Traditions provide strength to a family. It allows them to bond and adhere together. They help create personal and family identity and individuality. They also help us connect with other generations. Traditions have power to change and mold a family into a more functional unit.
Here are some of our traditions as a family:
Quick Draw Gingerbread
During Christmas Break the boys in my family make a gingerbread house using caulking instead of icing. I love watching them erect the gingerbread house. They don’t decorate it normally, but decorate it with candy in creative target structures. We enjoy it during the week and then the day after Christmas we take it shooting. It is fun to try and get certain targets of peach o’s and the front door and the like. We try to shoot the gingerbread house so that the caulking frame is all that is left when we are finished.
More Shrimp Salad Please!
My husband’s family has shrimp salad at all his family get-togethers. This was done because his Grandma Johnson doesn’t cook very much, but she does know how to make shrimp salad. So the family asks her to make the salad because it makes her feel like she contributes to the meal. Since then, it has just become something they always look forward to and they always have.
No Apologies Here
We love playing board games in my family. Our favorite game is Sorry. The game gets played so much that have a running tournament and if you win, you get to write the date and your name on the back of the board. We get pretty competitive and it is definitely not an apologetic game!
Thank-O-Ween
We have a pre-thanksgiving dinner around Halloween. This started because my in-laws came to our house in
What are some of your family traditions and how have they helped you out in your family life? Have you taken the time to record these traditions for your future posterity?
2 comments:
My wife's family watches Scrooge the musical on Christmas Eve. That was fairly entertaining.
You are so right about traditions strengthening families. In fact I would call them 'routines' because then you can understand how they happen on the large and small scales. We have seasonal, holiday, weekly and daily routines. The kids really do identify with it.
My kids favorites by far are decorating for the holidays. Our most recent 'tradition' came about as a result of a later church schedule. It is called the 'Sunday Letter Box.' They write letters with stamps and fancy pens and fancy envelopes at the kitchen table while I make a big brunch. This replaces last years 'tradition' of pop tarts for breakfast in response to early morning church schedule!
My tip on traditions: you are more likely to execute them if you write them on the calendar a month ahead of time.
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