Traditions & culture

Enjoying local culture and traditions. Culture has been called “the way of life for an entire society.” As such, it includes codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, norms of behavior and systems of belief. Various definitions of culture reflect differing theories for understanding or criteria for evaluating human activity.

A tradition is a story or a custom that is memorized and passed down from generation to generation, originally without the need for a writing system. Cultural heritage (“national heritage” or just “heritage”) is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations. Often though, what is considered cultural heritage by one generation may be rejected by the next generation, only to be revived by a succeeding generation.

Physical or “tangible cultural heritage” includes buildings and historic places, monuments, artifacts, etc., that are considered worthy of preservation for the future. These include objects significant to the archaeology, architecture, science or technology of a specific culture. “Natural heritage” is also an important part of a culture, encompassing the countryside and natural environment, including flora and fauna. These kind of heritage sites often serve as an important component in a country’s tourist industry, attracting many visitors from abroad as well as locally.