so at home), to insult elders, to beat a woman, to offend the weak, to mock the disabled, and so on.

A special form of mores are special prohibitions, which are called taboo. This Polynesian word refers to a system of prohibitions on certain actions (the use of any objects, the pronunciation of words), the violation of which in primitive society punished by supernatural powers.

Taboo- an absolute ban imposed on any action, word, object. It regulated the most important aspects of human life: it ensured compliance with marriage norms, protected from the dangers associated

in particular, with touching a corpse. taboo(the process of tabooing) was widespread in archaic societies, but taboo has not disappeared in modern cultures either.

Taboo served as the basis for many later social and religious norms. In modern society, certain parties are tabooed: blood-related relations - a ban on incest (incest); food process - a ban on cannibalism, a ban on eating pork among Jews and Muslims. Desecration of graves or insulting the feeling of patriotism are taboo. Taboo is the strongest in existence human society a kind of social prohibition, the violation of which is punished especially harshly.

Fashion and hobbies

A person learns traditions and customs regardless of his will and desires. There is no freedom of choice here. On the contrary, such elements of culture as tastes, hobbies and fashion testify to the free choice of a person.

Taste- an inclination or predilection for something, most often a feeling or understanding of grace. Taste in clothes forms an individual style,

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Eating and drinking bans

They are in different religions. In Orthodoxy, in matters of food intake, the principle of Christian freedom is observed. Christ freed people from the obligation to observe in food and drink the prescriptions of the Mosaic Law set forth in the Old Testament.

And yet, some prohibitions exist: you can not eat strangled and blood (that is, meat containing blood), for "blood is the soul." You can not indulge in excesses in food and drunkenness, for "drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God." Orthodox Christians have a special diet during Lent. God-abiding Jews eat kosher food, i.e. ritual, prepared according to special rules. It is divided into several categories - vegetable, fish and meat. At the same time, fish is not considered kosher if the fish does not have scales. Meat food is considered kosher if the animal has no wounds. Orthodox Jews do not eat meat with blood. In addition, Jews can only eat animals with cloven hooves and regurgitating cud. They do not eat meat food after milk food for six hours, but milk food can be eaten after meat food, but after rinsing the mouth. Most detailed rules relating to food developed in Islam. In addition to direct prohibitions, there are also indirect ones, meaning censure or disapproval. Pork is strictly prohibited. Such a ban existed in ancient Egypt, among the Jews, and then the early Christians. The reason is that pork spoils faster in hot climates and

there are more opportunities to get poisoned by this meat than lamb or beef. Islam strictly forbids the consumption of alcohol. Even the presence of a drunken feast is considered a sin for a Muslim. The emergence of a ban on alcohol is not accidental. Drunkenness interfered with the fulfillment of religious precepts. For a faithful Muslim,

It is a sin to miss even one of the five obligatory daily prayers. It is condemned, although not forbidden, to eat mule meat. Historians explain this indulgence by the fact that the Turkic peoples joined Islam, in the menu of which horse meat was traditionally present. You are allowed to eat fish. The Sharia - the Muslim code of laws and rules - specifically stipulates which parts of the body of animals cannot be eaten: blood, genitals, uterus, tonsils, spinal cord, gallbladder, etc. Finally, the meat of even “edible” animals becomes forbidden if the animal is not slaughtered according to Sharia rules. Abridged by source: AiF. 1994. No. 9.

manner of dressing. Taste is individual, so it shows how much a person has deviated from generally accepted norms, average standards.

Enthusiasm- short-term emotional addiction. Each generation has its own hobbies: tight trousers, jazz music, wide ties, etc.

Fashion- change of hobbies that have mastered large groups.

fashion also understood as the rapidly passing popularity of something or someone. Usually these are some minor norms - in clothes, food, behavior, etc. If a person's taste can persist throughout life, then hobbies are constantly changing. When hobbies take hold of the masses, they grow into fashion. A fondness for twists, short skirts or "flying saucers" can be called both fashion and hobby. Unlike passion, fashion expresses social symbols. The presence of fashionable slacks is considered prestigious not because they are beautiful, but because slacks are a symbol of popular culture. Fashion items are more expensive than ordinary clothes, and their acquisition is regarded as a success. Fashion trends are rather inherent in the urban environment, where the status and prestige of a person depend not so much on diligence or character, but on lifestyle, wealth, and manner of dressing.

If customs and mores are stable and long-term social norms, then fashion and hobbies are among the unstable and short-term patterns of behavior. Fashion - periodic change of patterns of mass behavior: in clothes, musical tastes, architecture, art, speech behavior. Custom is focused on tradition, fashion - on modernity, renewal, innovation.

