Types of Social Traditions

Ahmed Sadiq Eidan
Supervisor: Lect. Ahmed Obaid Oraibi

A – Rituals: –
Rituals are a type of social tradition that include collective practices that follow specific laws and rules aimed at achieving certain goals and are conducted according to a particular pattern that must be maintained without change, as rituals are often linked to religious aspects and are characterized by sanctity, and include actions and sayings that are repeated regularly, such as marriage rituals, and rituals are considered a means of expressing specific meanings and enhancing social and cultural communication between individuals in society. (Abdulghani, 2006: p. 153)

B – Symbols: –
Symbols are considered an ideal means of communication between members of society, as they contribute to the accumulation of human heritage and the growth and development of culture, and language acts as a medium for transmitting the cultural and social heritage of society. Customs and traditions express the totality of perceptions and beliefs related to the group and are transmitted from one generation to another through linguistic symbols. (Saleh, 2004: p. 205) Al-Ahmad, 2011: p. 37, believes that a symbol gains its value or meaning from the society that uses it, and it has two functions: communication and participation. Ancient symbols carry sublime connotations and memories related to the world of the ancestors and carry within them a kind of collective emotion.

The researcher believes that the symbol itself is an expression of the feelings of individuals. People keep ancient symbols because they carry sublime connotations and memories related to the world of their ancestors and carry within them a kind of collective emotion.

C – Celebrations
They are social practices with an official character that clearly expresses people’s feelings where rituals, rites, and symbols meet. Thus, they are social customs that suggest joy and express the joy of their owners, practiced on various occasions linked to emotions and feelings expressing sublime meanings, so individuals cannot do without them and do not refrain from thinking about them and practicing them on every daily occasion. (Al-Jawhari, 1998: p. 17)