"The Lottery" tells the story of an annual tradition practiced by the villagers of an anonymous small town, a tradition that appears to be as vital to the villagers as New Year celebrations might be to us. Yet, subtle hints throughout the story, as well as its shocking conclusion, indicate that the villagers' tradition has become meaningless over time. What's particularly important about tradition in "The Lottery" is that it appears to be eternal: no one knows when it started, and no one can guess when it will end. Its apparent lack of history is what makes tradition so powerful: it's like a force of nature, and the people of the village can't even imagine rebelling against it.