Fashion is out of character primitive societies, but is becoming commonplace in a complex, industrial society. It could not be found in a caste society. In a class society, fashion was limited to the circle of aristocrats; in a class society, it subjugated the masses of people. The so-called mass or in-line production, when standardized and cheap products are made, is such because it satisfies

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Versailles fashion

From the middle XVII V. the French court of the king became a trendsetter Louis XIV. This was the heyday of absolute monarchy in France. Its manifestation in fashion was the noble and royal fashion, the successor of the Spanish fashion, adapted to the tastes of the French. Strict geometry was replaced by bright colors and colors, complex cut. Since that time, French taste and fashion have conquered all of Europe and have not ceased to own it for centuries. Baroque fashion introduced new materials and decorations; silk and lace replaced velvet. The clothes became very picturesque. The freely fluttering dress embodied fantasy, and with it the desire for eccentricity and luxury. The nobles wore camisoles made of brocade and decorated with gold

ribbons, waistcoats, tight knee-length trousers, silk stockings. Near 1640 wigs with curled curls appeared. The King was the trendsetter. Louis XIV he loved extravagant clothes, wore shoes decorated with ribbons 40 cm wide. The king's favorites were allowed to wear a blue cloak with a red lining, embroidered with gold.

meets the needs of the broad masses of consumers. with mass production in modern society came mass art and its element - fashion.

Fashion has the ability to come and go quickly. The cycle of changing tastes and preferences of people is very short - a few years. Often, at a new stage, something that already once existed returns. The cycle of the return of the old lasts 20-30 years. For example, in the 1980s. among young people, torn jeans and scarves on the forehead were in fashion; this is how hippies dressed back in the 1960s. The twist, the sheik, tight trousers, sleeveless dresses, jungle fire ties, walks by water bodies and cultural conversations (about nature, weather, music, books) have become fashionable among teenagers. The culture of the 1960s and 1970s returned to everyday life, i.e. the clothes, manners, music, and spirit of their parents' generation. Teenagers of the “new wave” began to be called fans of parental childhood (dudes).

Not all segments of human behavior are subject to fashion and hobbies. Religious activities, political activities, family life are more regulated by customs and traditions, and to a lesser extent by fashion and hobbies.

Tastes determined by the climatic and geographical conditions in which the people live. Thus, among the landlocked Zulus and Mongols, fish has never been a fashionable delicacy, and meat is rarely eaten in Oceania. The main product (mass fashion) here is fish, but the inhabitants do not have enough protein and they even eat insects.

However, with all the diversity of human tastes, there is one product that all peoples use - bread. Until the Middle Ages, in most of the civilized world, they used unleavened cakes. It was only at the very beginning of the Middle Ages that flat cakes in Europe were pushed aside by bread made from sour dough. Yeast appeared in Egypt 3.5 thousand years ago, but at first yeast bread was available only to the elite. The experience of its baking was borrowed from Egypt in ancient Greece and ancient Rome, where the baker was elevated above other artisans. When people mastered the technology of baking cheap bread, it became a fashionable product available to the general population.

Values

Culture, like society, rests on a system of values. Values- socially approved and shared by most people ideas about what kindness, justice, patriotism, romantic love, friendship, etc. are. Values ​​are not questioned, they serve as a standard and an ideal for all people. If loyalty is considered a value, then deviation from it is condemned as a betrayal. If cleanliness is a value, then sloppiness and uncleanliness are condemned as indecent behavior.

No society can do without values. Individuals can choose to share these or other values. Some are committed to the values ​​of collectivism, while others are committed to the values ​​of individualism. For some, money may be the highest value, for others - moral impeccability, for others - a political career. To describe what values ​​people are guided by, sociologists have introduced the term « value orientations». They describe individual relationships or the choice of particular values ​​as a norm of behavior.

So, values ​​belong to a group or society, value orientations belong to an individual. Values ​​are beliefs shared by many people about goals to be pursued.

The honor and dignity of the family has been one of the most important values ​​of the human community since ancient times. Showing concern for the family, a man thereby demonstrates his strength, courage, virtue and everything that is highly appreciated by others. He chose highly esteemed values ​​as a guide to his conduct. They have become its cultural norm, and the psychological orientation towards their observance has become its value orientation. Studying the value orientations of modern Russians by means of a survey, sociologists can find out: a) what values ​​they prefer to be guided by at work and at home; b) how, rightly or wrongly, the social ideals behind private orientations are understood.

