Is “New Tradition” an oxymoron?

[BWRhasnoAC]

https://cyclones.com/sports/2015/6/22/traditions.aspx

BARF

 

[TedKumsher]

No. A tradition may not have started at the beginning of time, but by the time it is a tradition it is never new. The phrase is an oxymoron.

I would certainly consider this the most prominent counter-argument. However, when looking back to the past, you can say "and little did they know that they had started a new tradition which has lasted these past 100 years". Further, I think it is correct to say "back then, it was still a new tradition".

Regardless, I would personally still not consider it an oxymoron. In the sense that:

1. An existing tradition MUST have had a beginning, and thus was at some time "new".
2. A tradition cannot be known to be a tradition at the time that it is new, but rather only later in time.

. . . I would categorize it as a paradox when limited to the present tense.
Unless, of course, you are trying to take off in an airplane on a treadmill.

 

[Remo Gaggi]

God, just stop. If you want to mock Iowa when it’s not game week, take it to Instate Rivals.

I come here for ISU football, y’know. Since this is the ISU Football forum. I don’t need to see people obsessing over what EIU does or doesn’t do.

Wow. Lighten up, Francis.

 

[weR138]

Could someone help me out with this? It’s been hurting my brian every time I hear Murphy and Andy or other KXNO pundits using this term. Is it possible to have a new tradition?

For me, “New Tradition” sounds like “manufactured tradition”...but that’s just me.

See you in the comments!

What's the context for this?

For example: I want to create a trophy to commemorate Farmageddon. At some point somebody has to make the trophy. The presumption (at least mine) is that the trophy gets played for for decades to come and in time will become an undisputed tradition.

Every trophy game ever started as a "manufactured tradition" so why not permit the use of the term "new tradition" in my example?

 

[VeloClone]

I take the phrase to mean "relatively new tradition" rather than "brand new tradition."

Of course some traditions are newer than others. I'm okay with that. And something needs to be done for a while before you can start to call it a tradition.

Bolded for emphasis

 

[VeloClone]

What's the context for this?

For example: I want to create a trophy to commemorate Farmageddon. At some point somebody has to make the trophy. The presumption (at least mine) is that the trophy gets played for for decades to come and in time will become an undisputed tradition.

Every trophy game ever started as a "manufactured tradition" so why not permit the use of the term "new tradition" in my example?

It's just a trophy game until it also becomes a tradition which is some time down the road. Generally by the time something is a tradition it isn't common knowledge how it started.

 

[GrappleCy]

It's like calling an old run down building historic. It's all contrived to make someone feel better about their situation.

Calling an old run down building "historic" at least makes sense, even if it sometimes is just run down. Calling something a "New Tradition" even before the first time it happens, on the other hand, is just manufactured marketing speak, just like 99% of all the Wave coverage or anything to do with AHF.

 

[VeloClone]

This probably belongs here:

 

[matclone]

I was thinking about that this afternoon. When Tevye talked about tradition, he meant TRADITION! There was such thing as new tradition.