Values: An Intriguing Aspect of Culture

What heritage is greater and more prestigious than one’s culture? Ways of life passed down from one blissful and beautiful generation to another. Cultivated and preserved by minds so deep and spiritual social conventions could not swerve their paths or their love for the old ways.

Often, the hallmark of a people’s culture or cultural heritage lies in their sacred rituals, festivals, traditional dances, and ceremonies. So these activities are passed down from one age to another. Even with the inversion of foreign religions, cultural practices like the new yam festival are still very much cherished in Nigeria.

Nevertheless, though cultural ceremonies are important, inheriting the right values is more beneficial to society than any ritual or ceremony, no matter how sacred it is deemed.

Values Worth Promoting

Values that promote acts of love, unity, care, laughter, and honesty should be our biggest and finest cultural practices. They should be passed down from our ancestors unto the elders and to us the younger ones in this never-ending blissful cycle of life.

Such heritage is the most pricey of all valuables known to man. Our lives should revolve around displaying acts of love to one another. Whether by sharing the little we owned or caring for the elderly.

Also, one must make it habitual to author words of kindness at all times. The phrase; “LOVE HEALS AND BREEDS GROWTH. IT GIVES BIRTH TO JUSTICE THEREFORE PEACE IS ASSURED, AND WAR FOREVER DEFEATED,” should be carved in our consciousness. Of what use are rituals and festivals if the earth is continuously desecrated with the spill of innocent human blood? Ideas of communal unity are most important and must become the culture of the people. To be taught and passed on until time existed no more, and man no longer drew breath.

With firm pride, we should promote communal unity. In our localities we should spend time to put smiles on people’s faces, and collectively send laughter into the night sky; so sincere the stars twinkle as they dance to the tune of true happiness echoing from the earth underneath them. The moon will glow and bless our dusk with light while gazing earnestly on our small but warm world.

Honestly, wherever the wind of life takes us in the voyage of life, upholding virtuous ideas is ideal for every society and practicable anywhere in the world. Therefore, vitreous values should be our dearest cultural heritage.