"tradition" vs. "custom"

Question

Hello,Could you please say what's the difference between "tradition" and "custom"?Can they both signify a usual way of behaviour, specific to a particular largegroup of people in a particular context? For instance, can one refer to celebratingthe New Year as both a tradition and custom?Dictionaries provide quite an obscure definition for both terms. As I understoodit, a custom is a particular case of a tradition, while a tradition is any custom,belief or maner of doing something preserved with time and peculiar to a moreor less significant amount of people. Do you agree or you have a more appositedefinition?Thanks in advance.--Victor

Philip · Accepted Answer

I would be hard pressed to offer distinctions between the two. All I can say is that as an opening song in Fiddler On the Roof, "Tradition!" works a lot better than "Custom!"

Anonymous · Answer

A custom is a behaviour adhered to by a group of people on a regular basis. Example shaking hands when greeting people, serving afternoon tea, or sending cards as a "Thank you". These are things done on a regular basis in an agreed upon manner.
A tradition is a behaviour adhered to a group of people on specific occasions that occur regularly. Examples include Holidays, wedding decorum, and rights of passage with age. These are things one on specific defined occasions in an agreed upon manner.
The basic differance between the two being timing. A secondary but related differance is how long it takes to establish a custom vs a tradition. We can create a new custom right now. If you and I agree to a new secret handshake the second time we do it, it becomes a custom between us. A tradition however, must be repeated over a long period of time to be considered such.
~A second grade teacher from Egypt~

Anonymous · Answer

Hi Victor,

According to Eric Hobsbawm (1983) Custom is what people do and tradition is the formalization of those actions with material things and artifacts. For example in British courts judges pass judgements etc. 'Traditon is he wig, robe and other formal paraphernalia and ritualized practises'.

Uni Student in Britain.

Anonymous · Answer

custom is subject to change and comparable with a precedent

tradition is formal, internalized process or practice. invariable fixed practices

example: custom: what a judge does (job, rulings)

tradition: the robe, the wig

Anonymous · Answer

Egypt! Thanks you so much for your explanation, my third grade students are having a hard time distinguishing between the two terms. I think that by using your explanation I will be able to provide a clearer difference to them.
- 3rd grade teacher from Louisiana, USA

Anonymous · Answer

hi guys! Yet didnt get the meaning

i have homework to be submitted it 7 hours someone please give me a simple definition seperating the 2.
and please dont use good vocabulary as mh vocabulary is bad:(

Fivejedjon · Answer

We are not here to do people's homework for them. Your teacher wants to know what you know, not what we know.

Anonymous · Answer

Brilliant answer... From Australia

Anonymous · Answer

I am from hk and I want to know about it too

is it like custom is an act and tradition is an object??

Thx

Desk grape · Answer

I belief custom and tradition are the same and can be used interchangeably.

"tradition" vs. "custom"

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