Easter Traditions

Easter Egg The custom of the Easter egg originated before Christianity in the ancient  Egyptian celebration of Shemu ; It is a day that follows Easter Sunday) which is the season of harvest and rebirth, where they wrote their wishes on painted eggs and put them on windows and trees to receive the blessings of the first rays of the morning light produced by sun god Ra.

For Christians, the Easter egg is symbolic of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Painting Easter eggs is an especiallybeloved tradition in the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches where the eggs dyed red to represent the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross. Easter eggs are blessed by the priest at the end of the Paschal vigil and distributed to the congregants. The hard shell of the egg represents the sealed Tomb of Christ, and cracking the shell represents Jesus' resurrection from the dead. Moreover, historically Christians would abstain from eating eggs and meat during Lent, and Easter was the first chance to eat eggs after a long period of abstinence. (Orthodox Christians continue to abstain from eggs during Lent.)

The Christian Church officially adopted the custom, regarding the eggs as a symbol of the resurrection; in 1610 A.D., Pope Paul V proclaimed the following prayer:

Bless, O Lord! we beseech thee, this thy creature of eggs, that it may become a wholesome sustenance to thy faithful servants, eating it in thankfulness to thee on account of the resurrection of the Lord.

Easter Egg Hunt. Our Easter Egg Hunt marks the start of spring and it's always held outside if possible; this means the grass is greening, azaleas are blooming and the spring flowers brighten the back yard.  Each child has their own Easter basket that has been theirs for years.  The grandchildren and their parents go first and we all gather on the patio to see what treasures have been left by the Easter Bunny.  Then it's time for the grandchildren to hide the plastic eggs for their parents to find.  Each plastic egg has money in it, ganging from $1.00 to $100.00 the parents have 10 minutes to find the eggs.  What they find they keep.  What they don't find the grand-kids share.   The competition is keen and suspense mounts as the time runs down.

Visiting the graves of family members. Visiting graves is a tradition dating back centuries in the US, a custom allowing families not only to grieve but to honor and celebrate the lives of

those that have passed.  Many families pay respects at cemeteries on Easter as well as on Memorial Day. I think it's important to maintain a connection with those who came before us and blazed the path that we currently walk on.  This is a message that can be delivered to children with a morning visit to decorate the graves of our relatives and friends.  Easter is the perfect time to do this and create a family tradition.


Other Easter traditions include:

• Rolling Easter eggs down a hill, symbolizing the removal of the stone that blocked Jesus' tomb.
• Enjoying the Passover service together, including prayers, scripture readings,  songs, hand washing, a meal (including the eating of hard-boiled eggs as a symbol of the renewal of springtime), eating of green and bitter herbs, unleavened bread, and wine (fruit of the vine).

General Family Traditions

Saturday mornings in bed. Choose a morning on the weekend to spend in bed with

h your family. You don’t need to spend hours laying around, but 15 to 30 minutes is a nice length of time. Try having coffee, tea, or milk with a couple of cookies. Relaxing and taking a few minutes to connect with your family can be a great way to kick off a weekend.

Potluck. This is a great way for extended family members to showcase their culinary talents.  If you decide to do this monthly or bi-monthly, consider themes – make one night Mexican, and the next time Thai, followed by Italian. Theme nights can introduce you to a whole new world of cooking.  Bring print-outs of the recipe so people can take it home with them.

Family Olympics. We've hosted our Family Olympics several times as a part of our Thanksgiving  at the Beach Tradition.  It's a team activity that the whole family can participate in and it can take place over several days.  I modeled our Family Olympics after an article that I read on RealSinple.com by Valerie Rains.   A recent addition was a boccie-ball tournament that has become a must event in the future.