Even the simplest norms of behavior embody what is valued by a group or society. Cultural norms and values ​​are closely interrelated. The difference between norm and value is expressed as follows:

♦ norms - rules of conduct;

♦ values ​​- abstract concepts of what is good and evil, right and wrong, proper and improper

The basis of the oriental culture of Japan and China is filial piety(Chinese "xiao"). It includes such officially recognized duties as respect "for parents, unquestioning obedience to them, the duty to take care of father and mother all his life. Compliance with this cultural standard alone has rebuilt social relations in a society that the Chinese people today are perhaps superior to all others in terms of respect for elders.

Values ​​have common ground with the rules. Even the common habits of personal hygiene (washing your face, brushing your teeth, blowing your nose into a handkerchief, ironing trousers) in a broad sense are values ​​and are translated by society into the language of prescriptions.

prescriptions- this is a prohibition or permission to do something, addressed to an individual or group and expressed in any form (oral or written, formal or informal).

Values It is what justifies and gives meaning to norms. Human life is a value, and its protection is a norm. A child is a social value, the duty of parents to take care of him in every possible way is a social norm. Some norms are obvious, perceived at the level of common sense, we fulfill them without hesitation. Others require tension and serious moral choices. To give way to older people, to say hello when meeting with acquaintances seems obvious. However, staying with a sick mother or going to fight for the liberation of the Motherland (the hero of one of the plays by J.P. Sartre faced such a dilemma) is a choice between two fundamental moral values.

Thus, in a society, some values ​​may come into conflict with others when both are equally recognized as inalienable norms of behavior. Not only norms of the same type come into conflict, but also different types, for example, religious and patriotic ones: a believer who sacredly observes the norm “Thou shalt not kill” is offered to go to the front and kill enemies.

People have learned different ways resolve (in whole or in part, real or illusory) value conflicts. For example, Orthodox

Catholicism and Catholicism do not give hope for salvation to a person who has unjustly acquired wealth: “let the rich man not enter the kingdom of God.” To atone for the sin of money-grubbing, Russian merchants donated huge sums of money for the construction of churches and shelters for the poor. IN Western Europe found a more radical solution - Protestantism justified wealth. True, Protestantism justifies only what has been acquired by tireless personal labor. Therefore, the Protestant ethic has rendered mankind a great service, eventually becoming a doctrine that does not justify wealth, but calls for diligent work.

Rice. 34. To atone for the sin of money-grubbing, Russian merchants donated huge amounts of money.

for the construction of temples

Values ​​are generally accepted beliefs about the goals that a person should strive for. They form the basis moral principles. In Christian morality, the Ten Commandments provide for the preservation of human life ("thou shalt not kill"), marital fidelity ("thou shalt not commit adultery"), and respect for parents ("honor thy father and mother").

Different cultures may give preference to different values ​​(heroism on the battlefield, material enrichment, asceticism). Each society has the right to determine for itself what is a value and what is not. For example, the traditional values ​​of American culture include personal success, activity and hard work, efficiency and usefulness, progress, things as a sign of well-being, respect for science. In Russian culture, not individualism has always been valued, but collectivism, which is sometimes respectfully called catholicity, non-personal success, but the public good, not profit and utilitarianism, but compassion and mercy. At the same time, values ​​such as hard work and respect for science are highly valued not only in American culture, but also in Russian. What other similarities and differences can you find? Reflect on this.

Custom- a rule of conduct that has developed as a result of its actual application for a long time; the main form of regulation of behavior in a pre-state society in terms of tribal relations. Observance of customs was ensured by measures of social influence (execution, expulsion from the clan, deprivation of fire and water, etc.) or the approval of measures applied to the offender, his relatives or members of the clan (blood feud). The sanctioning of a custom by the state was carried out in the process of judicial or administrative activity, when the custom served as the basis for resolving the dispute, also by including the custom in legislative acts, which were codes of customary law, in the days of the slave and feudal state.

Custom(Latin usus, consuetido; English custom) - firmly established in a certain area social life rule governing the behavior of participants in the respective public relations. A custom is created in a specific social environment (ethnic or social group, among persons of a certain profession, etc.) and is observed in this environment due to its prescription and repeated use over a long period of time. In a pre-class society, custom was the only norm that regulated the relationship of people; the effectiveness of the custom was reinforced by measures of coercion or encouragement approved by members of the relevant social environment.

In a broad sense, custom can be called a feature of life, repeated constantly, periodically or on certain occasions, consciously or unconsciously (out of habit, etc.), by a group of persons or by one person, as something inevitable or necessary. In this sense, we can talk about the customs of tribes and peoples, in a separate people - about the customs of estates, classes, sexes, societies, professions; about the customs of religious, military, legal, commercial, industrial, sanitary, etc., according to the categories into which life and life are divided.

