„… Does that mean that Nino is educated, but without traditions? – She gave me an ironic look. – That he is a nobody. But this nobody does everything in his power to become somebody… Mr. Sarratore is an unreliable person.“ (The Story of the Lost Child E. Ferrante) - Does modernity mean a break with tradition? Is it possible to connect tradition and modern life?

Barbara Marten - 28.09.2019 @ 10:56

Sofie and I thought about traditions and modernity. Have fun reading our article!

Marei Behrens - 03.12.2019 @ 15:49

Possibilities of combining tradition and modernity

by Sofie Glauß and Marei Behrens, HPS Buxtehude/Germany

A lot of traditions, like searching for Easter eggs or the Christmas wreath, have been part of society for a very long time and are connected to emotional and moral values. But a large amount of people fear that these traditions will be forgotten because of the modern way of living.

Examining the compatibility of tradition and modernity, you need to look at the definition of tradition. For that, a quote by Thomas More taken from his book “Utopia” (1516) fits really well: “Tradition is not the holding of ash but handing over the flame”.

According to More, traditions shouldn’t be simple and empty actions but the preservation of the meaning behind the traditions. Don’t just put a star on top of the Christmas tree without knowing the meaning behind it. You should be aware of it every year, over and over again.

Not only is tradition an important factor, but also the people who inherit these ways of living certain events. You have to look at past generations and those to come and the differences between these people. It may seem as if traditions had a greater meaning in former times. Some years ago, people were attached to more traditions and in a deeper way. The meaning of these traditions was always present in their heads. Nevertheless, today the word tradition has achieved a different meaning throughout the development of our society. A sign of modernity is the mingling of different cultures and the diversity within one country. This change has led to a development of new traditions and the implementation of new rites in a new environment. One example of this movement is the immigration in Germany, leading to changes in social classes, families and other social groups.

To put it in a nutshell, traditions haven’t lost their values over the period of time. To the contrary, traditions are gaining new ratings within a society and are even more flexible but without losing their meaning.

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Hi Sofie und Marei,

I have read your article, and I think that modernity may suppress the origins and story of Christmas/ Christmas time. The new generation knows not enough about it, so Christmas means them not a lot, it’s not important for them anymore. Or I think these changes are because of the Christmas stress. Because you long for so many things, and someone must do the legwork to put it all together. And whoever it is bound to be at risk of greater stress. For instance, my mother went down with fatigue in the last two Christmas. It is bad, but cleaning, cooking, and so many other things are the must. We want to help, but my father and I have to work on these days.

I think there should be a good balance between modernity and tradition, because when we modernize the „rules“ or change a routine a bit , modern Christmas  can become for all members of the family a relaxing time for celebration.

Réka Gaál - 15.12.2019 @ 20:41

Hello Sofie and Marei,

I think your article is very interesting because you deal with important and current topic.

I'm absolutely agree with your statement that awareness of meaning behind traditions is highly important. Each country has their unique culture. In spite of civilizational progress we should carry on our traditions which show us the greatest national values.

I'm also agree with Réka that nowadays we don't focus on the most important things. Of course, we can spend Christmas in a modern way, but above all it's time to slow down and be with family.

In conclusion, it's possible to connect tradition and modern life but we have to remember not to lose what's most important.

Joanna Stolarska - 28.12.2019 @ 15:28

Thank you for your article Sofie and Marei!

I totally agree with the things you mentioned in your article.  I also think that your article is very well written, but also important because it´s a current topic for our society. We have to deal with a huge generation gap which brings a lot of bad things with it.

It is possible that many traditions which still existed in our childhood will be forgotten in a few years, and maybe our children will not get to know them. Traditions are something very important and we should try to keep them as long as possible.

And we should also try to build a balance between the modern things and the old traditions.

Amelie Kapfinger - 06.01.2020 @ 00:33