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?

My father always stood up when a lady walked into the room. Always.

I was told never to eat in the street - I see people walking down the street eating all the time and I suppose it looks pretty uncivilised! Definitely think that one has died out.

Yes, my Mum thought it very uncouth, and I still can't do it myself.

Barn Dances

Ooh, I do enjoy a good barn dance. Last one I went to was about 15months ago though.

Maypole Dancing is still done around here

Ringing doorbell and stepping back - I still do that. My (adult) dc don't really ring doorbells though - everyone texts to say they are leaving, then to say they are turning into your road and even to say they are at your house.

Something I think this generation of schoolchildren are missing out on is regularly singing with a large group of people. People of all ages can remember what they used to sing in school singing practices, whichever decade you went to school, but sadly there are few Primary schools that do regular singing for everyone now. If people then go to a funeral or a wedding, there are now so many people who won't even open their mouths and give it a go.

April Fools. I came on here to say Legging-Up Day, which used to begin at midday on April Fools Day where anyone who'd played a prank on you, you could trip up with your foot... But after a quick Google I found it that was apparently only a thing in Humberside!

I still do this. I'm Northern Irish, but live in England.

I also turn my car music off (when driving), and bow my head when a hearse passes.

Still a thing! I have 4!

Holding doors open for people.

Sick of people letting doors slam in my face, OR not having the manners to say thank you when I've held it open for them.

I mean, I don't do it for the thanks, but find it pretty rude to not even acknowledge me whatsoever.

Things I really miss are sing-song, growing up in the 80s my grandparents, would end up having a sing-song at Christmas and New Year.

I guess it dates back to the days of not having TVs etc for entertainment.

There's a lovely old gentleman in my town who I see regularly walking his two little dogs, he's ever so polite, greets a "good morning" with a smile. Wears a top hat. Fucking love it!! 🎩

A while ago we had a note through the door informing us that a neighbour had died, a young woman. Her parents asked if neighbours would stand at the end of their drives as the processon passed. Sadly only 4 of us were out there for them, I am sure more people were at home.

It was always the done thing to stand outside when a neighbour died and the hearse left.

Giving a new born baby silver coins for luck was a London tradition.

Our family still close the curtains if someone dies and my circle of family and friends all send thank you notes and sympathy cards. We do first footing too with the coal, and the yule log. Friends of ours won't leave through a different door to the one you came in, and I don't like to pass anyone on the stairs or put shoes on the table.

It is a shame people are too impatient to show respect to a funeral cortege now, it's not pleasant for mourners cars to be split from the hearse by routine traffic.

DC has penpals and sends letters / postcards to Grandparents.

I remember Penny for the Guy, bonfire toffee & apple bobbing, milkman, maypoles, Easter egg hunts at the vicarage, Sunday school ....

Things that seem from a bygone era but have lasted, ice-cream van chimes and in my hometown the ironmongers still coming round asking for 'old iron'!

Rag & Bone men.

Half day closing on a Wednesday afternoon.

A wool shop in every town.

Now it's called yarn and they are a rarity.

Ringlets.

My Mum forbade eating in the street and smoking in the street as well.

clapping outside home of timely\recent,like NOW deceased
wedding scrambles/confetti finish

I can hear mine now!

A bride's 'booking'- west coast working class Scotland. It was like a raucous hen party crossed with a pub crawl with the bride dressed up (usually with L plates and a veil) by her pals, given loads to drink then taken round the streets and pubs with them banging saucepans and lids. Any man that crossed their paths had to kiss the bride and pay for the privilege. If he refused he was loudly called all the names under the sun by the entire party (except the bride, she was usually too blootered to say anything...) accompanied by extra loud banging on the pots while he was in sight - they generally ran at this point. Most men didn't refuse though and were very good natured about it, chucking their 50ps or whatever in the baby's potty being carried for the purpose.

Also - much more genteel - the Show of Presents. An afternoon tea, usually at the bride's mother's home where all the wedding presents are laid out and the bride talks her guests in small groups through the gifts, who gave what, who the giver is in relation to the happy couple etc, and it all had to be memorised and you be word perfect with no notes. Heaven help you if you forgot your husband's auntie's second cousin Muriel had given you the 2 orange tea towels, because word would get back to her and she would be INSULTED.Terrifying.

God, but weddings were brutal...

As a little girl in the '60s: getting new clothes including hat and gloves for the Easter parade: just wore them for that and of course they were far too small to wear again by the following year!
Which brings me to another one: having clothes for Best, that hardly ever got worn as a consequence.
Given that these meant clothes were wasted it's probably a good thing those don't happen any more

In particular with traditions around death and mourning, I think they have a lot of psychological benefit, for both the family and larger community. I don't think people appreciate what's been lost by letting them disapear.

National anthem was played when the BBC ended transmission in the evening.

It still is, at just before 1am (?) on BBC Radio 4, when R4 programmes end and the World Service programmes are broadcast instead.

I remember Mischief Night, too. Perhaps it’s a good thing that particular tradition has gone.

My parents did the wedding scramble, my mum asked me if I was going to do it and I remember thinking she was bonkers. Not a thing these days.

Penny for the guy seems to be dying out now along with carol singing.

Mischievous night 4th Nov gone too

Where my granny lived, in New Year's Eve after midnight a man used to go round the estate with a donkey.
He'd go in through the front door with the donkey and out the back. Meant good luck and prosperity for the year ahead. This was in Ireland in the 80s and 90s

Maypoles very much a thing where I live, love seeing the little on a do the dance at the spring fayre.

The best wedding scramble I had was the one where I was the only kid there... Would have been mid 70s.