Customs are part of the culture of a people.
A custom is a habitual way of acting that is established by the repetition of the same acts or by tradition . It is, therefore, a habit .
For example: “The customs of this town seem strange to us: businesses close in the afternoon and reopen at dawn” , “My grandfather has the habit of having tea before going to bed” , “Going to the pub after dinner ”. "The office is part of the British customs that are being lost."
A shared social practice
Custom is a social practice with roots among most of the members of a community . It is possible to differentiate between good customs (approved by society) and bad customs (considered negative). In certain cases, laws try to modify behaviors that constitute bad habits.
The usual thing is that the laws agree with the customs of society . Customs, in fact, can constitute a source of law , whether applied prior to or simultaneously with the law.
Customs according to sociology
For sociology , customs are components of culture that are transmitted from generation to generation and that, therefore, are related to the adaptation of the individual to the social group.
There are different types of social considerations regarding customs. In Argentina , for example, drinking mate is a custom. A person who does not like mate, in any case, is not criticized or socially censored. The case of the subject who has breakfast and a snack with liquor or gin would be different: although it is not illegal, the behavior would receive social condemnation.
Certain customs can be dangerous and cause different types of damage.
Traditions that hurt
This concept, as well as that of tradition, must be taken delicately. On many occasions it has been used to justify harmful attitudes and to prevent different organizations from doing anything to prevent such acts, arguing that we should not lose the essence of our land. Below we present a series of socially accepted customs that generate an impact on the environment and the lives of animals :
*Fireworks and pyrotechnic entertainment : During Christmas and important holidays in many places around the world, fireworks become the protagonists. It is an ancient custom that is maintained, despite the fact that it is known that the gases that these "toys" eliminate damage the ecosystem , beyond the fact that they can be extremely dangerous for those who are close to the person who uses them.
*Burning of garbage in yards : It is another custom that is carried out in many cities and towns and that can be extremely harmful to the environment. In this act, harmful gases are eliminated that increase the impact of our actions on the planet.
*Watering the street : Although since ancient times in each neighborhood there has been a person who goes out with his hose to water the asphalt, this act is disastrous for the ecology. The amount of water wasted in each irrigation could be used for more efficient purposes than watering the street because it is hot.
*Bullfights : Although in some countries it is argued that it is impossible to get rid of this satirical entertainment, proven examples have been given of how much these animals suffer and how terrible it is that this series of practices continue to be carried out at a time in which information reaches every corner. The certainty that animals have a very similar way of feeling to ours should be reason enough to abandon this type of customs ; However, it is not the only one. Livestock raising is one of the activities that most harms the ecology and increases global warming abysmally.