What Are Cultural Continuity Protocols? Why Do You Want To Do This?

Regarding this thing, it actually means how a group or a society passes on the good things passed down by our ancestors, such as habits, stories, crafts, etc., and it will be passed down from generation to generation without losing it. It can also make everyone think this thing is useful and interesting! Many people may not know exactly what this thing is, why they have to do it. Isn’t it quite complicated? In fact, it is not that mysterious. It is just a set of methods and rules that allow those valuable cultural old treasures to live well... and never stop! Let’s talk about this today, it’s all in plain language, I’m sure you will understand it once you hear it!

1. The core purpose must be understood first. This thing is mainly to prevent those old traditions from being cared for and loved by no one, and eventually disappearing. What a pity! We also need to let people today, especially young people, know what these old things are and why they are important, so that they can learn and use them from the bottom of their hearts, and even add some new tricks to keep up with the old traditions!

2. Who will do this? Not only the government departments have to worry about, but the elderly in the village, scholars who specialize in these studies, and ordinary people can actually get involved! Only when there are many people and great powers, can everyone contribute some effort? Only when this culture is spread far, right?

So what should I do? There are many tricks in the operation level, and you have to take it step by step, and you can't hurry:

Let’s find out the family’s information first—that is, “inventory registration”! We have to know how many treasures we have in our hands first? For example, the old tunes that the old grandfather can sing, the flower pillows that the old grandmother can embroider, the old skills of building houses, the old etiquette of celebrating festivals... they all have to be recorded, and clearly what it is, who passed it down, and how many people can do it now. It is best to take some photos, record some sounds, record some images, save them into files, just like sending them an ID card!

Find someone to keep an eye on learning - "Inheritor training" is the key among the key! Many crafts are supported by one or two people. If these people are gone, then the crafts will be broken! So you have to find some young people who are smart and like this, and learn from the master word by word, move by move, and learn the real skills. This is called "transmitting from master and apprentice". The old method is useful!

Find a good place to shelve and display - "Protecting space is important"! Some old objects and old buildings must have a special place to keep them well, and they cannot be exposed to wind, sun and rain, such as setting up a village history museum or folk museum. It also requires people to have a place to see and experience it. It is not enough to hide it. It has to be lighted out and people to see it, touch it, and feel friendly!

If you just talk about it and don’t practice fake styles, you have to use them in your daily life, otherwise it will become a dead thing:

Integrate into life - "living inheritance" is the most realistic! Don't be so arrogant, it makes people feel that it has nothing to do with you. These old customs and crafts can be integrated into the festivals we usually have, weddings and funerals, and even in the class of children in school, such as teaching children to write brush and practice paper cutting, which will naturally be passed on.

Occasionally, I also shouted—“Promotion must not be missed”! Now that the Internet is so developed, we can shoot some small videos and post them online, hold a craft experience event and give people a try, write some small stories to tell the origin of these old traditions... Let more people know that we still have such interesting things! As people know more, they will pay more attention to it, and it will be easier to survive this thing!

Someone may ask:

Q: This thing sounds good, isn’t it particularly expensive? Our small place has no money or resources, can’t we afford it?

A: Don’t think so! Although having money is easy to do, having no money is not a solution! Relying on everyone to help each other, we ask old artists to teach and build a small exhibition room by themselves... We have a thought, and we are willing to do it, and we can always come up with a solution! The key is whether everyone wants to do this!

Q: What if the old and the new conflict? For example, if the old rules look inconvenient, I want to change them, can I?

A: Well... I have to look at it dialectically! There is no pity to change those bad and harmful old rules. But those good things that represent our roots cannot be changed blindly! Of course, it is not impossible to add a little bit of new elements that people like now to make it fit more, as long as the soul is still there!

I personally think that doing it is really not an optional thing. It concerns who we are, where we come from, and where we go in the future! If we pick up and pass on the wisdom and treasures of our ancestors, we will be at ease when we live and can stand up straighter. Do you think this is the reason? If this matter is done well, it will be a great thing to accumulate virtue and do good deeds, and it will benefit you from all generations!