By Lori Byerly
Traditions bring us together and remind us of what has value to us. They remind us of who we are and who we belong to. They remind us of what we believe. They write deeply in our hearts and can make a significant mark in our marriage and family.
Take stock of your current traditions.
My husband lives to go to a candlelight service. It is not Christmas without one. For my daughter it is the advent candles. My son – well, I think he just likes it all. I look forward to decorating the tree. We all look forward to Christmas music the minute the Thanksgiving turkey settles in our tummies.
If the holidays get hectic, we simplify and make time for the few things that really matter to us.
Look for new traditions.
If your family enjoys something, ask yourself what is it that they are enjoying? Is it the actual activity? Is it the togetherness? Let that help you create new traditions.
A tradition we started early on was giving each child the gift of a new Christmas ornament. They added it to their collection (with their own storage box) so when they grew up and moved away they would have a bit of Christmas with which to start their own homes (with plenty of memories from Christmas past).
It’s OK to be different.
One year a friend of ours made Tortilla Soup. It was delightful (and I’m not sure why) but we wound up having it later for Christmas Eve. Well, we are still enjoying Tortilla Soup each Christmas Eve. It is now tradition for us. We smile and remember our Texas heritage (now that we are bundled up in the Northwest). We also have a string of lights that look like hot peppers hanging by our front door.
Years past, my husband and I were caregivers for his mother. On our day off (Christmas Eve) we went to a movie, just to relax. We were the only ones in the theatre. It was really rather romantic (and just what we needed at the time) so we’ve made it a tradition and each Christmas Eve we sneak away to catch a flick.
Don’t let your traditions own you. Stay flexible and fun.
I do know the pull of traditions, but if they add little to your already busy holiday season, why not let them slide peacefully into the past?
Study your family and build traditions that will bless them and give them memories to warm their hearts.