The Annual Fishing Trip.  Our annual fishing trip started in the 1970's when my dad traveled through

 Minnesota with my uncles on their way to Canada and I asked, "Why aren't my brothers and I going fishing with you Dad?"  From that year on until  Dad died in 2002 we had an annual fishing trip that lasted for 35 years.  It really wasn't about the fishing, it was about brothers and dad getting together drinking some beer, smoking cigars  (I hate cigars), reflecting on the past and staying connected.  One year the Indianapolis Star did a feature story on our annual fishing trip.  We had an annual award of a "Yellow Sweater" to the Fisherman of the Year.  It was last awarded to  Dad; we placed it in his coffin when he died.

State Line - "so" When I was a young boy traveling with my older brothers and parents wewere challenged to be to see the state line sign on the road.  I took the challenge very seriously, while my older brothers not so much.  I spotted the Ohio state line sign and with great pride shouted "Ohio state line!"  My brothers responded with "so?".  I was crushed, rejected, and hurt.  Later in the afternoon we passed into Kentucky and my brothers shouted, "so".  To this day when any of us cross a state line we announce to anyone in the car "so".  I created a family tradition that lives on and is growing as our family grows.  Steve Grinkmeyer

Other General Traditions

• For birthdays, each family member chooses his or her favorite menu, then everyone except the birthday person helps prepare the meal.
• No one can go to bed until they've told each member of the family "I love you."
• For religious milestones such as baptism or confirmation, a child is given a book of scripture.
• For religious or historical figures the family especially admires, celebrate that person's birthday.
• Saturdays are Dad's day to make breakfast with the kids.
• Take turns choosing a topic of discussion at the dinner table.
• Have a special dinner plate to be used by a family member who has a reason to celebrate.
• Tell a story every night before bed. Keep a family journal, letting everyone write in it.
• Establish your own holidays, such as an "Unbirthday Party."
• Watch movies that explore the value of traditions, such as "Fiddler on the Roof."

Saint Patrick's Day Traditions

Saint Patrick's Day or the Feast of Saint Patrick is a cultural and religious holiday that is celebrated on March 17.
The holiday dates back to the early seventeenth century.  Originally, the color associated with Saint Patrick was blue. Over the years the color green and its association with Saint Patrick's Day grew. Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century.  Saint Patrick is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity  to the pagan Irish, and the ubiquitous wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs has become a feature of the day. In the 1798 rebellion, to make a political statement, Irish soldiers wore full green uniforms on 17 March in hopes of catching public attention. The phrase "the wearing of the green", meaning to wear a shamrock on ones clothing, derives from a song of the same name.

The Leprechaun Legend.   In our house on March 1, our children are served green eggs and ham for breakfast, and a Leprechaun appears in the house usually on the top of a kitchen cabinet far out of reach.  Each
day, until Saint Patrick's Day, the children are challenged to perform a Random Act of Kindness.  The following morning as they report their Random Act of Kindness they are rewarded with a gold coin. The Leprechaun observes and listens.  Each day the Leprechaun plays tricks on the children to test their commitment to being kind and forgiving.  On the Eve of Saint Patrick's Day the children build a trap to catch the Leprechaun and the put their gold coins in the trap as bait.  On the morning of Saint Patrick's Day if they've caught the Leprechaun they rub his nose and make a wish.  That evening if they've preformed the Random Acts of Kindness and showed their ability to be kind and forgiving the Leprechaun grants their wish. Kerry

Wearing of the Green.  Going to school on Saint Patricks day wearing something green was always a must as I was growing up and I still do it today.  This was a tradition that we carried on to our kids and grand-kids.  It helps to introduce them to different cultures if you discuss the origins of Saint Partricks Day.

Go to a parade.  While we were living in Minnesota we would try to make it to the Saint Paul Saint Patricks Day Parade.  It was full of floats, bands, Irish dancing, and people in green. I always felt an identify with the Irish culture.

Valentine's Day Traditions

Valentine's Day, also known as Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is observed on February 14 each year. It is celebrated in many countries around the world.  St. Valentine's Day began as a celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. The most popular story associated with Saint Valentine was that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians who were persecuted under the Roman Empire. During his imprisonment, he is said to have healed the daughter of his jailer, Asterius. Legend states that before his execution he wrote her a letter "from your Valentine" as a farewell.

