Nothing ever stays the same: That’s the nature of the human condition. But am I alone in thinking that the pace of change has accelerated recently? Do you agree that when it comes to travel, many of the cultural traditions we journey to experience are rapidly vanishing?
I just returned from central Mexico, where the culture seems remarkably intact and as vibrant and exotic as ever (case in point: I witnessed bare-chested, elaborately painted shamans performing purification rituals in Mexico City, right in front of the city’s main cathedral!).
But while I couldn’t detect too many changes in the culture, a Mexican friend pointed them out for me. It was early evening, and we were strolling in the zocalo (central square) of Tlaxcala, as locals have done for centuries. Estella pointed to the other folks who were out for the night and said, “Do you notice something odd about this scene? Who’s missing?” And I realized that while older and middle-aged folks were out for a walk, very few young people were. “They’re at the mall or watching TV,” Estella explained. “They no longer do this paseo (stroll).” You have to wonder whether, in 15 years or so, the beautiful squares of Mexico will be as abandoned as many city centers are in the U.S., with locals preferring the “mall crawl” instead.
Another example: Just before I left for Mexico, I read in The New York Times that bullfighting was dying out in Spain and that, in the region of Catalonia, the last remaining bull ring was about to close. Of course, bullfighting is a hot-button issue; it involves tremendous cruelty, as many animal rights activists have pointed out. And it’s likely due in part to the efforts of these activists that the sport is losing its cachet. But for anyone who’s traveled to Spain over the decades, or even just read Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises,” the disappearance of bullfighting from Spanish life seems impossible. The matador and his struggle with the bull was once a central metaphor in Spanish life and a key part of Spanish identity.
The changes I’m talking about can be seen in experiences large and small. My friend Joan recently returned from Peru, where she was hoping to buy some colorful Peruvian textiles, of the type she’d seen in the photographs that drew her to visit the country in the first place. But in the shops she visited, 90% of the textiles on sale were made in China.
Another friend, Chris, has fond memories of visiting Basque restaurants and shops in the Eastern Sierras of California. But since traditional methods of sheep herding have disappeared from that area, so have the Basques. He also misses his favorite sights and experiences in middle America, such as drive-in movies, bars with great jukeboxes and roadhouses.
Several other friends have pointed out how ubiquitous Western clothing has become around the world, edging out more colorful local dress. My buddy Beth bemoans the disappearance of Indian pudding and mincemeat pies from the diners of Maine. Sarah argues, rightly, that New York’s Little Italy no longer has anything to do with the Italian immigrant experience, and is today merely a tourist trap, filled with restaurants serving the worst Italian food in the city. And Anne makes the point that some very famous celebrations — watching the ball drop in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, or enjoying the Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans — have lost much of their spirit, making them shadows of their original incarnations.
As you can see, I’ve been discussing this topic a lot, and I’d love to have you join the conversation. Are there endangered traditions you think people should travel to view before they disappear or become activities that are only for tourists? Or are there traditions that you wish could be revived? Share your thoughts with other travelers in the comments section.
some people always think they are fashion and creative and the look down upon traditional culture, but i think those guys are just misunderstanding the relation between fashion and fashion culture. I think some of the traditional culture is very important to us!
I have seen two recent examples which illustrate different sides of the coin. In San Juan La Laguna, a Mayan village on the shores of Lago Atitlán, Guatemala, weavers still create stunning textiles with hand-dyed and hand-spun thread all fashioned from locally grown cotton. However, as it was explained to me, young people aren't very interested in continuing this cultural tradition. As opportunities to pursue other, and often more lucrative careers arise, fewer and fewer people are attracted to this traditional craft.
Then there is the indigenous community of Boruca in southern Costa Rica where groups of mostly women have formed cooperatives to rescue their weaving and mask carving traditions. With the money they are making, families are building "ranchitos," thatched roof homes typical in the area, and renting them out to foreign tourists. The people of Boruca are rescuing their cultural traditions and looking to tourism as a way to create a more stable economy in their area so that their children don't have to move away to find work.
I think it's interesting that we are seeing cultural traditions dying and being resurrected at the same time. And you?
I was upset not to see actual Geishas in Japan. They're everywhere in the photos, but I guess in reality they've disappeared from Japanese life.
An excellent article, Pauline! Yes, much of the old world is disappearing--I don't know if it's good or bad but it certainly is different.
Just look at any city/town in America, and you'll see and find all sorts of cultural assimilation. Some for the better, and some for the worst. I agree that when you travel, one expects to see local cultures and traditions, but who are we to say they can't change too!
You're right Stuart, of course. But somehow we all have pictures in our minds (I think) of the types of experiences we're likely to have in a place you visit. And when they don't happen, it can be a let down. Of course, sometimes new experiences replace them. I never knew I'd have a ball salsa dancing in Mexico City, but that was a nightlife peak for me. And it's not even a Mexican dance!
Beverly: fascinating examples.
Thanks to the rest for your thought provoking comments as well.
You don't have to travel far--check out the American small independent business before it's too late!
You're right - the world is changing. and yes, some of these really important cultural traditions are disappearing. it is sad, for like languages that disappear, they so easily die out.
Any authentic English tradition like Morris Dancing, church fetes, county fairs, etc. I am American, my husband is British. Every time we visit England we notice how Englishness is disappearing - sometimes by force. It's a shame.
I was unhappy to see Subway sandwich shops appear in Europe a few years ago. It's not that I dislike Subway, but I don't want the European sandiwiches to disapper.
True, even in Egypt now, lots of the touristic souvenirs are sadly produced in CHina,even basics such as papyrus paper.
TRUE EVEN IN LOMPOPO LOT OF PEOPLE THEY DON.T
UNDERSTAND THE NIMING OF FOSION LIFE STYLE
Even tho the euro is convenient, I realloy miss all the different foreign currencies....and how they often made bargain shopping a destination!
I agree. It makes me wonder why I bother to travel to have to see the same old junk everywhere. I just came back from Vienna and in the museum shops there was just mass produced junk made in China by American companies and sent to Austria.
From many comments it seems like consumerism and "free market" forces drive much of the cultural change. Are these the economic principles that are praised and promoted (sometimes militarily) by... who?
One could look deeper into US history and wonder what happened to American Indian culture. Well, we know who and what caused that.
It is hard to know which of these changes are a natural evolutionary process or not. Does the fact that they happen mean they are natural or are these changes forced by a minority who profit from them? On the other hand, your example of bullfighting in Spain is slanted - you said it could be "in part" due to activists, but how much of it is actually due to non-relevancy to modern Spanish life? It could be 50-50, but to mention only one possibility is inherently biased.
