Both customs and traditions are essential for understanding a culture, as they reflect the life, values, meanings, and beliefs of how a group of people relates to each other. Among others, the following characteristics stand out:
- They promote a sense of belonging and unity within a community.
- They allow the transmission of ancestral knowledge and wisdom.
- They strengthen family ties and generate a sense of continuity and stability.
- They preserve cultural identity.
- They express values and beliefs.
- They reveal forms of social organization.
- They connect the past with the present.
- They foster intercultural respect.
Bronislaw Malinowski defines custom as "a mechanism for obtaining meaning and order in life." (A Scientific Theory of Culture (1944)). Emile Durkheim defines tradition as "those habits acquired by individuals in the course of their social life, which are transmitted from generation to generation and which regulate the behavior of people in a society" (The Rules of Sociological Method (1895)).
Pedagogical perspectives on the educational use of working with legends, customs, and traditions:
The characteristics of legends are especially suitable for capturing students' attention, as their narrative structure, the combination of real and fantastic elements, and their connection to cultural traditions make them a motivating resource that awakens interest and curiosity. Through them, students can begin to understand the what, how, when, and where of an event or occurrence, as well as learn about the origin, role, and actions of the characters, thus developing analytical and reasoning skills through reading comprehension and critical thinking.
Narrating legends, traditions, and oral customs, as well as describing cultural practices, enables students to develop language skills essential for communicative competence. At the same time, it promotes respect, empathy, and appreciation for cultural diversity, thus strengthening social and civic competence.
By fostering creativity, expression, and a sense of belonging, cultural and artistic competence is also stimulated. Furthermore, by linking everyday life with academic life, the learning-to-learn competency is fostered, as it sparks students' interest and promotes meaningful learning that connects school with real-life experiences, family, and community environments, thereby fostering dialogue between past and present.
This approach strengthens identity and self-esteem by valuing one's customs, fostering a climate of recognition and pride in one's own identity. It also promotes interculturality, creating connections in multicultural contexts and enabling the exchange of knowledge, mutual respect, and the overcoming of stereotypes and prejudices. Legends, traditions, and customs constitute an inexhaustible source of educational resources—stories, songs, games, recipes, dances, and costumes—which enriches teaching without requiring significant investments. They are resources that are relatable, familiar, and easily adaptable to different educational levels.
Ultimately, this approach enables interdisciplinary work, fostering an integrative perspective across various fields, including language, social studies, and art education, while actively engaging families and the community in the educational process. All of these skills support the key competencies that students should acquire by the end of elementary school.
