Families are a lot of things, and for this reason are beautiful in many ways. Bringing people together, I think, is one of the most important roles of a family. And, this is also done by sticking to traditions.
Does your family have a favourite tradition?
Someone has put together a list of 15 ideas for family traditions, just in case your family doesn’t have one. Ranging from family talent shows to reading bedtime stories, this list you can read here has a very wide panel of activities, just perfect for bringing everyone together! Some of them are also really…CSR like. It’s nice to have a family tradition by which you also help others, right?
Traditions from all over the world
Breakfast for dinner? Yes, that’s a Philippino tradition! And it really is what it sounds! Someone with Philippino roots remembers this as a family tradition, but, most importantly, it’s not really about what they ate, but who they ate it with. It’s all about the LOVE!
Lights!
Diwali is a traditional Hindu holiday which families love to celebrate! It’s the “Festival of Lights”, which also attracts lots of tourists to India. But it’s celebrated by Hindu families everywhere!
Family history
Family traditions are experiences or activities that are shared / done in common by the members of the same family. But they become even more important when they have been passed along between generations. They don’t necessarily relate to national or ethnic traditions, but can take place during or on the occasion of those. Say, a special family tradition for Christmas Eve would be that the whole family gathers and goes carolling in the neighbourhood, singing the same special carol each time.
Traditions can provide families with a sense of identity and belonging. They can inspire positive feelings and memories upon which family members can reminisce. Therefore, family traditions provide common grounds and a foundation for the family’s future identity.
How to Keep Traditions Going
When you are creating your own family traditions, try to keep them simple. Think in terms of playing games, sharing special recipes, going on a hike, seeing a performance, and so on. The simpler traditions are more likely to be repeated and carried on. Likewise, your traditions do not need to cost a lot of money. There are plenty of ways for families to bond without spending money. It might even happen that the most emotional traditions and the ones which last in time are the ones that don’t mean spending at all!
Some real family traditions:
Dance Party
Every Friday night, the Schaefer family, of Denver, plays a different vinyl record on the turntable, and the five of them dance in the living room until they collapse.
Full-Moon Cookies
Collette Parker’s family bakes chocolate chip cookies every time there’s a full moon. “We spend at least a few minutes munching cookies and sitting outside looking at the moon and the stars,” says Parker, of Covington, Georgia.
Backyard Movies
Father of two Jay Leslie hosts neighborhood movie nights on Fridays in the summer. “We have a cheap projector with a built-in DVD player,” he says. “The kids spread out on blankets or tuck up onto a parent’s lap. As it gets darker, I make a fire in our fire pit.”
Winter Traditions
Each December, families visit Colonial Williamsburg for the town’s Grand Illumination. It’s a tradition that started with the colonists, who used nighttime gunfire and fireworks to celebrate everything from a governor’s election to birthdays of leaders. (The next event, on December 8, 2019, will feature street concerts and fireworks displays at the Capitol, Magazine, and Palace.)
Good Night Everything
Channeling Goodnight Moon, Audrey Monke and her daughter would say good night to pictures of the girl’s grandparents, the tree outside the window, and the different objects in her room. “We would end by saying good night to each stuffed animal in her bed,” says Monke, a summer-camp director and a mother of five in Clovis, California, “Then we would give each other a big hug.”
Imaginary Journey
Allison Abramson, of Chester, Connecticut, uses guided visualization to help her three children clear their mind. “I started by telling them to close their eyes and imagine that they were swimming with a mermaid or having a picnic in a field of flowers,” she says. “After we had done it for a while, the kids began adding details. Now they often make up their own stories. It’s a cozy, connected time.”
I found all of these nice ideas here.
Conclusion
No matter what your family tradition is or what your will create for your family, what actually counts is the fact that your loved ones will look forward to that particular thing - even if it happens once a month or once a year. Traditions help create warm, positive memories for your family, and you all will enjoy remembering each special time, and doing it over and over again. Because it’s all about bringing LOVE and JOY to your loved ones.
My best wishes,
Ioana
P.S: Don’t forget to share your own family traditions in the comments!
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