- Are you enjoying any of these old traditions?
Are any of these old traditions things you’ve begun doing again on the side? Maybe cooking from scratch or joining a pottery class?
- Printed books and independent bookstore are back on the rise. Reading became a way to escape media content and get back to activities that need actual attention.
- Home cooking from scratch has surged as people turned back to family recipes, bread-baking, fermenting, and
slow meals. Techniques once considered outdated like sourdough starters, canning, and making pasta from scratch are making one of the biggest comebacks of all. Is this an old tradition or something you have gotten into lately? - Handwritten letters and notes came back around as a form of sharing that isn’t digital communication. Writing letters became a slow, intentional way to show care, during lockdowns and long-distance relationships, and many people rediscovered stationery as a form of self-expression.
- Pen-and-paper planning over digital calendars. Bullet journals, planners, and written to-do lists reflected earlier organizational habits and some people have never let this go.
- Knitting, crocheting, and fiber arts made a strong
comeback as calming and meditative hobbies that also produced something tangible. This following generations that crafted out of necessity rather than trend. - Vinyl records and physical music collections continue to show a comeback. Younger generations embraced the ritual of listening to a full album, flipping records, and reading liner notes rather than shuffling endless playlists.
- Seasonal living and marking time through solstices, harvests, and weather changes resurfaced as people sought grounding in natural rhythms and following along with Mother Nature instead of focusing only on the daily grind.
- Religious and spiritual observances re-entered daily life for many, including prayer, meditation, fasting and seasonal rituals, often practiced in more personal and less institutional ways. Is this an old tradition or something you have gotten into lately?
- Film photography and disposable cameras regained
popularity, with people embracing imperfection, limited shots, and delayed gratification instead of instant digital feedback. - Ritualized self-care practices such as baths, skincare and herbal remedies echoed older wellness traditions once passed down informally through families and generations.
- Traditional crafts and trades like woodworking, pottery, leatherworking and metalwork have again gained popularity as people sought durable goods and hands-on skills.
- Gardening and growing food at home returned even in urban settings. Windowsill herbs, community gardens, and backyard chickens echoed earlier eras of food independence and victory gardens. Is this an old tradition or something you have gotten into lately?
- Walking as transportation and reflection returned as people rejected car dependency and rediscovered walking as both a practical and contemplative habit.
- Oral storytelling and family history sharing gained new importance as people recorded grandparents’ stories, built family trees, and preserved memories that once would have been passed down verbally.
- Minimalism and intentional ownership revived old values
of owning fewer, better things rather than constant accumulation. This has also spurred tiny house, RV and even living in a van as a lifestyle. - Thrifting and mending clothes re-entered the scene. Darning socks, sewing patches, and altering garments echoed pre-fast-fashion habits, for those looking to help global sustainability and rejection just throwing everything away and buying new.
- Public storytelling spaces like poetry readings, open mics and salons echoed older cultural gathering traditions that focused on shared expression. Is this an old tradition or something you have gotten into lately?
- Communal care practices like neighbors checking on neighbors, shared resources, and mutual aid have increased. This shows more of the pre-modern community survival traditions.
- Board games and card games replaced screens during social gatherings. Games that required face-to-face have helped us return to each other during festivities.
- Formal dinner parties and hosting rituals came back, including themed meals, printed menus, and intentional table settings inspired by mid-century etiquette and hospitality norms.
If you aren’t into any of these old traditions, do you think you could get into some of them? Tell us your ideas in the comments!