The day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Georrrey Chaucer in the high middle ages , when the tradition of love flourished. In 18th-century England, it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines").

 Valentine Greeting Exchange:  As a second grader Valentines Day was my first introduction to romance.  
I was able to express my innermost feelings for Betty, a girl in my class.  It was a special feeling and I was only able to achieve it with the encouragement of my Mom.  I was also able to express my feelings for my good friends.  I remember running from house to house, slipping the Valentine Card under the door, ringing the door bell and running and hiding behind a bush so that I might be able to see my Valentine find my card. Kerry



Other Valentine’s Day Traditions

• Draw names for secret pals the week before Valentine's Day.
• Perform small acts of service and kindness for that person, and then reveal your identities on Valentine’s Day. Make heart-shaped cookies and give them to those in your neighborhood or congregation who are alone.
• Have a red dinner with red jello, red mashed potatoes, beets, cherry cake, etc.
• Call relatives and tell them you love them.

New Years Traditions

New Years Resolutions.
The ancient Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts. The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named. In the Medieval era, the knights took the "peacock vow" at the end of the Christmas season each year to re-affirm their commitment to chivalry. At many Christians prepare for the year ahead by praying and making these resolutions. There are other religious parallels to this tradition. During Judaism's New Year, Rosh Hashanah, through the High Holidays and culminating in Yom Kippurr (the Day of Atonement), one is to reflect upon ones wrongdoings over the year and both seek and offer forgiveness. People may act similarly during the Cathloic fasting period of Lent, though the motive behind this holiday is more of sacrifice than of responsibility, in fact the practice of New Year's resolutions partially came from the Lenten sacrifices.  The concept, regardless of creed, is to reflect upon self improvement annually.


Set New Years Resolutions.  I remember pledging to do all my homework, to stop fighting with my brother and to become a better student.  As I got older my New Years Resolutions turned more towards goals of achievement.  Then as a young adult my resolutions were more about taking control of my life.  As I reflect back I was learning to set goals then finding the courage and discipline to achieve them.  I think there is a real family learning opportunity for children in Setting New Year Resolutions.

New Year’s fondue. Fondue on New Year's Day is a German tradition.  It's tied to the night of the Holy Sylvester, the last night of the year which was for the fools to have a frolicking good time.  The following morning was to be a family time and the Neuenburger Fondue was the main focus of the family meal; a lump of cheese which was melted in a kettle, (fondue means melted).  As a child I remember both of these celebrations but being allowed to only participate in the New Years Day Fondue.  It was a time of family gathering with all my aunts, uncles and cousins at my grandmother’s home in Cincinnati.

Other New Years traditions include:

• Going winter camping. Make a fire and share stories and memories from the past year.
• Leaving shoes outside for the baby New Year to fill with candy and small toys.
• Re-hanging your Christmas stockings for a refill.

Special Occasion Traditions

 

New job. When someone in your family gets a new job, a promotion, or a raise, create a tradition that they take you out for dinner. It doesn’t have to be a fancy or expensive dinner – you can go for pizza or wraps. Just let them enjoy sharing their good fortune with their family members

 

The Tooth Fairy.  The Tooth Fairy dates back to the 1800's.  In Europe, the fallen out teeth are buried and a

reward is only paid when the sixth tooth is buried. 

In Asia the tooth fairy is a mouse because a mouse's teeth continue to grow throughout their life.  Some cultures rather the hide the tooth under a pillow or bury them in the yard they throw them into the air and watch them fall straight to the ground in hopes that the new teeth grow in straight.