In a narrower sense, custom differs from law and ritual and means such features folk life, which, formed in more remote times, pass from generation to generation, and often continue to exist when consciousness of their original meaning is lost. Custom guides people, to one degree or another, at all levels of culture. We meet him as among savages and in civilized societies. At the lower stages of culture, custom is the regulator of life, moderating the arbitrariness of individuals in the interests of the community. In many cases, it is clear that the custom arose for the benefit of society. For example, in uncivilized countries it is generally considered laudable and sometimes even necessary to show hospitality to all who pass by. Among some tribes of Australia, the custom forbade young hunters to use the best parts of the game, which were provided to the elderly. This was done for the common good, because experienced old men, incapable of hunting, could be useful to the tribe as advisers.

Customs that have a moral character are called mores. In morals one can find an expression of the psychology of any social group. In influencing the lives of people, societies, traditions are close to customs, i.e. the established ways of behavior of people, social groups, transmitted from generation to generation. Support for traditions is justified by their usefulness to society.

It should be noted that with the change in living conditions and the emergence of new concepts, old customs gradually decline, are modified or replaced by new ones. With the development of law, custom gradually lost its significance as a regulator of human social life. Nevertheless, the people often continue to adhere to various customs, finding in them the covenant of wise antiquity and a manifestation of national identity.

CUSTOMS, TRADITIONS, STANDARDS.

Custom - a way of behavior inherited from ancestors, which is reproduced in a society or social group and is familiar and logical for their members. The term "custom" is often identified with the terms "tradition".

Tradition (from Latin “tradition”, custom) is a set of ideas, rituals, habits and skills of practical and social activities transmitted from generation to generation, acting as one of the regulators of social relations.

Some people combine such concepts as customs and traditions into one whole. However, this is not entirely true. Most often, when it comes to the transfer of the foundations of social order to their descendants, we are talking about the transfer of traditions. If we are talking about the transfer of rituals of weddings, funerals, holidays, then they talk about customs.
If we are talking about the generally accepted national dress of the people, then this is a tradition, since it concerns the whole people as a whole. If some part of the people add their own decoration to their national clothes, then this is already a custom concerning this part of the people. Such a custom can turn into a tradition if it is accepted by the whole people. Most likely, this is how different customs became common tradition.

That is, various customs in the complex and create generally accepted traditions. Therefore, people identify traditions, customs and rituals in one concept, although this is not so. A tradition is not born overnight. It emerges from established customs. And customs are born from the life and behavior of people themselves.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian photographer and inventor S.M. Proskudin-Gorsky invented the technique of color photography. He did it autonomously at the same time as the French brothers Auguste and Louis Lumiere, who are considered the official inventors of color photography. Proskudin-Gorsky captured people in national clothes in his photographs, believing that this tradition should be remembered documentarily. Thanks to him, we have an idea of ​​the national clothes of the peoples of Russia.

All peoples have traditionally had a high value of the word of man. There were times when there was no written language. Therefore, the word spoken by a person was not just appreciated. The word was given a mystical meaning. It was believed, as, indeed, now, that a wish, statement, obligation, or even a curse said aloud, always has its consequence and is necessarily carried out. And this happens regardless of whether the person who spoke out wants it or not. The wishes of health and happiness have always been perceived by ancient people as something material. It happened that people asked to return their words and wishes to them, if it turned out that these wishes were not expressed to the one who deserved it. There were times when people who told a lie were required to take back their words.
This is where the phrase "take back your words" comes from. Some people today believe that words are material and try not to scatter them. Others do not attach any importance to this and their words in the eyes of other people are worth nothing. And today no one takes seriously the words of talkers and braggarts, but the words of worthy people are highly valued. They are listened to. They are referenced.

The value of the word was the higher, the larger was the family of the person giving the word. Not keeping your word is like dishonoring your family as a whole. For example, the Chechens have such a concept that defines the uniquely high price of the word of a man. They call it "DOSH". That is, if a man declared DOSH, then not only he, but his entire family is responsible for this. Chechens have this concept to this day, because they have preserved tribal teips, each of which unites many people. I believe that such concepts as "DOSH" also existed among other peoples, but since the collapse of tribal relations, people's share of tribal responsibility has decreased and fidelity to the word has remained at the level of personal responsibility of each person individually, and not the whole clan. And there really is someone in that much. Whoever is ready to die for his word, and whoever lies, will take it inexpensively. The level of personal responsibility is immeasurably lower than the level of responsibility of the whole family, but after all, family responsibility is also built on the personal responsibility of each relative. Another thing is that once a disgraced relative is deprived of the right to say "DOSH" to someone.

