Do you require words to describe culture and tradition in the book you’re writing? Scroll down to learn about 10 words and how you use them in your manuscript.
1. Ancient
Definition
Having existed for many years; relating to an earlier period in history; having qualities of old age or long existence.
Examples
“She was invited to participate in one of the ancient traditions of the culture, and she knew what an honor it was.”
“The culture he was learning about for his thesis was an ancient one with many interesting traditions that he was excited to research.”
How It Adds Description
Many elements of a culture, especially traditions, tend to be old. The word ancient can help to emphasize how old the culture and traditions that your character is encountering are.
2. Fascinating
Definition
Extremely interesting or captivating.
Examples
“He was reading a book about a fascinating local culture, and he was so invested in this pursuit of knowledge that he was hardly sleeping.”
“The culture and tradition that she had become part of were absolutely fascinating and made her want to learn more.”
How It Adds Description
Fascinating is a much stronger word than interesting. If a character in your story encounters a culture that they find truly interesting to learn about or are captivated by, then using a word like fascinating is a good way to describe the culture.
3. Old-Fashioned
Definition
Relating to or characteristic of an older era; adhering to past customs.
Examples
“One of the most challenging parts of understanding the Victorian era for her was the culture’s old-fashioned views of the roles of women in society.”
“He enjoyed participating in many of the traditions of the culture, even though some of them were a little old-fashioned.”
How It Adds Description
Help your readers understand how antiquated the traditions of the culture in your story may be by describing it as old-fashioned. This may help readers see that some of the views within the culture may not align properly with modern-day ones.
4. Familiar
Definition
Having the characteristics of something one recognizes; having personal or intimate knowledge; frequently seen or experienced.
Examples
“After spending so long away from home and getting to know other cultures and traditions, it was a relief to return to one that was familiar.”
“Although she had only learned about the culture’s customs earlier that week, many of them were familiar as they mirrored her own traditions.”
How It Adds Description
If the culture your character is encountering is their own or one that is similar to their own, then they’re likely to find the culture and traditions familiar. This can also imply a certain kind of comfort the character may feel within the culture.
5. Colorful
Definition
Having or displaying a lot of colors; full of interest or variety.
Examples
“At first she thought the traditions were boring, but she quickly came to see how colorful and interesting the culture’s customs truly were.”
“He was excited to partake in one of the more colorful customs that they would be putting on that afternoon.”
How It Adds Description
Colorful can show readers there are literally a lot of colors involved in a tradition or culture. For example, there may be colorful vestments one must wear. It can also show how lively or varied something is.
6. Varied
Definition
Having many different aspects or characteristics; diverse.
Examples
“At first, she had expected her experiences with this new culture to be monotonous, but it was surprisingly varied.”
“The culture had many varied traditions that he was excited to explore.”
How It Adds Description
Culture is rarely one uniform thing. Show your readers how much variety there is within the traditions or the culture in your story by using the word varied to describe it.
7. Eclectic
Definition
Made up of elements from various sources; selecting various styles and doctrines.
Examples
“Several other cultures merged into one centuries ago, creating a larger, much more eclectic assortment of traditions.”
“The culture’s traditions were generally fairly eclectic, and much of the garb and decoration for the ceremony reflected that.”
How It Adds Description
The word eclectic will demonstrate how many different styles are within the culture you’re describing. If the culture in your story is made up of a mix of other cultures and ideas, then this word will emphasize how unique it truly is because of this.
8. Caring
Definition
Feeling or displaying kindness towards others; compassionate.
Examples
“The culture was an extremely caring one that valued interpersonal relationships above all else.”
“One of the things that struck her the most when she was studying the culture and their traditions was how deeply caring they were towards one another.”
How It Adds Description
When a culture is focused on the people within it and their happiness, describing it as caring is a good way to show that. This can also show readers that this culture is a generally very positive one, and one that a character may be happy to be part of.
9. Supportive
Definition
Upholding or maintaining the interests or causes of something; assisting or helping.
Examples
“He had been worried about asking for permission to work on this new project, but he really shouldn’t have been because the culture was always so supportive.”
“Back home, many people were individualistic and unhelpful, so she was shocked to see how supportive the culture she was exploring was.”
How It Adds Description
If you want to make sure that your readers understand that the culture in your story is one that cares for its people, supportive is a good word to use.
10. Mysterious
Definition
Constituting or relating to mystery; inspiring curiosity or wonder; challenging to understand or explore.
Examples
“The people of that culture tended to be very mysterious and liked to keep their traditions private, so it was going to be difficult to learn more about them.”
“At first, the culture had seemed completely mysterious, but over time she began to understand more of their values.”
How It Adds Description
If there are elements in the culture in your story that are difficult to understand or the culture is secretive, you can describe it with the word mysterious. This could also infer something ominous is going on within the culture.