Family Traditions

Traditions. We all have them. They seem to surface when we plan for holidays. They often center around food. Simple activities become life-long traditions without our even knowing they are traditions, until one year Mom places Joseph on the wrong side of Mary and she finds a mutinous crowd pouncing to right the wrong. Or she opts to serve plain ol’ cranberry sauce instead of her infamous cranberry jello mold with Thanksgiving dinner – who knew it wasn’t really Thanksgiving without that cranberry mold!?

It can also be those little things we do that help us mark the seasons and passing fo the days. Strawberry picking at our neighbor’s patch come June 1 every year or eating jalapeno poppers while watching the Super Bowl or visiting the same ice cream shop every time we pass through that small mountain town in Colorado on vacation.

What is tradition?

I polled my family. Here are the results:

1. Something you do over and over again.
2. An event you hold year after year, generation to generation.
3. It’s what we have to do to make things special.
4. Things we do to help us remember.
5. Repetition, habit.

Merriam-Webster defines ‘tradition’ in this way:

• inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or a social custom)
• the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction

Throughout scripture God tells His people to remember. He set up Holy Days and gave specific instructions so that we would remember Him, who He is in our lives, what He has done for us, and so that our children will know. We are creatures of habit. Repeating an activity the same every year helps us attach meaning to symbolic gestures (like gift-giving at Christmas time) or remember important events (like birth days) or teach important truths (like our Jesse Tree Tradition). Traditions are essential.

A Month of Tradition

Throughout the month of December I will be sharing all about Traditions here on Apron Strings & other things. Join us for a peek at some of our own family traditions as well as some awesome thoughts and ideas from a few friends of mine.  Big traditions, little traditions, serious traditions, silly traditions, Christmas and other holiday traditions, we’ll be visiting them all. It is going to be a fun-filled, inspirational month!

And speaking of inspirational, the ladies at Inspired Bloggers Network are sharing at the Inspired Holiday Blog Hop. You’ll want to hop on over and see what they are sharing, as well! Wendy is sharing thoughts on Making the Holidays Special Whey You Live Far Away, Cat shares her Christmas Morning Cinnamon Roll Recipe, Anjanette gives us ideas for sharing Christmas Stories all month long. How about some  Holiday Baking at This Sweet Life? And you’ll find many more, plus the chance to link up your own holiday traditions. I hope you visit us throughout the month. It will surely add a little extra Merry to your Christmas traditions!

What are your favorite family traditions?

I will keep a running list of our posts this month on this page so you can visit often and check back to find your favorites or catch up on posts you miss.

• Our Jesse Tree Week 1
• Our Jesse Tree Week 2
• Our Jesse Tree Week 3
• Updating My Day Planner
• Pizza Night
• Santa Key & Reindeer Food (guest post)
• Trimming the Tree
• When Your Family Isn’t Traditional (guest post)
• The Bay Leaf – A Family Tradition
• Classic Christmas Audiobook Becomes a Family Tradition (guest post)
• Decluttering – A Family Tradition?

Sharing this post at some of these wonderful places.