If a person claims something, he must prove it to those who listen to him. After all, he is interested in the fact that those who listen to him believe him. Then, in proof of the veracity of his words, he begins to cite as an example the words of authoritative, worthy people. Those words and statements that are time-tested and no longer need proof of honesty. If these arguments correspond to the words of the speaker, then people begin to believe him. They make sure that a person is not hypocritical and does not lie.

However, there is another tradition that appeared relatively recently and also refers to the value of the spoken word. This tradition was invented by Hitler. He argued that if you want your lies to be believed, you don't have to tell one lie. You need to mix lies with the truth and then everyone will believe you.

This is a false tradition, but it also has a certain value. The desire to deceive listening people once again emphasizes how important the value of the human word is for everyone without exception. And for honest people, and for liars. So, whether we like it or not, our tradition of valuing the word lives with us to this day. Even scammers try to use this tradition.

In addition to the value of the word, there is also the value human act. Actions are different. Significant and not so much. But they are all positive or negative. All mankind is working to meet the needs of people. So many people work every day in their positions and do the things that they should do. These actions are not considered unusual, but they are what make it possible to provide society with everything necessary. These are positive actions. However individual people they also do negative things. These are crimes. In order to protect themselves from crime, society comes up with laws that protect honest and decent people. But there have been times in human history when laws did not protect people. Then people defended themselves. For any crime against friends or relatives, they responded with revenge. Revenge is one act, or a series of acts logically interconnected. Revenge on enemies was considered a must. Refusal of revenge had to have good justification, otherwise it became a disgrace.

In one of his stories, a writer writing under the pseudonym "Kont", a former Afghan warrior, describes an incident that occurred in one of the Afghan villages. A block post was placed next to it Soviet army. It was a small fortress, bristling with machine guns and machine guns. The fighters were constantly waiting for the attacks of the Mujahideen from anywhere, but not from the side of the village. In order not to bring trouble on the inhabitants, the Mujahideen did not enter the village and there was an unspoken agreement with the Soviet fighters on this score. One night, the unthinkable happened. The checkpoint was attacked from where they were not expected. From the side of the village. The attack was met with dagger fire from the checkpoint. When it blossomed, the soldiers saw that dead old people lay on the ground, the inhabitants of the village armed with something. Only a few of them had old, useless in combat, hunting rifles. Sabers, daggers, axes lay next to the rest. The investigation showed that one of the fighters of the checkpoint entered one of the houses at night and first raped and then stabbed 13 summer girl. They saw him, but he managed to escape. None of the old people of the village had any doubts that there were too few of them and they were all aged. They did not see for themselves any other development of events, except for revenge. Without waiting for the morning, they rushed to the last attack in their lives. To say that their opportunities for revenge were negligible is like saying nothing. They could not take revenge, but no one could reproach them for not taking revenge. As the Russian prince Svyatoslav said: "The dead have no shame." Only the old people did not think that someone would say something. They went to take revenge, because that's how they were brought up.

Laws appeared in every country, but revenge still remained among the people. Laws don't always work. Revenge has always been more feared than the law. This is a very ancient custom. Each nation had its own characteristics of the manifestation of revenge, but all of them were distinguished by cruelty. Cruelty doesn't make anyone better. Cruelty breeds other cruelty, and then there is no end in sight to evil. In ancient Greek Sparta, revenge was supposed to be fierce by killing all the relatives of the perpetrator. So that he suffers from every news of the death of his relatives. The culprit was the last to be killed. It is clear that the latter had no choice but to start a war against his avengers.

When Jesus Christ came to teach people, he called everyone to forgive one another. It was he who said that if you are hit on your right cheek, turn your left. Thus the Savior laid the foundation for the custom of forgiveness. For many, this custom is incomprehensible, because it contradicts the custom of revenge to which people are accustomed. But revenge does not stop evil, but continues it. Murders are also random. Among the ancient Jews, for example, several cities were allocated in which the murderer could hide from revenge and it was forbidden to pursue him in these cities.

1. Annual customs.

Almost all peoples had a HARVEST FESTIVAL. The exception was the peoples who could receive 2-3 crops per year. For them, it was not such a significant event. Then other traditions were invented. The bulk of the population of the Earth received a crop once a year and tried to celebrate this event magnificently. This holiday was a symbol of abundance. After this holiday, it was customary to play weddings, and not only among Christians, Muslims, or representatives of other religions. In the spring, there was no longer enough food. This custom came to us from pagan times. Everyone celebrated weddings, because immediately after the harvest there was plenty of food, and work stopped due to the end of the harvest. A harvest festival, a natural and logical celebration.

