77 Many events in Slovenia, as well as elsewhere in Europe, are being advertised as traditional, meaning that they have either been taking place for a number of (or at least two) years or that they serve to present old cultural elements. Throughout history, tradition has been an important idea in various economic, social and political spheres, usually denoting a phenomenon or a set of phenomena that have been passed on from generation to genera- tion and finally settled in the life of a community; something that has become notable in an activity over its long lifespan; an activity itself, taking place over a longer period of time; and even implying value or achievement, rarely also meaning (oral) lore (cf. DSLL). In ethnology and anthropology, the term tradition usually denotes transmission over time and continuity of phenomena, while recent views also highlight tradition as a strategy to add value to phenomena. That implies that tradition has many aspects. Discussions about tradition are among the oldest discourses in central European ethnology. Notwithstanding, traditions are often understood as a set of universally valid cultural features, ways, customs and bad habits, freely and eternally floating in the bosom of space and time of a society, nation and/or nation state ... Modern history shows that … [such] interpre- tations of traditions … form an ideal ground for manipulations on the part of authorities and politics, which repeatedly use ideological interventions to create a consciously defined relation to the past. (Brumen 2001: 203) ASPECTS OF TRADITION SAšA POLJAK ISTENIČ In ethnology and anthropology, the term tradition usually denotes transmission over time and continuity of phenom- ena, while recent views also highlight other aspects. Because of disappearance of “typical” cultural phenomena it became a value. Since it has connected people on many levels, it can be perceived as a means of identity politics. At the same time it becomes a strategy to strengthen a sense of belonging and achieve diverse goals. These aspects are presented with some empirical examples. Keywords: tradition, ethnology, anthropology, identity, tourism. V etnologiji in antropologiji izraz tradicija navadno ozna- čuje prenašanje kulture skoz čas in kontinuiteto kulturnih pojavov, medtem ko novejši pogledi poudarjajo tudi druge vidike. Zaradi izginjanja »značilnih« kulturnih fenomenov je postala vrednota. Ker povezuje ljudi na mnogih ravneh, jo razumemo kot sredstvo identitetne politike. Hkrati postaja tudi strategija za krepitev občutkov pripadnosti in za dosego drugih ciljev. Ti vidiki so vzorčno predstavljeni z empiričnimi zgledi. Ključne besede: tradicija, etnologija, antropologija, iden- titeta, turizem. DOI: 10.3986/Traditio2012410206 TRADITIONES, 41/2, 2012, 77–89