Vocabulary for Culture, Art and Tradition

to preserve = to protect and keep something, usually because it is valuable for some reason

Sentence-The Town Council spent a lot of money to preserve the old castle and other places of historic interest.

rituals=highly traditional ceremonies which have meaning for the participants

Sentence- Many of the tribe’s customs and rituals are as old as the hills.

parades = organised processions in public by groups of people, usually to commemorate an event.

Sentence- In All night he parades up and down the bar like a brawny old cockerel.

to transmit = to communicate a message, literal or symbolic

Sentence- It also may be able to transmit stored data that was taken just as it landed.

social memes = social habits or patterns which are transmitted between people  

Sentence- In Britain, punctuality is a social meme.

public duty = the willingness to serve the public or the state

Sentence- This public duty must not be influenced by private and personal interests.

self-sacrifice = the willingness to suffer or die for a cause

Sentence- Working-class women who endured hardship and self-sacrifice and survived with something of themselves still intact.

cultural traditions = traditions carrying cultural importance

 Sentence- Vested interest groups protect their existence. Cultural traditions prevent an honest look at environmental realities.

mythology, myth = a classic story from the past which people know is not true but which  carries meaning.

Sentence- According to popular mythology , school days are the best days of your life.

to evoke = to bring back memories or feelings

Sentence- Long-term experience in a company allows one to evoke stories and myths as a way of controlling the behavior of newer employees.

medieval= adjective for the Middle Ages, roughly 1050 to 1400 in European history

Sentence- He began studying politics and medieval history.

ceremonies = a ceremony is similar to a ritual, usually involving people in authority

Sentence- Campaigners lit scores of bonfires in ceremonies to mark the anniversary.

cultural norms = standards expected of behaviour or ideas

Sentence- The analysts will have to adhere to the cultural norms of the organisation in order to be successful with their database project.

the fabric of society = the way that society is connected and maintained

Sentence- The fabric of society collapsed, as people sided with the King or Parliament.

to conserve = a synonym for ‘to preserve’

Sentence- We should conserve oil and gas by making full use of other energy sources.

to hand something down (from one generation to the next) = to pass it from parents to children and to their children etc

Sentence- Cultural values have been handed down for hundreds of years, but now they are starting to disappear

heritage = something inherited (= received/handed down) by one generation from the previous generation

Sentence- These ancient buildings are part of the national heritage.

legends = similar to myths, but sometimes containing an element of reality

Sentence- Older legends say that Merlin raised the stones by magic.

folklore= old stories and myths/legends, usually transmitted verbally In

Sentence- Irish folklore, the leprechaun had a large piece of gold.

inheritance = a synonym for ‘heritage’

Sentence- His unworthy son was disentitled the right of inheritance.

fine art = art by famous or acclaimed painters

Sentence- This is a fine art and the rewards are considerable.

handicrafts = skills of making objects by hand, and also the objects themselves .

Sentence- Others engaged in the domestic production of handicrafts.

opera = a very formal play with a musical score

Sentence- The opera was the place to see and be seen.

shanties and dirges = very traditional songs about basic subjects .

Sentence- Children sometimes sing shanties at primary school.

linguistic = the adjective meaning ‘about language’

Sentence- Spanish liberals sought to create linguistic as well as administrative uniformity.

media = a way of communicating

Sentence- Folklore is a very effective media for transmitting our cultural heritage.