New Year, Christmas, Epiphany... Even before January arrives, we begin to anticipate some especially warm, mysteriously cozy, surprisingly soulful holidays. Their anticipation warms us not at all because we won’t have to go to work. This is something else: full of traditions that are passed down from generation to generation, giving what is happening a special meaning. Should or should we not preserve traditions at all? What happens with their loss or replacement? This is exactly what we are talking about today with psychologist and psychoanalyst Ekaterina Antonova. Preserve self-awareness - Traditions can be family, or ancestral, related to the culture and history of the country. It is clear what happens when these traditions are lost: we simply lose the ground under our feet, we are cut off from the roots that feed us. Imagine a tree trunk that has been cut into three parts. What will we get? Three stumps. — But life goes on, a lot changes, is it realistic to expect to preserve some traditional values? — Yes, the trouble with our history is that both values ​​and ideology changed many times, and often this happened within one generation. Suffice it to recall the persecution of the church after the revolution, or very recent events, when they tried to replace collectivism with individualism, when history began to simply be rewritten, covered with black paint. But I think that it is for this reason that it is especially important for us to preserve traditions in order to remain a unique nation, to preserve our identity. - Here's an interesting example. During Soviet rule, no one caroled in the cities; it was not customary. Since the nineties, children and teenagers began to walk around apartments, sing, congratulate the owners and receive sweets and gingerbread from them. We ourselves began to stock up on sweets in advance. However, gradually there were fewer and fewer songs and congratulations, and carolers began to ask for money. Now they are no longer satisfied with the little things, they openly say: “Give me paper money!” So much for tradition... - It’s normal that the original sacred meaning leaves traditions. Once upon a time, caroling was a pagan rite, then it converted to Christianity. And no one remembered that carolers represent the world of the dead. But the main thing remained: numerous wishes for good to the owners of the house and gifts in return; the atmosphere of celebration, love and unity was preserved. What you are talking about is not even an emasculation, but an ugly perversion of traditions. But who is to blame for this? Yes, we are adults. We didn’t explain to the children the meaning of the ritual, we didn’t help them learn songs or come up with costumes. We simply did not instill in them the desire to give others joy. And into this void a new ideology immediately rushed, putting money at the forefront. As you know, a holy place is never empty, we must remember this. - But many traditions are actually dying out, and nothing can be done about it... - Dying away is scary because it threatens devastation. But new traditions may arise, which in new, modern forms will preserve the old deep meaning. Why did people love the May 1 demonstrations so much in Soviet times? Because it was a holiday of unity, because in every house the table was set, and while the column was moving, people came to visit one or the other. They sang in chorus in the columns and had time to dance. That is, this holiday was filled with the spirit of primordially Russian collectivism, Russian community. In fact, this was a reproduction of a very ancient tradition, which is why it took such purely national forms. I really want to believe that the procession of the Immortal Regiment will also become a tradition connecting us with our ancestors. To give joy - And today people wouldn’t think of holding hands on New Year’s Eve and dancing around the Christmas tree in the street... - Yes, last year my friend and her husband decided to dress up as Father Frost and the Snow Maiden, collected a whole bag of candies and sweets and went to Sports Palace "Zvezdny". We wanted to arrange a holiday for strangers, to make them happy, to create a good mood. And what do you think? They barely made it! They began to rip off their suits,tear off the beard and braids, take away the bag. Here's a holiday for you. This year, of course, we didn’t go anywhere. Can you imagine what happened? Even if someone wants to give others a holiday, people are unable to perceive it and are not ready to get involved. They are not ready to give joy in return. And this is already scary, because it indicates some kind of deep breakdown of the national code. - It seems to me that traditions are that healthy conservatism that can only save us in an era of endless changes... - It is clear that we will not cancel the changes. But we must remember that folk traditions always contain a very deep meaning. It has always been believed that the New Year is a home, family holiday. And this was very important! Because several generations gathered at the festive table, people wished each other something most important and intimate, they dreamed about something together, and all family members were involved in these dreams. Why New Year? Yes, because this is the beginning of a new stage in life, in which everyone should have a future, regardless of age. Then it was impossible to imagine leaving the old people alone on this magical night. Today? The older generation often listens alone to the chimes. What do you think, besides hopeless melancholy, do your mothers and fathers, grandparents, feel? And at this time the young people are having a blast somewhere in a nightclub, and their parents’ mood does not bother them at all. The breakdown of this family tradition leads to the cultivation of selfishness and individualism, which are unusual in our culture, and at the same time the connection between generations is interrupted. - Today, not only in Russia, but also in the West, they are increasingly starting to talk about the need to preserve traditional society... - And this is more relevant now than ever! Traditions are the bricks in the foundation of a building. The destruction of one brick may cause nothing to happen, or the load-bearing wall may collapse. What has the pursuit of freedom in all its manifestations led to in the West? Moreover, there a small child is given the right to choose his gender: be whoever you want - be it a boy or a girl. Traditional gender education, when a boy was raised into a future man, and a girl into a future wife and mother, is simply absent there now. This same freedom, coupled with tolerance, led to the official recognition of same-sex marriage. As a result, it was the traditional family, based on the union of a man and a woman, that was under threat. I have a very calm attitude towards people of non-traditional sexual orientation, but when it rises to the surface, it leads to catastrophic consequences. First, in the West, the state recognized same-sex marriage, then in some places the church, and already the concepts of morality and sin lost their meaning. Further - more, now zoophiles and pedophiles are demanding protection of their right to free choice. Here's one brick for you... Even the little things are important - But this entails not only a demographic threat, it already speaks of some kind of disintegration of the psyche, of a loss of human appearance! — Thank God, the Orthodox Church does not give in to newfangled trends, but stands guard over traditional Christian values. But let's move away from such global problems. In our country, we have a tradition of congratulating women on March 8th. How will a woman feel if no one congratulates her? Yes, she will become depressed, she will lose her feminine identity. This is what happens to a person if he loses his sociocultural roots. — It turns out that even little things are important in traditions. I know that the most respectable European newspapers retain both the logo and the typeface that they had a hundred, two hundred years ago, from the day they were founded. And they have loyal subscribers from generation to generation. Because the son saw his dad reading this newspaper, then he grew up and began to subscribe to it himself - it is recognizable and familiar to him. — Yes, it is very important for a person to live in a stable, recognizable world. After all, the worst thing is the unknown, lack of roots, ignorance of new, constantly changing rules. In Switzerland, many second-hand bookstores, pastry shops.