A good one

[Steve Ashton]

Merriam Webster's defines Tradition as -


1 a: an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behaviour (such as a religious practice or a social custom"

1 b: a belief of story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable
...the bulk of traditions attributed to the Prophet ... J.L. Esposito

2: the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction

3: cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions

4: characteristic manner, method, or style
in the best liberal tradition


We have been beating this horse for a lot of years now and we still do not seem to have arrived at a consensus. A few have pretty firm ideas of how they would define Tradition and Traditional but it does not seem to be universal or the same for all of us.



We already know that there is no single way to make a kilt. Over the past couple hundred years there have been thousands of kilt makers, each trying to find some way for their product to stand apart from the rest.

We have all of the evidence of how a kilt was worn, and with what accessories, over a long span of time. Styles have changed and views about the wearing of a kilt have changed in that time. And quite significantly changed.


So my question to the rabble is -

How would you compare this definition, to how the word "Tradition" or "Traditional" seems to be used on the forum?

Could it simply come down to a personal preference of the accessories we wear with our kilts such as - "I wear my kilt in what I feel is a traditional style to me."?

Would anyone wish to offer an alternative definition that could be used on X Marks?