As a child I remember hoping the Tooth Fairy's generosity would leave me a dime under my pillow.   By the time I started sitting in for the Tooth Fairy the value of a good baby tooth had risen to a quarter.  A survey in 2011 showed that the average reward for a tooth is now up to $2.60. Chuck

 

Big Fat Indian Weddings In Indian culture, family members gift the bride with gold jewelery heirlooms, which act as insurance against hard times. The custom comes from the idea that gold is eternal and traditionally older people from India would prefer to gather gold than deal with banks or financial institutions, so when a young person gets married they pass their gold on to the younger generation.  If years later the young people need a down-payment for a house or some other large expense they cash in their gold.

Christmas Traditions

Christmas Traditions

The Christmas season is celebrated in different ways around the world, varying by country and region. The most common Christmas Traditions include the lighting of Christmas trees, the hanging of wreaths, Christmas stockings, candy canes, and the creation of Nativity scenes depicting the birth of Jesus Christ.

Christmas carols may be sung and stories told about such figures as the Baby Jesus, Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Christkrindle or Grandfather Frost.

The sending of Christmas Cards, the exchange of Christmas greetings, observance of fasting and/or special religious observances such as a midnight mass or Vespars on Christmas eve, the burning of a yule log, and the giving and receiving of presents are all popular Christmas traditions. Christmas time is one of the most important periods on the Christian calendar. 

Below are some of the lighter-of-heart and modern Christmas Traditions that families practice.

Christmas Cookie Exchange. The earliest reference that I could find to a "Cookie Exchange" was in the Syracuse Herald, January 20, 1936; obviously not a Christmas Cookie Exchange.  Other articles would suggest that it's historically been a "Ladies Only event".  But it's a a great activity to get the kids, the relatives, friends and even strangers together and walk away with a huge variety of cookies, cakes, candies and other holiday treats and you don't have to spend weeks preparing them.

The Christmas Web.  Christmas has always been a family celebration in our home, but as our children grew older we found that their interest in Christmas morning waned and the sparkle in their eyes was gone.

The day after Thanksgiving, 1992, we introduced The Christmas Web in our home with the placement of Magic Wands into their socks that had for years been hung at the fireplace mantel. Attached to each Magic Wand was a piece of yarn (a 70 yard piece of yarn).

When our two teen-aged children awoke on Christmas morning, they found that the yarn was wound through the house - around window latches, door knobs, chairs and doors.Their piece of Christmas web ended in a closet or cabinet which held their Special Christmas Gift from one of Santa’s elves, an elf who had been looking out for them for the past year and knew of their desire for this special Christmas gift.

Each year, The Christmas Web continued as each of our children got married and as they had children of their own. Each of our grandchildren have an Elf on the Shelf or Elf Magic elf  that hides their Special Christmas Gift each year and leads them to it with their individual Magic Wand.  Kerry Grinkmeyer

The Elf on the Shelf.  Have you ever wondered how Santa knows who is naughty and who is nice? The Elf on the Shelf®: A Christmas Tradition is the very special tool that helps Santa know who to put on the Naughty and Nice list.

This interactive holiday hide-and-seek tradition is perfect for children and families of all ages. Excellent listeners and even better observers, these scout elves are the eyes and ears of Santa Claus. Although they cannot be touched, or else they may lose their magic, the elf will always listen and relay messages back to Santa. Taking in all the day-to-day activities around the house, no good deed goes unnoticed; these scout elves take their job seriously. Each night, after the family goes to bed, the scout elf uses his magical Christmas powers to fly back to the North Pole. Once there, the elf will make his or her daily report to Santa. Before the family awakes each morning, their special scout elf will fly back to their home from the North Pole. On Christmas Eve, the scout elf will listen for Santa’s bell and then fly back to the North Pole until the next season, wishing every girl and each boy a Christmas of peace and a year full of joy.
 

Picking the Christmas Tree Every Christmas my Daddy and I went to pick out the tree.  While we were hunting the tree Mom made sure that all the ornaments were out for our arrival home with the tree.  We each had our special ornament, Daddy's wooden Santa Claus was the first to go on the tree, then Mom's lamb and then my baby carriage.  This was our tree decorating tradition and it continues in our home today even though they are both gone their special ornaments are first on the tree followed by each of our families special ornaments. 

