Traditions, the important rituals and ceremonies that help us to hold our families together, mark the passing of time and celebrate the good things. Some people might say, however, such things are outdated and have little place in the modern world. The arguments below, though, suggest something quite different. Read on to find out more about why family traditions still matter and 3 specific ones you might want to start with your loved ones.
Family traditions:
Writing thank you notes
One thing that a lot of parents insist on is that their kids write thank you notes for any birthday or Christmas presents they receive as youngsters.
While kids might not like doing this as it takes away from time playing with their toys, it’s not a bad family tradition. Especially not in the materialistic world that we live in today! Taking some time out to express gratitude for the things we have and to connect with others is always a positive thing.
Of course, that doesn’t mean the kids are going to realize that until they are a little older. Thus, in the meantime, you want want to make writing thank you cards as fun as possible for the youngsters. You can do so by getting some great notes online, as well as putting on some upbeat music to get the kids motivated while they complete the task.
Sunday brunch
Whether it’s waffles and syrup, pancakes and bacon, or something else, Sunday brunch is one of the terrific family traditions. And there are healthy options too for food, including omelettes with veggies like green peppers and mushrooms in them. Either you could make the meal or go out to a local restaurant for it on Sundays.
If that’s not something you currently do, you might ask, “What’s the big deal about having family breakfast on Sundays?” Well, it serves as a regular time when you know that the family will get together, which is very valuable in today’s busy society.
The meal also gives the person responsible for the family’s meal a break, if you go out somewhere. As well, Sunday brunch is an opportunity to show your family appreciation for their hard work all week.
Lastly, family traditions like this one are a bonding opportunity. Talk about school, the next family vacation, or anything else you want to chat about at the table.
Giving to charity at Christmas
Another tradition that many families take part in during the festive season is giving time or a donation to charity. Giving to charity is important. Why? It educates kids about caring for others and can help them appreciate the things they have in life. Some families do this through their churches or religious organizations, while others help out in soup kitchens or collect goods for food banks.
Of course, how you do it isn’t as important as the act of charity itself that is valuable. Yes, it’s one of the great family traditions to uphold.
Thanksgiving football
Lastly, don’t forget about the enduring family traditions of playing and watching football on Thanksgiving. This tradition may be the most controversial, depending on who you ask. One reason for that is it can prevent the spectators from helping with the Thanksgiving preparations!
Also, playing the game can be dangerous. So if someone in your family is sitting down to a meal of turkey and sweet potatoes with a black eye or sprained ankle because of their football antics, then it may be a tradition you encourage them to get out of their heads this year!
Your take on family traditions
Do you do any of these things with your family? Are they outdated? If you have other family traditions, share them in the comments section below!
Love this, Christy. The traditions you mention are at the heart of what makes a family- sharing time, food, fun, and gratitude. Keep up the good work!
Loved all the values you shared Christy. I hope they never fade, especially Thanklsgiving Football! :) xx
Wonderful post, Christy! When our children were young, a tradition we initiated was to have at least one meal together each day. It didn’t matter which meal, just that we would all be together and have the opportunity to share our highs and lows. It gave us, as parents, a chance to see how our children were doing, and it opened the door for them to talk to us, as well. My husband and I are blessed to have two amazing young-adult children now, who, by the way, still send thank-you notes. :) We’ve always been a communicative family, and especially in this day and age where many are glued to the screen, true communication is key in any relationship. xo
We don’t have any special conventional traditions and just celebrate little things that we do. The house my children grew up in had a fireplace with wood molding around it but no mantle for hanging stockings. Instead we hung them on the stand that held the andirons.
Hi Christy…
Traditions form a foundation for life and we as a family had many. My Dad was a prankster and we were always on guard when it came to opening a gift from Dad.
The greatest gift was listen to him laugh, his joy would turn into tears of joy. It truly is a tradition I do miss.
Hugs from Alberta
I loved this post. They have so much technology now that is making anything old fashioned scarce these days.
Coucou ma petite Christy,
J’espére que tu vas bien.
Prends soin de toi, et merci pour tes articles au combien intéressants !
A bientôt, “bonjour à mes amis Canadiens”
Ton ami de France.
Absolutely love these ideas! Traditions have always been so important in our family. Sometimes with changes in the family…growth and deaths…..traditions sometimes change, but they are always there.
Growing up we went to confession together on Saturday and Mass on Sunday followed by the bakery (boston creme donuts – yum!) and then we went home to cook breakfast for everyone. There were 11 of us and sometimes Grandpa stayed for a month or more. You can imagine how wonderfully busy it was. And then on Sunday night mom made a roast. We always ate dinner together. Great memories – I love your posts Christy and your topics are thoughtful and wonderfully diverse – you are gifted!
Thank you!
Hugs!
These are great – now I’m in the mood for Thanksgiving, football, and Sunday brunch! One of our family traditions is to go out to dinner a few weeks before Christmas, then we all go together to buy a bunch of toys to donate to our local service center. It’s fun to play with the toys in the store beforehand to test them out. Another great thing about giving at this time of year is that a lot of charities will double or triple any donations.
Good traditions that should never go out of style, Christy!
I love these, Christy! I always write thank you notes…no email or text.
Hi Christy,
the root of the word of your name is Christ,and totally suits you because you are so kind and great.Your posts really change reality on better !
Thank you
Great, I totally agree these are all important and fun past times especially when raising a family (which I hope to do some day!)
All wonderful traditions, which I appreciate more with each passing year.
Sadly, eating dinner together as a family seems to be vanishing from the landscape. It seems this healthy, normal everyday practice is almost now, too traditional. Everyone is so busy with all their work and/or activities.
Thank you, Christy!
Great post. Some things in it are clearly more about life across the pond but I love the idea of creating our own traditions or just turning things we would regularly do or try to do into a ‘tradition’. Me and my siblings would always joke about our mum doing something with us twice and calling it a tradition and going on at us to keep doing it. Now my darling mum has gone and I not only wish we’d stuck to these ‘traditions’ more but want to create more too. A lovely a thought provoking post.
This is how it is in my family, too.
These are wonderful traditions Christy. All family tradition is important to family life.
True!! Somewhere today’s and upcoming generation have forgotten the importance of traditions!! Wonderful post
Love this. I’m the youngest in my family and around the time I moved out of home we started going to the cinema every Friday night as a family. It didn’t last as long as some other traditions but I look back on that time so fondly. It was a comforting routine to have during a major transitional period, knowing that even though we didn’t all live together anymore we were still going to be present in each others lives.
I agree! Especially Sunday Brunch ;-)
Don’t forget Pizza Night! ;)