The Origins of Customs: Key Takeaways

A custom is defined as a
cultural idea that describes a regular, patterned behavior

that is considered characteristic of life in a social system. Shaking hands, bowing,
and kissing—all customs—are methods of greeting people. The method most
commonly used in a given society helps distinguish one culture from another.
Key Takeaways
 A custom is a pattern of behavior that is followed by members of a

particular culture, for example, shaking hands upon meeting someone.
 Customs foster social harmony and unity within a group.
 If a law goes against an established social custom, the law may be difficult
to uphold.
 The loss of cultural norms, such as customs, can cause a grief reaction that
leads to mourning.
The Origins of Customs
Customs can persist for generations, as new members of a society learn about
existing customs through a process of socialization. Generally, as a member of
society, most people adhere to customs without any real understanding of why
they exist or how they got started.
Societal customs often begin out of habit. A man clasps the hand of another upon
first greeting him. The other man—and perhaps still others who are observing—
take note. When they meet someone on the street later, they extend a hand. After
a while, the handshaking action becomes habitual and takes on a life of its own.
The Importance of Customs

Over time, customs become the laws of social life, and because customs are so
important to social harmony, breaking them can theoretically result in an
upheaval that has little or nothing to do with the custom itself—particularly when
the reasons perceived for breaking it have no bearing in fact. For example, after
handshaking becomes a norm, an individual who declines to offer his hand upon
meeting another may be looked down upon and or perceived as being
suspicious. Why won't he shake hands? What's wrong with him?
Assuming that a handshake is a very important custom, consider what might

happen if an entire segment of a population suddenly decided to stop shaking
hands. Animosity might grow between those who continued to shake hands and
those who did not. This anger and unease might even escalate. Those who
continue to shake hands might assume the non-shakers refuse to participate
because they're unwashed or dirty. Or perhaps, those who no longer shake hands
have come to believe they're superior and don't want to sully themselves by
touching an inferior person.
It's for reasons such as these that conservative forces often warn that breaking
customs can result in the decline of society. While this may be true in some
instances, more progressive voices argue that in order for society to evolve,
certain customs must be left behind.
When Custom Meets Law

Sometimes a political group seizes on a particular societal custom and, for one
reason or another, works to legislate it. An example of this would be Prohibition.
When temperance forces in the United States came into a position of
prominence, they lobbied to make the manufacture, transport, and sale of alcohol
illegal. Congress passed the 18th Amendment to the Constitution in January 1919
and the law was enacted a year later.
While a popular concept, temperance was never accepted as a custom by
American society as a whole. Consuming alcohol was never declared illegal or
unconstitutional, and plenty of citizens continued to find ways to make, move,
and buy alcohol despite the laws contravening those actions.
The failure of Prohibition demonstrates that when customs and laws promote
similar thinking and values, the law is more likely to be successful, while aws that
are not backed by custom and acceptance are more likely to fail. Congress
repealed the 18th Amendment in 1933.
Customs Across Cultures

Different cultures, of course, have different customs, which means that
something that may be an established tradition in one society may not be in
another. For example, in the United States, cereal is considered a traditional
breakfast food, but in other cultures, breakfast might include dishes such as soup
or vegetables.
While customs tend to be more entrenched in less industrialized societies, they

exist in all types of societies, regardless of how industrialized they are or to what
level of literacy the populace has risen. Some customs are so strongly entrenched
in a society (i.e. circumcision, both male and female) that they continue to
flourish regardless of outside influences or attempts at intervention.
Question:
He writes, “Can you explain the difference between habit, custom and
tradition?”
Answer:
Dear Ashraf,
Great question. All three words relate to actions that are done repeatedly. The
difference is that traditions and customs are practiced over a long period by
many people. A habit is more informal, and is usually limited to one person.
Let’s talk more about traditions and customs first. Traditions can include what
most people in a country do on holidays. For example:
“Sharing a meal with turkey is a Thanksgiving tradition in the United

States.”
Or: “Fireworks are part of America’s July 4th holiday tradition.”
Customs are also usual ways of behaving. But they are not as old as traditions,
and they are practiced by fewer people.
Here is an example:
“In the American workplace, it is the custom to shake people’s hands when
you first meet them"
When a custom continues from generation to generation, it becomes a

tradition.
“For fifty years, my grandparents had a custom of swimming in the lake on

the first day of summer. Now my aunts, uncles, parents, and cousins do it,
too. ‘Summer swim’ is our family tradition.”
In comparison, habits are about just one person’s behavior. A habit is

something that a person does often in a regular and repeated way.
Here is an example:
“When she reads the newspaper, Jane makes it a habit to look at the weather
first.”
We hope you will make it a habit to visit our website every day!

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A custom is defined as a

cultural idea that describes a regular, patterned behavior

 A custom is a pattern of behavior that is followed by members of a

The Importance of Customs

Assuming that a handshake is a very important custom, consider what might

When Custom Meets Law

Customs Across Cultures

While customs tend to be more entrenched in less industrialized societies, they

“Sharing a meal with turkey is a Thanksgiving tradition in the United

Or: “Fireworks are part of America’s July 4th holiday tradition.”

When a custom continues from generation to generation, it becomes a

“For fifty years, my grandparents had a custom of swimming in the lake on

In comparison, habits are about just one person’s behavior. A habit is

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