All In The Family...

This post is dedicated to my special 2nd Family, The Grogg Family.  They are having their first round of holidays without their dear patriarch, Earl.  It’s been 13 years since we lost my Dad and I know how hard it is to keep up certain traditions and they have reminded me how important it is to keep those things alive not just for the loved ones that we have lost but for the younger generation who need to know why these things are special to us and why we do them.  I used to help my Dad put up the outside lights.  When he passed I couldn’t keep doing that at my house despite repeated requests from my children.  Now I have deprived them of something that was very dear to my father and to me.  My mom loves decorating the inside of the house for Christmas and if I ever stopped that out of sorrow for her she would haunt me to the ends of the earth and back!  

The continuation of family traditions amidst great technological advances and fast paced lives is very much important. Despite the assaults of modern times, the family is at the very core and foundation of society; this is true whether a family is created by biology or choice.  Family traditions help to create strong bonds.  Sometimes those bonds get interrupted from either grief, or depression or just plain apathy but it’s important that we keep family traditions alive even if it’s just for ourselves.


What are Family Traditions?
From a generational perspective, family traditions are practices or beliefs which are passed down from generation to generation; i.e. from parents to children. On a smaller level, family traditions are those which are created within a family.  On either level, family traditions range from ordinary routines and day to day activities to celebration of holidays and special occasions; often these are based on the family's religious and cultural heritage.
Family traditions bring a sense of belonging, commitment and familiarity with each other. They also pave the way for good times and good memories. Family traditions are also vehicles to carry on a family's identity (e.g. ethnic, religious, occupational, recreational and so forth).


Passing the Torch
It is important to pass the torch of family traditions; this imparts a sense of continuity, bonding and more importantly, love. It is incumbent on each generation of parents to keep the family tradition up and running. Family traditions are valuable instruments for child rearing because they instill social values and contribute to creating close family ties.


Sharing
Quality family time helps to build and maintain strong family ties. Sharing is a key ingredient for creating quality moments. Traditions make sharing easy by offering a common ground of knowledge and experience. For example, holiday pies may sure be tasty, but they are also opportunities for share experienced; i.e. making the pie, discussing special techniques and recipes, eating it at a certain time and so forth. There is also the shared expectation of the way the tradition will take place and the parts that need to be taken. There are also the shared memories from previous occurrence of the family tradition.


Distinctive History
Family traditions make it possible for the family's distinctive history to pass on to the next generation which oftentimes expands the family story. Aside from these, it cultivates a special connection between family members and between generations. Each special family tradition creates warmth and closeness among family members; it is a special tie that bonds them all. Familiar and predictable family experience brought about by family traditions fosters the feeling of safety and security. It gives each member something to look forward to and the assurance one needs.
Continuing family traditions are essential in enhancing family values and strengthening the bond which ties each family. Old and newly introduced family traditions no matter how grand or simple it is, brings about the sense of belonging, emphasizes good values and more importantly, creates happy family memories.



As a tribute to our families, whether biological or “family by choice”, please feel free to leave a comment below to share one of your favorite traditions.  I will start and hopefully we will have many more to read about…