I love that! If you're confused about where to start, begin with food. Making Memories . The Importance of Holiday Traditions for Families. Unity – Traditions brings family together. My husband and I started the “family ornament” when my eldest was born and I label each with the year so we don’t forget. xoxo. This is so important for children because it helps them feel accepted and part of the family unit. How do you mark holidays with the people you love most? © K Martinko -- Making a gingerbread house with my kid. The Importance Of Family Holiday Traditions A look at some of my family traditions and why traditions are important. Traditions are one of the foundations of a family. That's not true. Peter Flood. No presents were given, our gifts were having the opportunity to spend time together, eating amazing foods, telling stories and laughing a lot. The Importance of Holiday Traditions for Families. Cutting down our Christmas tree every year, 2. While holiday traditions are so fun, and incredibly important, we can’t forget about the special importance of those everyday traditions as well. The actions become associated with emotions, which in turn make the event even more special. You don't need decades of history for a tradition to feel established. Every tradition is born at some point, which means you can start the traditions you want for your own family this year. Quite evening with my husband on Christmas eve after the kids are in bed. She holds a degree in English Literature and History from the University of Toronto. It could be a group hike with family and friends before a Christmas Day meal. 15, & 17 years to be exact. (I prefer to use reusable containers at Bulk Barn for candy hauls like this.). All rights reserved. Unity – Traditions brings family together. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity for my children to experience different holiday traditions, which has given them a love for the holidays…not just the presents. We ate amazing food – nothing fancy, not even sit down dinner, but good food. Before you know it, you might be like Jenny Rosenstrach, who has made the same Christmas meal with her husband and in-laws for two decades: Rosenstrach is the author of "How to Celebrate Everything," which Anderson reviews in her Quartz article. Last year we actually had a family “early” Christmas in Michigan and let me tell you….it was AMAZING! This year I spent time making my grandma’s traditional pierogies to share with my family which brought back some amazing memories. At home, we eat tourtière and cheese fondue, hang our stockings, and listen to Alan Maitland read Frederick Forsyth's haunting story, "The Shepherd", on CBC Radio. But the holiday traditions are the ones I look forward to the most. Trina! What are some of your favorite holiday traditions? 3. Picking out ornaments with the kids each year. It gives children and adults alike something to look forward to and provides memories that will be stronger and more meaningful than any gift or treat your family … 11 Christmas Traditions We Don't Have in the U.S. 9 Multicultural Winter Holiday Celebrations, 6 Frugality Experts Give Advice on Dealing With Holiday Gifts, On Decluttering, Downsizing and Surviving a Green Renovation, 'The Well-Placed Weed' Honors the Work and Legacy of the Late Gardener Ryan Gainey, Pickiness, Begone! My husband and I have the same tradition of having quiet time by ourselves. For him as it was for me, it doesn’t matter what you do…. Traditions strengthen the importance of family, reinforce important values, and bring everyone so much comfort and joy. what matters is that you are doing it with the ones you love. Looking forward to doing those few things that make the day special brings excitement and joy for everyone. In my family, old folks' music plays first (juke joint blues and jazz), followed by the sounds of Motown and the funk of the 1970s. When you come together and take part in a family tradition everyone has a sense of belonging. Christmas is my favorite holiday. Christmas holiday traditions are among the most cherished and sacred. I think one of the reasons we have continued a strong relationship is because of those traditions we created years ago, even if we don’t celebrate together yearly. Although holiday customs are usually the first thing people think of when you mention traditions, they are not the only ones families have. Change & it’s OK – Families change and so do traditions. Isn’t it funny how holidays are surrounded by food? In the words of Jenny Anderson, writing for Quartz, "You don't need centuries of history to create Christmas traditions for your kids." It doesn't take much. No TV during dinner, we talk about our day. When you come together and take part in a family tradition everyone has a sense of belonging. If these little things didn't happen on Christmas Eve, it just wouldn't feel the same. Everyone loves to eat good food, especially their favorite foods, and special occasions are the best opportunity to make the dishes we crave or don't have time to make on a daily basis. Part of the holiday excitement is because of those holiday traditions we have created with our family. Our new family tradition is making sugar cookies on Christmas eve for Santa which the boys look forward to each year. If you ask my oldest what he is most excited about he will say Christmas eve. But we shouldn’t rob this family, or anyone else, of celebrating the traditions … Nov 28, 2016. Decorating the tree and taking out all my old ornaments from when I was a child. Thanks for sharing them. Even though some people don’t really like the holidays, it’s important to reflect on the importance of holiday traditions. We attend a Christmas Eve service at the tiny local church, and it always ends the same way, with congregants singing "Silent Night" by candlelight. They are rituals, big and small, that often mark particular times and events throughout the year. This is so important for children because it helps them feel accepted and part of the family unit. Every other Sunday is family day. I love these. Young ones learn to dance the Madison Time, The Roach, and Foot Stompin'. By the time they leave the nest they will have a great start for their own tree. and Other Questions to Get Kids Talking at the Table, 5,000 candles at Sainte Marie among the Hurons. Start now, and start with food. The Importance of Holiday Traditions. Memories last a lifetime. Foods have a funny way of bringing people back into the conversation by reminiscing of old memories which then creates new ones. Everyone has family traditions, whether new or old, and they hold a special place in our hearts. Friday night is movie night. Sometimes we wrap gifts, other times we turn off all the lights except for the tree and listen to music and just reconnect. Holiday traditions are an important part to building a strong bond between family, and our community. If others don’t want to celebrate traditions that’s entirely their prerogative. I moved from Michigan over 20 years ago which kept me from celebrating holidays with my family for most of those years. For him it’s about family being together, the food we will eat (we create a menu together), listening, singing and dancing to Christmas music and watching the Polar Express. 1. Holiday traditions help establish meaning for the holidays and detract from commercialism, all while strengthening the family bond. No matter what age we are, traditions of holidays past and present give us something all to enjoy and look forward to. With the holiday craziness we barely spend time together the weeks leading up to Christmas so that evening is our time. They give us a sense of belonging and a way to express what is important to us. There are a lot of holiday traditions and every family has traditions unique to them, for one reason or another. If a holiday meal was a success, take note and make the same thing next year. There is great value in creating traditions for families. We travel for the holidays so we do it the night before we leave usually, but we always carve out a quiet evening just for us to celebrate our own mini-christmas. Traditions are rituals families … Traditions are one of the foundations of a family. It’s nice to have regular traditions too so it makes the holidays easy to plan. They are the activities engaged in at the same time and in the same way that define a family’s culture. © 2015 Simple & Elegant. Build Stability – Life changes all the time but if you keep up with those holiday traditions it will be a constant in their life which is something everyone will look forward to and count on year after year. It is one of my favorite traditions. That is our family tradition, just our little family of 4. This is major when they get older because they are then less likely to seek for outside acceptance because they feel so close with their own family. Christmas eve was by far my favorite, I have more memories of Christmas eve than of Christmas morning. I have 3 brothers that are much older – 13. Some of the most powerful traditions are extremely simple, but they acquire meaning through repetition. I completely agree and this is such a lovely post. We started a new one this year -- a trip to see the 5,000 candles at Sainte Marie among the Hurons -- as well as entering the annual gingerbread house competition held at our library. 5. 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