The custom called timeless may have a surprisingly recent birthday.

Plenty of customs described as ancient turn out to be a century old or less. Somebody introduced them, they caught on, and within two generations they acquired the aura of always. Age is the main thing a custom can offer as justification, so claiming it is a natural move, and it usually goes unchecked because checking feels disrespectful.

It costs nothing to find out when something actually started. If it is recent, that is neither a scandal nor a reason to stop, only a fact about the practice. It does mean you can adjust it without disturbing anything sacred.