Mom always had a Christmas tree trimming party where everyone made ornaments to take home, Christmas was a big at our house as we have made it for our children and grandchildren. Nita Cranfill

 

Elf Magic The Elf Magic Elves – recognized by a magic snowflake placed on their heart by Santa himself – make the holiday season come alive. This timeless tradition artfully blends playtime, the importance of family values, and reinforces the true meaning of Christmas. From discovering an Elf’s magical arrival in the home, to searching for their hidden Elf after a night full of adventurous.

Elf Ideas  There are many elf's that have been incorporated into the Christmas celebration over the past decade and as the children grow older parents have to become more creative on how to incorporate their children's elves into their holiday celebration.  The Internet is full of many share "elf ideas" that can add to the family fun. 

Christmas Day Scavenger Hunt My wife and I started a tradition about twenty years ago for our two children.  It is a simple scavenger hunt on Christmas day, after the presents are unwrapped, but with a few twists.  It starts with a message in a small box that leads them to a hidden message and so on.  My wife writes the messages in the form of poems that direct the seekers to five or six different locations.  Once a message is found it must be returned to the living room where they are read to the entire family before heading on to locate the next message.  Some messages are hidden inside and some involve trips to the woods or barns-we have boots available.  

The last message leads to a gift, the one we feel they will enjoy the most.  We have now added a son-in-law and daughter-in-law and two granddaughters to this tradition.  You must be five years old to join the hunt and we have a grandson that will start in four years.  My wife and I learned a few years ago that all participants have saved every message they have received over the years and we take that as a sign that they cherish this tradition as much as we do.  Willis Smith
 

Czech Christmas traditions Staying in Czech Republic for ten month I had the opportunity to celebrate Christmas with Czech People in Czech tradition, I visited Czech Christmas merchants, drunk warm Czech wine and beer, eat pig meals and trdelnik – which is is a traditional Czech cake and sweet Pastry, it is made from rolled dough, wrapped around a stick, then grilled and topped with sugar and walnut mix. luminosa 
 

Other Christmas/Hanukkah Traditions

• Have each member of the family draw a name of another member and make a handmade gift for that person.
• Collect or make one ornament each year that has special meaning to the family.
• Have the children write letters to Santa and place them in their stockings.
• Write letters in reply from Santa commending each child for his or her good behavior that year.
• As a family, make gingerbread houses, candy trains, or ornaments.
• As a family, put up Christmas/Hanukkah decorations, decorate the tree or light the menorah as a family, making it an event with music and good food. Visit neighbors singing the songs of the season, and give a small gift to the people you visit.
• Enjoy time playing dreidels and eating latkes and other traditional festivities of the Hanukkah season.
• Act out the Christmas story.
• Drive around the neighborhood looking at lights and listening to Christmas music.
• For every day in December, burn a candle while participating in a family activity.
• Collect Christmas stories and read them to small children.
• Each year, add a special emblem to stockings signifying an important event from that year.
• Give the Lord the gift of a personal improvement goal for next year. Write it on a piece of paper, place it in the manger, read it next Christmas or Hanukkah, and evaluate progress.
• Have children put on a piece of straw in the manger for every random act of kindness that they do in December. By Christmas it should be soft and comfortable for the baby Jesus.

