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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Martha Alexander

Traditions and rituals: why these meaningful moments mean so much to us

Illustration of people in swimsuits (and dog) jumping into water for wild swimming

Birthday hikes through the hills. Kitchen discos on a Thursday night. New Year’s Day wild swimming. Hiding baby teeth for the tooth fairy. Croissants in bed on Saturday mornings. Traditions like these – rituals practised habitually with people we love, and often handed down from generation to generation – are the backbone of our lives.

The concept of tradition transcends time, class and age – you’d be hard pushed to find a demographic, historical period or civilisation that didn’t uphold rituals or customs. Often we don’t know when or how they started, but we take them as they are – engaging in traditions unquestioningly because they tend to make us feel good.

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