Culture preservation is the desire to protect and conserve the beliefs, practices, values, customs, traditions, or social behaviors of a particular group of people against factors trying to change or wear them away. It is vital to preserve our cultures and traditions as they are precious and unique. They protect our sense of who we are and allows us to identify ourselves with others.
Here are ways to preserve our culture and tradition:
- Promote your culture:Be it fashion, music, visual art, storytelling traditions, sharing the many other unique features of your culture to other people can help preserve one’s culture.
- Attend cultural events: Attending significant holidays and cultural festivals observed by a country, tribe, religious denomination, or immigrant ethnic group can help people gain a wider understanding of other people’s cultures. Exploring your own community’s cultural festival can also help you better understand of your own culture.
- Connect with people in your locality:Getting together with other people not only for holidays, but also for everyday activities such as having meals together or sharing a cup of coffee can help preserve one’s culture. Etiquette, mannerisms, and humor are cultural qualities that are difficult to understand through books and are best exhibited through social interaction.
- Learn the language of your ancestors: According to anthropologists, language impacts our experience of the world, so take the time and effort and learn the native tongue of your ancestors.
- Create your family tree:Creating a family tree will help you keep track of your ancestors and help promote family ties, which will then open your eyes to new ways of thinking about your culture.
The conversation on preserving one’s culture is frequently pessimistic—that is cultures are endangered and must be preserved so as to avoid extinction. These are valid concerns. But it is important to note that not all change is negative. Accept that things will change. Remember that people’s adaptation to the environment is aided by culture. It’s really up to us to select the path that we take.
Sources:
Chukwuemeka, Edeh Samuel. “Ways to Preserve Culture and Tradition.” Last modified March 24, 2022. https://bscholarly.com/ways-to-preserve-culture-and-tradition/.
Matos, Melissa and Jennifer Mueller. “Preserving Your Culture and Traditions: Tips for Sharing Your Heritage.” Last modified May 11, 2023. https://www.wikihow.com/Preserve-Your-Culture.
Stewart, Ryan. “The Importance of Cultural Preservation in the Modern World.” Accessed July 22, 2023. https://www.daytranslations.com/blog/cultural-preservation/.
The Language Doctors. “Learn 10 Things Why It is Important to Preserve Culture.” Last modified April 5, 2021. https://thelanguagedoctors.org/why-it-is-important-to-preserve-culture/.