Birthday Traditions

The birthday cake has been an integral part of the birthday celebrations in western European countries since the middle of the 19th century, which extended to Western culture. Certain rituals and traditions, such as singing of birthday songs, associated with birthday cakes are common to many Western cultures. The Western tradition of adding lit candles to the top of a birthday cake originates in 18th-century Germany. However, the intertwining of cakes and birthday celebrations stretch back to the Ancient Romans. The development of the birthday cake has followed the development of culinary and confectionery advancement. While throughout most of Western history, these elaborate cakes in general were the privilege of the wealthy, birthday cakes are nowadays common to most Western birthday celebrations. Around the world many variations on the birthday cake, or rather the birthday pastry or sweets, exist. Birthday cakes. The Birthday Cake is something that every child looks forward to and expects ---it's part of life.  The cake needs to be their favorite cake with candles that they can blow out and make a birthday wish.   When I was eight years old my mother died.  Six months later I had a birthday cake; I blew out the candles and made my wish just as I had in the proceeding seven years. The birthday hat. The birthday hat speaks to who the family is and what the family is all about.  The birthday mom, dad or child wears the Birthday Hat at the Birthday dinner whether it held in the home or in a restaurant. You can add ornaments, icons or tokens to the hat that reflect the wearer; these should stay with the hat from year to year. The Birthday Treasure Hunt. A birthday treasure hunt takes a bit of work and planning but it's a way to extend the birthday celebration throughout the day if you make it difficult enough.  Like all treasure hunts it involves a clue which leads the celebrant to a gift and another clue, the gifts can be of meaning and of value as well as gag gifts. Our most memorable birthday treasure hunt was on my wife's fortieth birthday.  The final clue was something like; "you'll find your final treasure where only a polar bear could live."  After some hunting she found a $100 dolor bill I'd hidden in the freezer.  That bill was far from the most expensive gift I've ever given her but she still refers to this as one of her best birthdays.  Kerry Grinkmeyer

Family Traditions are those memorable rituals passed down from generation to generation that shapes your family by creating a sense of unity, warmth and closeness...those memorable rituals that create memories that fill your mind with belonging, love, happiness, and security...those memorable rituals that assure you that you belong and that you have roots. 

            

One of our family traditions is to send out a picture Christmas card each year.  We feel it’s a way to keep our friends and family aware of what’s going on in our lives.  We also include a letter; this is our 2012 card.

Many Family Traditions have their roots in distant past, when the concept and system of family as a unit of society was well established. In all ages and in all civilizations, since the ancient time to the present day, families have taken pride in their traditions.

Before what is called the nuclear family systems became the order of the day, there used to be joint family system, consisting of all the family members of two or even three generations, living together.

Then, as now, nuclear and joint families like to identify a particular person as the keeper of the  family traditions and assign a particular name to the keeper. f, a or example, a particular family may assign a name like “Keeper of the Flame” to the identified family member, entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring observance of that particular family’s family traditions.

In a country like India, the society has assigned a common nomenclature for the head of a Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), a form of joint family. Head of such a family is called “Karta” (literal meaning ‘One who does’), and for all practical purposes, “Karta” was entrusted with responsibilities, among other things, to ensure observance of family traditions.

Meaningful family traditions have always been a valuable tool for parents and elders to carry out the responsibility of raising children and impressing on them social values. Family traditions ensure that the warmth and closeness of family bonds grow. Today maintenance of and developing family traditions continue to be as significant as they were at the earliest times. Active family traditions and meaningful participation in them help families to avoid what the social scientists call "entropy". An “entropic family” is one that loses its sense of emotional closeness because members neglect the family’s inner life and community ties.

Social scientists now agree that effective family traditions promote a sense of identity and a feeling of closeness, a sense of security and assurance in today’s fast, hectic, and ever-changing world. William Doherty, a social scientist has explained in his book “The Intentional Family” that as family bonds are weakened by busy lifestyles, families can stay connected only by being intentional about maintaining important rituals and traditions.

I grew up with few family traditions, then married a woman who felt that family came first and that traditions were what held a family together.  So we created our family traditions.

Somebody has to create and maintain all these little rituals, so why not let it be you?         

Why not become your family's "Keeper of the Flame"?

There are so many traditions that you can incorporate into your family. For the most part, traditions revolve around holidays and special occasions, and many of the most popular traditions have their roots in religious customs, ancient believes and superstitions and folklore.

Traditions don't have to be extravagant, intense or require a lot of planning.

They can be as simple as reading to your child every night in the same comfy chair, having a movie and pizza night every Friday or discussing things you are grateful for around the dinner table each evening.