My family is big on tradition. As a child growing up, Christmas morning was one of the few times during the year where we kids got donuts. There would cream sticks, and regular donuts--glazed, powdered, chocolate. It was also the time when we could not go downstairs until mom and dad had turned on the lights, turned on the Christmas music, and turned on the coffee. While they did these things, we sat anxiously waiting to descend the stairs to see what Santa had delivered. My sister-n-law and I spoke of these types of traditions over the Thanksgiving breaks. We recalled them with great fondness knowing that we too liked creating traditions for our children. So many of our memories are rooted in tradition. We look back and lasso those rituals from our past and then we attach our emotion and future choices to them. My own children know our traditions. We too make our kids sit on the stairs until the all clear is given. We await the arrival of our in-laws before opening presents. I make a breakfast casserole and cinnamon rolls and then we spend most of the day, in our PJs. These traditions are more than just rituals. They are how we make sense of the world. They provide us with comfort and a sense of family.
Look at your Holiday traditions. What traditions do you have? Describe these traditions--who is involved, when do you do it, what happens, and why does it matter.