Today, the harvest festival is not celebrated as magnificently as before. Only peasants celebrate it. This happens for several reasons.
- Not the entire population is engaged in harvesting, but only a small part of it. For example, in the USA in agriculture only 3% of the population works. For other people, this means nothing. In the Middle Ages, about 90% of the population worked in agriculture.
- Now with the end of the harvest, the work on the ground does not end and practically continues all year round. New system agricultural technology intensively exploits the soil. Previously, people used one field once every two or three years. That is, the field worked for one year, and rested for two years. Today the fields do not rest. They are actively fertilized with mineral fertilizers. Part of the fields are sown for the winter, and earlier this was done quite rarely. In other words, there is no such thing as winter downtime in agriculture.
- Many other magnificent holidays have appeared that did not exist before, including those that are celebrated at the same time as the harvest festival.

The farewell to winter was celebrated very magnificently among the people. In Rus', this holiday is known as Shrovetide. It wasn't easy to get through the winter. The peasants did not have central heating. Firewood had to be prepared. The huts were small, so that it was easier to warm them with one stove. Food was cooked in the same oven. In winter, the entire population was tied to their homes as sources of heat. Therefore, people celebrated the farewell to winter with great joy. This holiday falls on the spring equinox. During the celebration of Maslenitsa in Rus', it was customary to burn an effigy of winter. IN different places In Rus', this custom was celebrated with its own details. Somewhere they burned an effigy wrapped in pea straw. She burns well. Such a scarecrow was called a jester pea. In Kostroma, a scarecrow was called "kostroma".

In different places, different chants were dedicated to this holiday, but the meaning and time of the holiday always remain the same. This custom also came to our time from pagan times. The Orthodox Church celebrates Shrovetide week on the eve of the beginning of the strict Easter fast. Throughout the oil week, people baked pancakes, pies, and there were folk festivals. On Thursday, it was considered a tradition for mothers-in-law to cook pancakes for their sons-in-law and treat them. Oil Sunday is called forgiveness. On this day, all people ask each other for forgiveness. Before the revolution, wall-to-wall fistfights were held on Forgiveness Sunday. This is a special custom. That is, adult guys and men lined up opposite each other in an amount of up to several dozen people. On command, they approached and began to fight. The rules were strict. If the fighter fell, then he was out of the fight. It was impossible to beat a lying fighter. The fight was not supposed to be traumatic and unnecessarily violent, but blood from injuries was considered common. The battle continued until complete victory. After the battle, the opponents hugged and asked each other for forgiveness.

Weddings are rightfully considered the most striking customs. Today this rite is preserved and people arrange lavish weddings to commemorate this event. But not only. A wedding is not just a joyful celebration. This is an event that not only makes many people responsible for the lives and happiness of a young family, but also makes a young family responsible to all those present for their life together, which they promise to create at the wedding. That is, a wedding is not only a holiday, but also mutual obligations. How else? The bride and groom and their parents invite all those whom they respect to the wedding. This invitation can be seen as a statement that they are not just inviting guests, but promise to honestly and honorably start a family. In turn, everyone who is invited to the wedding should continue to provide all possible assistance to the young family if they turn to him for help. So a wedding is not just a feast. This is not just a collection of gifts. This is an important life event.

It is still customary for Muslims, but not everywhere, to pay a ransom - kalym. It is believed that a man who paid a dowry is wealthy enough to support his own family. The amount of bride price is negotiated individually, but this custom is not practiced in all Islamic countries. At weddings, it is customary to give only money. This money is given to the parents of the young. But parents must provide their children with housing, furniture, and everything necessary for life, right down to clothes and utensils. Accordingly, they bear all the costs of organizing a wedding. Money received at a wedding from guests, as a rule, cannot reimburse parental expenses.

Christians can give everything. Both money and gifts. Everything is for the young. A bride price is not paid, but the bride must bring a dowry with her. The amount of the dowry depends on the wealth of the bride's family. Parents pay for the wedding. But in this sense, the differences between Muslims and Christians are not significant.

Before the wedding, it is customary for Christians to arrange a wedding. This is called conspiracy and it ends with an engagement, or betrothal. Senior representatives of the groom come to negotiate with the parents of the bride. Representatives may not be relatives. Usually these are matchmakers, but the presence of the groom's parents is obligatory.

Matchmakers observe the ritual of the event. The parents of the bride and groom learn about the intentions of the young and if they are positive, then an agreement on the timing of the wedding takes place. The bride and groom are betrothed with wedding rings. From now on, they can communicate in public, but before the wedding they cannot live together. What is it for?

