Tradition?

[OC Richard]

4. a continuing pattern of culture beliefs or practices
5. a customary or characteristic method or manner

These two seem appropriate to the field in which I often hear "traditional" discussed, that of ITM or Irish Traditional Music.

In the introduction to Traditional Music in Ireland, Tomas O Canainn writes:

"It is difficult ot define and analyse the basic elements of traditional music in Ireland. Clearly the adjective 'traditional' implies that something in the music is being passed from one generation of performers to the next. Most of them are aware of the traditional process to some extent, and of their place in it, but would find it difficult to define what exactly they mean by 'traditional'. Nevertheless, without any knowledge of the history of a piece of music they are able to describe it as either traditional or not on a first hearing. This implies that the music has certain features... which put it, for them, into the traditional category.
Yet one must face the fact that some of the best-known pieces in the traditional musicians' repertoire are of fairly recent origin. They are accepted because they conform is some way to the performers' concept of what is traditional- they "sound right". They have, as it were, dispensed with the years of moulding and reshaping that are a part of oral transmission and have taken their place in the living tradition. The only certainty is that if they are to remain in that tradition they will henceforth be subject to a process of continuous change."

This passage, with only a few changes in wording, could well apply to the notions of what is "traditional" in the realm of Highland Dress to those who regularly see it worn.