student asking question

What does "custom" mean here? Why is there "a" in front of it?

teacher

Réponse d’un locuteur natif

Rebecca

A "custom" is a traditional, wide-spread behavior or way of doing things. The speaker means to say "individually wrapped straws [are] a custom," with the "are" dropped in speaking. Hence, "a" appears before "custom." We can understand this sentence to mean that straws that are individually wrapped are a custom (normal and widespread) in Japan. Ex: Each culture has a different wedding and funeral customs. Ex: It is a custom in many Asian countries to take off your shoes after entering the home.

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