If one of the young people changes their mind about getting married, then all preparations will be stopped and the wedding will not take place. In this case, the young are not bound by any circumstances and can find other chosen ones. That is, young people are given time in order to take a closer look at each other better. The rings are returned to the groom as they are bought by the groom's parents for the engagement.

The agreement may or may not take place. If the bride does not like the groom, she can immediately refuse him. This event becomes shameful for the groom, so he must be sure that the girl will agree to the marriage.

In Ukraine, in Belarus, in Moldova, in Russia and among many other peoples, it was customary to bring out a pumpkin (garmelon) to an unlucky groom. It was a shameful sign of rejection. Why shameful? Because if the groom sees that the girl does not like, but continues to be persistent, then having received a pumpkin, he no longer has the right to send matchmakers to this girl for the second time. That is, the girl has the opportunity to get rid of the annoying groom once and for all.

Muslims also have a similar custom. If the bride at the wedding hits the groom with a whip in front of everyone, then the wedding will not take place. However, both the groom and the bride herself are considered disgraced in the eyes of the guests and the whole society.

Today, many young people strive to earn big money and only then get married in order to pay their own expenses. They don't want to depend on their parents. In this case, two problems arise, of which it is difficult to choose the worst. Firstly; such a situation may be offensive to parents. Parents, as a rule, are ready to take on any debt in order to fulfill their duty to their children. Secondly; the money-making process can take an unknown number of years. This can deprive a person of the opportunity to create his own family.

Giving a girl in marriage without matchmaking has always been considered a disgrace. According to the logic of weddings, it turned out that no one was interested in protecting the interests of the young. No one even knows that there was new family. There are no witnesses to the obligations that the groom and his parents take on. Therefore, it is not customary to give a girl for her husband secretly. And it doesn’t matter if she is paid a bride price or if she gets married in an Orthodox church, the meaning is always the same. Family obligations should be public and frank.

IN hard times, when the guests were not able to make gifts, and the parents to gather a rich feast, they still tried to play the wedding. Often this was done by joint efforts, but the wedding still became memorable, joyful event. Even the most modest gifts were made, but weddings were made.

Any speculation in this regard does not promise anything good. Previously, often, parents themselves decided to whom to marry their daughters and to whom to marry their sons. Many acted on the principle of material interest. That is, they tried to intermarry with a rich groom, or a rich bride. Often young brides married elderly grooms and vice versa.

This situation gave rise to another custom. This is bride kidnapping. The act is radical, but it solves all problems at once, including the cost of the wedding. The logic behind the kidnapping is simple. kidnapping unmarried girl groom puts her in the category of either disgraced, or married women. But the kidnapper can immediately abandon her and leave her disgraced. The bride's parents, who could not prevent the kidnapping, look impartial among people and are ready to give their daughter to the kidnapper, if only to comply with all necessary rites and enlist the support of relatives and witnesses. Even if before that they publicly refused this fiancé. At the same time, they try to do everything to keep the kidnapping a secret. If the parents fundamentally do not recognize the groom-kidnapper, then the bride becomes his wife without a wedding. This is understandable. Not a single suitor, after the abduction, will woo her.

However, there were also frequent cases of a preliminary agreement on the kidnapping of the groom with the bride, the groom with his parents, the groom with his parents and the bride in order to avoid the costs associated with holding a large wedding. Here the logic is very simple. If a girl was kidnapped, but not married, then this is considered a shame. If she was kidnapped, but after numerous trials and showdowns (sometimes turning into fights), the family was nevertheless created, then the image of the bride even acquires a certain romantic connotation. Therefore, kidnappings are sometimes even staged at rich weddings.

BURNING.
What can be no less important than a wedding? Of course, the funeral of a deceased person. The Bible mentions that the person who buried the deceased looks worthy before God, but after the funeral he must be cleansed. And today there is a custom to wash hands after participating in a funeral.

As life shows, not all people get married, but everyone dies. Death makes burial obligatory. Our ancestors buried the dead in the ground so that they would not be defiled by animals and birds. After all, we were talking about dead relatives. But the attitude towards the unfamiliar dead was the same. Subsequently, rites of burial in coffins were invented. The coffin symbolizes the boat in which the deceased goes to another world. Among believers, it is customary to give funerals a special meaning. After all, this last way person to another world. It is customary for Orthodox Christians to bury people in the ground. In India, Japan and other countries, dead people are cremated. Burn. Materialists also follow common religious traditions and cremate the dead.

