Why is it Vital to Teach Kids About Indian Culture and Traditions?

We are just so lucky to be living in a country like India, which is filled with a variety of unique and varied cultures and traditions. All round the year we celebrate many different festivals and cultural activities of various types, such as Sankranti that are celebrated in different names throughout the country, Deepavali, Eid, Onam, Christmas, the many regional New Years, and so on. 

So what do these traditions actually mean to our children and why is it vital for us to teach our children about our culture and traditions?

Cultural heritage and traditions are something that all human beings have. No matter where we come from or where we go, our culture will always be something that we will take with us. Culture and traditions are very important in creating a sense of belonging to our growing children in order to help them connect with their roots and having a deep sense of understanding of our culture and traditions will make this connection quite strong.

We at Sherwood High believe that traditions and culture play a crucial role in helping children develop a positive sense of identity and self-worth. We believe in building a sound foundation of acceptance and belonging through encouraging and engaging our children in cultural celebration and to accepting the diverse social network within the school, so that it becomes easier for children to transition into adulthood as well-informed, confident, accepting and inclusive citizens. Therefore, we will look into the Importance of teaching our culture and traditions to our children in this blog.

1. Helps develop a positive sense of self-identity:

Cultural awareness and knowing about one’s traditions play an important role in helping children develop a positive sense of identity. Having a deep-rooted understanding of one’s culture and tradition makes children have a sense of belongingness and helps them feel rooted. This, in turn, can help young children in realizing their self-worth and in establishing their own self-identity in the world outside.

One of the most important reasons to teach children about their traditions, culture and heritage is to make them aware of their cultural history, about their roots and the events that shaped their nation, society, families and so on. This knowledge helps children in understanding and creating their unique identity while they are growing and evolving in a constantly changing environment. Children who do not have this deep-rooted knowledge and who do not connect with their culture and traditions face trouble in understanding their place and therefore have a difficulty in developing their own self identity. This can lead children to imitate other cultures or fall into the bait of baseless modernity in an attempt to fit in.

Several studies have shown that cultural appreciation and awareness of one’s own traditions contribute to building a positive self image, making children who have an in-depth understanding about their culture to be confident and comfortable in their own skin.

2. Develops respect for others:

Being rooted in their traditions and culture, and staying in constant touch with their elders and extended family members, helps young children understand the important values of respecting others. In a country like ours, where values such as respecting our elders has always been ingrained in us, we must continue to take pride in such good practices and uphold the same tradition by enforcing a sense of order, discipline, and respect within households, families and in the community by teaching the same to our children.

By teaching the importance of one’s family traditions and history, we not only teach our children to respect our elders but also inculcate strong moral and ethical values in them. This will teach them the importance of family life and relationships, and the younger generation will continue to understand the importance of family and have a sense of community.

3. Reinforces morals and values:

Most cultures teach children strong ethical values and moral behavior. This knowledge of ethics values and morals will help children grow up with qualities such as personal responsibility, good work ethics, integrity, compassion, empathy, individuality, and values such as these are extremely important in growing individuals.

When children imbibe these sound principles in their foundational years, they not only do well in their personal life but will also succeed in their education and career. At Sherwood high we aim at fulfilling holistic, all- encompassing development in our children that exceeds and goes beyond just academic excellence, and also teaches them strong ethical and moral values.

So when we talk about instilling values and morals, we do not mean in a harsh or a forceful way, but by educating children about its importance and how their culture and traditions highlight these good principles. With this knowledge, our children will be able to choose the right moral path as they grow up and will also be inspired to do better overall.

4. Help Preserve our cultural heritage:

Our young children of today are going to be the ones who are going to carry forward our legacy, our culture, our beliefs, and our heritage into the future. So educating our children about our culture and traditions from a young age not only helps the children but also teaches them a sense of responsibility to protect and carry on this rich and varied heritage.

Though unfortunate, it is becoming exceedingly common for cultural heritage to be destroyed or even lost completely. When we teach our children the importance of cultural heritage, we also have to emphasize the need to protect and nurture such heritage for the future generations.

It is only when children have these potent feelings of passion towards their culture will they actually be able to stand up for what they believe is right and to help ensure the protection of monumental and natural cultural heritages. So naturally, children who are inculcated with the knowledge and understanding of their cultural heritage are bound to feel responsible and will understand the need to protect, which will make sure that our cultural heritage is being preserved for future generations.

5. Unity in diversity:

Living in one of the most diverse nations of the world, which celebrates unity with diversity, it is our duty to teach our children that despite our varied ethnicities, traditions, culture, religious backgrounds, and regional differences, we are all one.

As the children of today are going to be the citizens of tomorrow, it is even more necessary for children to grow up being educated about this diversity and also about the sense of unity for them to take the motto forward and keep the celebration of unity among diversity intact further in the future.

Only when our children are educated about the varied cultures and traditions of our country, can our children grow up with the right spirit of appreciation of the cultures and help preserve the unity among the diverse cultures and traditions.

Summing up:

While all ancient traditions and certain cultures may not be good enough to carry forward, it is true that there are certain traditions and aspects of our culture that are worth preserving for our future generations.

We understand that the world today is changing at a rapid pace, and children today are being torn between modernity and tradition. It is our responsibility as parents and educators to strike a perfect balance between retaining the necessary traditional values and incorporating the required modern changes.

Apart from the above mentioned key reasons, knowing one’s culture and traditions is a vital factor in helping children embrace their roots and their heritage so that they do not develop any sort of insecurity or shame related to their culture and tradition. So no matter where our children aspire to live, they will remain connected to their culture and can appreciate the same from wherever they are.