A tradition is a belief or behavior passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes, but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings.

Traditionally, international law did not confer rights and protections on individual persons; its concern was exclusively the rights and duties of countries or states.

In the old tradition the law is not helping people but limited human's freedom. For example in china the old tradition is men are more valuable than women, and women can't do anything except work as a housewife, and even unable to see people. That is a great example of limiting humans freedom.

Applies to the novel in the old tradition Hester has been blamed on having a baby without his real husband but if it is in the present it doesn't matter because there won't be anyone care about that.