Editor's recommendation for traditional inventions

The core thesis of this book is that the traditions with which Europeans are currently passionate can only be traced back to the end of the nineteenth century at most.

Such phenomena as Scottish tartan, British royal pomposity, etc. are far from being as old as the legend says. They can only be traced back to the Victorian era.

What’s even more interesting is that many of the much-praised traditions turned out to be imported.

Even so, what is the point of such a discovery of "legendary" truth? Will it make us no longer value our traditions? No.

Tradition is certainly not entirely true.

Many traditions do contain elements of lies, but persistence and repetition make them precious and noble.

The point is not that they were ever lies, but that they turned from lies into legends.