It's Time To Celebrate Tradition!

I can hear the resonating voice of Tevye, singing with his fists shaking in the air, “Tradition! Tradition!” He was right to be so passionate about the subject. Traditions define us; they mark our passage through time; and they help us remember where we came from. There is no better time of year to celebrate the miraculous traditions that your family holds dear.

Time For A Family Meeting
There are going to be 101 things that you want to do and see during this holiday season. My advice? Sit down with your family one evening and spend some time discussing what everyone wants to do and plan it ahead of time. Get the calendar off of the wall and start writing everything down. Do you want to set apart a day for holiday shopping or making crafts? When do you want to get your Christmas tree decorated? Are there special events that you can go ahead and plan for right now? Schedule everything ahead of time and you won’t be caught in that last minute frenzy. But keep in mind while you are making your plans that the best things usually happen spontaneously – keep plenty of open days and lazy evenings for the occasional drive around to look at holiday lights or favorite story-telling.

No Need To Go Overboard
The biggest complaint I hear about all of the holiday rush is that it is indeed a rush. But most of this is self-imposed. Many of us live with this image of holidays that would rival any that you would find in the pages of Traditional Home magazine. This is the very best time of year to wad up that image of perfection that you have in your mind and toss it into the trashcan (the cheap plastic kind that you really have, not that expensive wicker one that you’ve had your eye on). Forget perfect and go for good (it will be much more fun, less expensive, and you get a whole lot more covered in way less time). Yes, Christmas cookies can come in packages in the refrigerated section of our grocery store. No, handmade crafts don’t have to be headache inducing. Yes, a turkey dinner can be pre-ordered. No, you don’t need to put up every decoration that you own. Yes, gift cards actually do make good presents. No, your gift-wrapping paper does not need to coordinate. And, yes, popcorn and cranberries strung on fishing line is overrated. Don’t let your strive for perfection crowd out the fulfillment of getting the bases covered.

Make Some New Traditions
A wonderful thing about having your own family is making your own traditions. Put your heads together and I bet all of your family members could come up with some great ideas. Two years ago, after watching the movie Elf, I decided to make spaghetti and put maple syrup and candy on the table for the kids to add to their dinner. I also removed all of the flatware, so that we could dine “elf syle.” That dinner was a total blast. All of the kids (and even the adults) sprinkled their spaghetti with candy, drizzled on some maple syrup, and dined with their fingers. It was one of the most beautiful, happy, and messiest scenes I think I can remember seeing. Think of some traditions that you can start this year, and remember that the best events usually begin on a whim. Start some whims of your own!