You ever wonder how something becomes a tradition?
Reddit user, u/alskjdhf, wanted to know what we probably shouldn't be celebrating when they asked:
What is the dumbest tradition?
Some traditions and traditional ways of doing things are already going the way of the cranberry jello molded salad around the holidays, as people begin to break the veil.
We Don't Have To Do What Everyone Else Wants
"a lot of dating sh-t honestly"
"Yep. I remember telling the man who would become my husband that I wasn't going to play those stupid dating games. If he texted me, I wasn't going to wait 3-5 hours to text him back just so he knew I had a life. Fortunately he was on board and there was none of that nonsense."
"But the guy I dated before him was all about it. Hours between texts, never a phone call before 72 hours after a date. Ghosting. It's all so childish. If you like someone, it's okay to let them know. If they can't handle it, move on. There are so many people you guys."
Just Bury Me Softly
"Funerals.. spending a fortune on a coffin/casket just to bury it or burn it.. embalming a body and then doing the same."
"The funeral industry preys on the vulnerable in ways that should be criminalised. Many will actively try to guilt you into literally burning more money to "show respect" to the loved one you just lost."
"My instructions are going into my will. Pick the actual cheapest casket. No flowers. No ceremony. Ashes in a cardboard tube for scattering. A low-key wake at a separate establishment, for all my friends and relatives to remember me and DANCE."
Ruining The Spirit Of The Holiday
"Going into debt to buy everyone in your family christmas presents because you have to"
"Ugh this is my husbands family. They're so nasty and compete trying to buy the most expensive thing. I grew up in a really poor family, and often Christmas gifts where secondhand, homemade, dollar store type of presents and we always had so much fun. We baked cheap cookies and everyone played games and sang songs and just had fun."
"My in laws are cold, fight over everything, FREAK if I turn a Christmas show on for the kids. One Christmas My MIL put all of the gifts we got her (they were not expensive, my husband and I where just married and getting on our feet), put them in a box, and gave them back saying she didn't want any of this "junk" lmao. We don't talk to that side of the family anymore thankfully. I just don't get it."
Every tradition needs to get off the ground somewhere, celebrating something that needs to be celebrated.
It's when that tradition sometimes, in horrifically tragic circumstances, kills people that you should probably question what you're doing.
Maybe Don't Start Fire To Anything?
"Gender reveal."
"I feel like this is new enough that if nipped in the bud it can be regarded as some weird trend like fidget spinners rather than a tradition."
Don't Go Along With The Flow
"Voting a particular way 'Because my parents vote that way'"
"I think same goes for believing in a religion because "My parents believe in that religion too.""
Look At The Fine Differences
"boys will be boys"
"No, being an a-hole and harassing people is still being an a-hole and harassing people."
"My grandma used to say that about us when we used to get really dirty playing outside, so I'm not necessarily sure what you're implying the phrase means."
"Boys will be boys" is often used whenever a boy does something wrong but society writes it off as natural male behavior so they shouldn't be punished for it. I've heard that phrase often whenever a boy would get in a fight or bully someone."
Marriage, amirite?
When it comes to the big day, as with all of these, it comes down to what you and the people involved want the most. Don't let others dictate to you what the big day should be like.
Do what you want.
Millennialls Say, "What's Up?"
"Diamond engagement rings"
"Engagement rings in general. If you want a shiny rock I'm not going to argue. But why do you need to buy jewellery just to announce you're getting married. Especially since marriage includes getting a completely different ring."
"That said if you want a shiny rock research alternatives to diamond. You can get huge synthetic sapphires in beautiful settings for a tenth the price of a tiny diamond if you find the right place to buy it."
People Describe Their Best Chance Encounters | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Seriously. Do What You And Your Future Spouse Want.
"I got married a few years back and I can tell you that at least 75% of wedding traditions are stupid and should be abolished."
"If you're getting married and there's something you're "supposed to do" that you just don't care about, seriously, skip it. You will still have plenty to do and honestly you'll barely remember the day once it's done anyway. It all goes by so fast, it's insane. Ignore everyone else, skip the things that you think are dumb, and just enjoy your day. Absolutely no one will remember if you did that cringey garter dance or threw your bouquet."
"Traditions are just peer pressure from dead people."
The World Is A Big Place. Silly Things Happen Everywhere.
"So we have this tradition in some parts of Lebanon. Once you have your wedding, the bride's male relatives are supposed to 'kidnapp' the groom. The bride should go back to her parent's for 2 nights a night after the wedding."
"Edit: when the priest/shiek asks the bride.. do you take this man as your husband.. the bride should refuse to answer the question twice .. she should answer yes at the 3rd time. As a sign of showing that she's not desperate to marry the groom."
It can feel hard to buck tradition, like maybe you're disrespecting the pressure placed on you by your peers or family. However, with this one life we have to live, shouldn't it be spent doing the things that makes us happy at the times we want to be happiest?
Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
