Friday, 3 January 2014

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #86 Respect Tradition


1000 Flowers for the Planet - #86 Respect Tradition

Tradition is everywhere. Some traditions have been in place for centuries, others for only a few years. Most of us have a tradition of some kind – it may be a Christmas tradition that Nanna always makes the Christmas pudding, or that you go to the cricket every weekend in summer, or the same place every year for your annual holiday. Other traditions are part of religious practice, like the pilgrimage to Mecca, the spiritual bathing in the Ganges River in India, or the re-enactment of the Stations of the Cross. Monarchies have traditions, done with great pomp and ceremony, for example, the coronations of kings and queens at Westminster Abbey in England. Tradition is not compulsory, but for those who are involved in a tradition it has importance, and should never be tampered with by outsiders, as long as it does not contravene human rights (e.g. the sacrifice of a virgin to ensure good crops would be something we should probably have evolved beyond). We should allow people to continue their traditions, so long as they are done in peace and harmony with others and with the planet.

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