The "original paraphernalia" (Jackson 618) from the very first occasion was lost "long ago" (618). The people in this small town instinctively know that something is wrong with the lottery but still they feared "to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box" (618). Here the people do not know why they gather every year; they only know that they have done it for a very long time. They have allowed themselves to become comfortable with the idea even if it is an awful one. The lottery is accompanied by a "perfunctory, tuneless chant that had been rattled off each year" (619) and a "ritual salute" (619). In addition, the people gather with fear before each lottery; the children cannot fully enjoy summer because they know what it means. The people are creatures of habit because "no one likes to upset even as much tradition as...
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