The musical Fiddler on the Roof talked about "tradition" as the underpinnings of what we do and how we do it, sometimes without even knowing why we do it. In a sense, that's a good working definition. Tradition, for the Eastern Catholic, is a way of life. Who we are as Eastern Catholics is partly cultural, partly religious, and partly personal.

Tradition helps to define us for it places us in the context of a Christian peoples worshipping in a particular way. It helps us to find a place in the world that is both meaningful and fulfilling.