We have many traditions in our society. All these traditions have certain meanings behind them; however, many of these meanings tend to be lost or forgotten. The Thanksgiving holiday was originally a celebration to commemorate the Pilgrims' arrival in the New World and their first interactions with Native Americans. So why is it still celebrated today? There is no real purpose in today's society for observing this custom. It continued to be observed due to past traditions. There is no logical reason to continue this party, as it has little to no value. Over time the real reasons have been lost or distorted, as in the case of Shirley Jackson's “The Lottery”. Shirley Jackson's short story, “The Lottery,” focuses on an outdated tradition, similar to the Thanksgiving holiday; the city in its history observes a custom that has little or no reasonable purpose in society. The lottery is held every year and the winner, instead of winning money or a prize, receives stones thrown by other members of the town. What is the purpose of this lottery? There was a real purpose behind it; it was used as a ritual to influence the growing season, but in the modern period in which Jackson sets the story, this purpose is unclear. The tradition is antiquated and has lost any explanation of its use. Those who participate may only remember certain parts of the lottery ritual, and even then, these parts are not performed the same way. Other parts were completely eliminated and forgotten. Once, some recall, there had been a recital of some kind, performed by the lottery official, a perfunctory, off-key chant that had been... middle of the paper...there is no real purpose to its practice . But, because tradition tends to have a strong hold on a society, it will continue for years to come if people do nothing to change it. Old Man Warner understands that this is a threat and that times are changing: "It's not like it used to be," he says. “People aren't like they used to be” (79). In modern society there can be no moral justification for the practice of the lottery and the brutal murders that result from it. However, this tradition has a strong hold on this village and "although the villagers had forgotten the ritual... they still remembered to use the stones" (79). Works Cited Griffin, Amy. "The Jackson Lottery." Explicator, Fall 1999, Vol. 58 Number 1. (1999): 44.Jackson, Shirley. “The Lottery”. The easy-going reader. Ed. Susan Gunter. McGraw-Hill First, 2003. 73-79.