Once I found out a lot of the so called traditions were only made up less than 50 years ago I stopped putting any stock in them at all. And for a lot of traditions once you start looking in to them, they were made up to sell stuff.
And the ones that are older have been heavily modified. Even what we think of as old traditions are usually remarkably new in how they’re done, even if the concept has been around for generations.
When people want “traditional [thing]”, what they usually mean is “I want it like it was when I was a teenager”.
Once I found out a lot of the so called traditions were only made up less than 50 years ago I stopped putting any stock in them at all. And for a lot of traditions once you start looking in to them, they were made up to sell stuff.
And the ones that are older have been heavily modified. Even what we think of as old traditions are usually remarkably new in how they’re done, even if the concept has been around for generations.
When people want “traditional [thing]”, what they usually mean is “I want it like it was when I was a teenager”.
Samichlaus, giving presents and Schmutzli with the rod, to punish bad children. When we still had snow in winter.
Btw, Samichlaus and Schmutzli been christianized (though in november, not christmas like american Santa Claus) but it’s actually a pagan tradition.