Difference between custom and tradition

The difference between custom and tradition lies in the form of its manifestation, in its form of transmission, in the number of people who adopt it and the time that it is considered as such.

In this sense, habit is associated with a daily routine or individual habit, acquired by particular inclinations of the character of each family or coexistence group such as, for example, "Luis has the habit of eating toast for breakfast."

The tradition is a custom with sociocultural roots that are particular to a group which, moreover, must be identified that way. The tradition is supported by historical antecedents that are transmitted from generation to generation, such as: "The Mexican literary tradition cannot ignore the poet Octavio Paz."

Custom and tradition are part of the cultural identity that can be of position, community, regional, state, national or global.

Custom and tradition are also terms used synonymously, such as, "Catholics have the custom / tradition of putting a tree as decoration when they celebrate Christmas."

In the example above, custom and tradition can be used synonymously because the Christmas tree it is a particular symbol of families and communities, but also of Christian regions and families.

To differentiate a custom from a tradition, the form of transmission, historical antecedents, sociocultural elements, periodicity and the setting of important dates must be taken into account.

A custom, for example, if we consider the statement "lunch at one in the afternoon", can be transmitted from generation to generation. generation, the historical background can be associated with the definition of a lunch time and it is desirable to do so every days.

Despite this, it is not considered a tradition because the elements are not particular to a community identified as such. In addition, the person would have to specify that they have lunch at one in the afternoon always or on a day in special, and this last statement would have to have in turn all the elements mentioned previously.

On the other hand, the transmission of a tradition is perpetuated from generation to generation. Tradition keeps the memory of the historical antecedents alive by commemorating dates, places or people important in specific moments, in addition to being full of sociocultural elements easily identifiable.

Folklore is the most reliable expression of tradition, since it groups all the elements that compose it. Folklore expresses all the cultural forms inherited from previous generations, preserving in its customs and rites the cultural identity of a community.