Our cultures and traditions form our identities, explain beliefs and histories, and contribute to the vibrant varieties of human life. Especially with the recent discovery of the importance of epigenetics, and genetic memory, it is vital to understand and acknowledge “where we came from,” as the struggles, the sorrows, the migrations, and the joys of past generations are passed down to us on a cellular level. Many rituals, ceremonies, and cultural traditions stand on this history, celebrating or ameliorating rites of passage within communities.
We each need a community, and we need to claim an identity. Man is not an animal created to live alone, and as Viktor Frankl observed, man’s search for meaning frames his (or her) entire life. Preserving cultural traditions is so important in our individual identities: without them, we would become a homogenized society without distinction. Culture and tradition bring flavor to the world and promote understanding of others. It is important to claim and preserve the knowledge of what makes each of us uniquely a product of our past generations, and the communities that raised us.
