Traditions we have lost?

[Lydara22]

Brought on by family circumstance currently, I remembered that when I was a child, my mother always closed all of the curtains in the house as a respectful sign of mourning.
We don't do that anymore do we?

What other respectful traditions have we lost?

What about greeting (eye meet and barely perceptible nod if you don;t know their names) the shop staff when you go into a small shop - charity shop, convenience store, that sort of thing, and saying goodbye and thank you as you leave, even if you didn't buy anything? I'm not sure where I got that from, but it seems be an acceptable thing to do.

I remember traveling in the funeral car to my beloved gran’s mass. It took us right through town, and as we stopped at traffic lights, a homeless man took off his hat and made the sign of the cross. The respect honestly gave me goosebumps.
A few days later I tried to find him by going back to the spot I had seen him sitting but he wasn’t there. I would have bought him some food and a coffee.

As for the thank you cards - I make my kids write them (except for family where they have to go and say thank you or ring up) hahahaha I do it as well.

Wasn’t the thought with pregnancies that once you got past twelve weeks, you were past the most risky time for miscarriages etc?

I still prefer buying clothes or gifts once the baby is safely with us. I think that’s why Baby Showers don’t quite fit right with me also.

Easter Bonnet Competitions used to be more common, I think. Also making paper snowflakes and paperchains, at Christmas.

Yes, I think so about the ‘12 weeks’. And we didn't find out we were pregnant until much later too.

There must be so many more known miscarriages now, than we were aware of.

My grandfather would always make a sign of the cross when a hearse was passing by.

Same if you gave a knife or scissors so as not to sever the friendship

Asking “ please may I leave the table?” After you finished eating as a child.
In cinemas everyone standing up for the National Anthem as the main programme finished for the day. Also paying to see a film, going in when it was half way through & staying till it came round to that part again.
Buses, double decked, smokers & dogs having to go upstairs .
At school, the class standing up when a teacher entered or left the room.

Opening a picture advent calendar. Even the chocolate advent calendars seem to be being replaced with Lego /,Fuzzy Felt / beauty product versions.

I remembered another, not so much about respect but something that happened that has gone ( for safety reasons I assume)…hitchhiking.

My uncle used to stand on the slip road of the motorway, in full RAF uniform and hitchije back to camp after every leave. He'd no longer be able to wear his uniform out in such circumstances either, these days.

In our area of Scotland it used to be the tradition for the 3 weeks before a wedding that people turned up at the bride's house with presents. They'd be taken in and given a drink, then tea and homebakes and given a tour of all the presents which were laid out in another room.

Thankfully this seems to have died out. There's quite enough to do before a wedding without half the women of the town calling round. I'm sure most of them just wanted to nose and then criticise what different people had given as gifts!

This was done in Northern Ireland too, called "Open House". I know my Mum did it for my first wedding. I'd imagine it's not so common now. I remember as a child mum taking me to these, I thought it was great!

@ReadingSoManyThreads I'm NE Scotland and further south it was the norm to have a showing of presents on a certain day and time - much more sensible!

I remember the first time I went to a wedding in England and thought it was very odd that all the guests turned up with their gifts and put them on a table at the reception.

Was just going to say this. All those things still happen both where I live in Lancashire and in London as well.