It is customary for Christians to keep the dead at home from one to two days. This is done so that those who are far away and cannot quickly come to the funeral can say goodbye to the deceased. On the day of the funeral of the deceased, it is customary to bury the dead in church, or at home. From the house, it is customary to carry the coffin in your arms along the street where the deceased lived. A ceremony of farewell takes place at the cemetery, when relatives kiss the deceased on the forehead. Those who wish can speak out loud about the deceased, but it is customary to speak about the dead either well or nothing. After lowering the coffin into the grave, each person present throws three pinches of earth into the grave as a sign of farewell. After the funeral, people go to the wake. It is not customary to knock glasses at the funeral table. The feast is short-lived. A buried person is commemorated, as well as deceased relatives are remembered. At the funeral of deceased children, alcohol is not consumed.

Then the relatives gather to commemorate the deceased after 7 days. The deceased on the fortieth day is commemorated more magnificently. It is believed that within 40 days the soul of a deceased person is still wandering, and on the 40th day it is where it should be. On the day of the funeral, a cross is erected on the grave, and a year later, on the anniversary of death, it is customary to erect a monument. But all this is sufficient.

It is customary for Muslims to complete the funeral before sunset on the day of death. Nobody is waiting. Mullah performs his prayers and rituals. The deceased is carried to the cemetery only by men. Women don't go to the cemetery. The deceased is commemorated for seven days in a row. These commemorations are not so much feasting as reasonable. Every day people talk about life, death, God, faith, etc. They try not to leave the family of the deceased without attention, so that it would be easier for her to get used to the loss. Muslims celebrate the 40th day in the same way as the anniversary.

Funeral customs and rituals are quite diverse and can only be described in specialized work in a very large volume. All of them are logically conditioned. Only the most general rules are described here. People learn it by participating in the funeral of dead people. A large number of people come to the funeral of the most famous and respected people. But the number of people at the funeral does not say what a person was like in life. It is important with what thoughts people come to the funeral and how they later remember the deceased. Good or bad.

COMMON PRACTICES.

There are many such customs. They are inherent in every nation, since they are logically conditioned by the same circumstances. Let us take the simple case of a young man giving up his seat in a public transport. This is not just an element of upbringing. This is a common custom that has changed, but its essence has remained the same. There was no public transport yet, but it was customary for every nation that the younger ones not only give way, but get up at the time when the older one approached them. And the age difference didn't matter. And today it is customary to get up if a person approaches you and starts a conversation with you. And even if he is the same age as you. It is simply considered impolite if you talk while sitting with a person who is standing in front of you.

In ancient Sparta, it was allowed not to stand in front of an older person if he had no children. It was explained simply. His children will stand before no one.

It was not customary to sit and talk to women. This was considered a rule of bad taste and an educated woman would not continue the conversation with the interlocutor sitting in front of her, unless, of course, he was disabled. Today, it is customary for many peoples to give way to standing in transport not only for the elderly or pregnant women, but simply for older people. This is perceived not as help in a difficult situation, but as a tribute.
Before the revolution, all men showed such respect for women, but with the development of feminism, people began to perceive the politeness of men towards women in transport as harassment.

Interestingly, before the revolution, aristocrats and philistines had a custom to take off their hats when they met a pregnant woman. A tribute to motherhood.

INTERESTING TRADITIONS OF SOME PEOPLES.
I find some of the customs of the Japanese interesting. In the year they celebrate the day of the boys, and separately the day of the girls. These days are dedicated specifically to children up to 6-7 years old. These days they are sure to dress up in the most nice clothes and they can do anything.

In Japanese schools, a food lesson is traditionally held. Every day, two students serve their class lunch. Thus, students learn the Japanese table traditions of serving, eating, and behavior at the table.

In Italy, on the eve of the new year, it is customary to throw old things out of the windows into the street. It is believed that they will remain in the old year, and the family will acquire new ones in the new year.

In Finland and Norway, it is not customary to praise a person in public. This is considered gross flattery and may even hurt the person you are praising.

In China, it is not customary to give anything related to the number 4. This number symbolizes death. In the same place, it is not customary even to designate floors with the number 4. They go like this 1,2,3,5,6,

In India, it is not customary to thank for a gift. This is considered bad manners. You can praise the gift.

In the USA, it is not customary to pay for a woman in a taxi, open the door for her, carry things for her ... because she can take it for sexual harassment and file a complaint with the authorities.

In Greece, it is not customary to praise the utensils or paintings of the hosts at a party. According to customs, the owner will have to give it to you.

In Georgia, it is not customary to leave guests' glasses empty. The guest can drink or not drink, but his glass will always be full.

Words of welcome from different peoples different. The Chinese at the meeting asks: "have you eaten?", the Iranian will say: "be cheerful", the Zulu will warn: "I see you."