Manwe, I'm not so sure that means the custom is new. How do you know that this doesn't speak to the ring's evil nature. What I mean is...maybe the custom was intact, and the fact that Gollum claims the ring as his present shows us how the ring attempts to destroy things (customs) and the like; or how selfish it tries to make the bearer, so as to rebel against the lifestyle of his/her people.
Just a thought...
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