I really had a hard time deciding what to share today for Marie’s Traditions, Celebrating Day-To-Day event (thanks Marie for hosting). I really love the idea of *traditions*. Rituals that you return to again and again. I even went to the dictionary and looked up the word traditions (the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation). I like that. That feels like who I am….a TRADIONALIST. I like that title. All that said, I’ve used restraint and picked only 3 traditions to share with you today.
My nest is ½ empty (2 of my 4 children are grown) and that really drives home that the time with the 2 teens still at home is ticking away. We have always observed a *Family Night* but now were are even more careful to put set boundaries around this tradition. Every week, on Saturday nights we plan a fun (everyone helps prepare) supper, then it is either a movie or games. Last week we saw the most wonderful film (The Fox and the Child). Lots of laughing, chatting and just enjoying the company of each other.
The next tradition I wanted to share is regarding birthdays. We were never ones who did big birthday celebrations. Just family (I always figured who wanted to celebrate your birth more than the family you were gifted to). The birthday boy or girl gets to choose the menu for dinner that day (some predictably choose the same thing each year while others change it up and get very creative), choose their birthday treat and basically get the royal treatment all day long.
Lastly, I wanted to tell you about a special tradition we started when our children were small. We try really hard to keep Christmas about Christ. We decided to observe the 3 gift policy to represent the 3 gifts received by the Christ-child. The children were always very careful what they asked for since they knew there would be only 3 gifts under the tree for them. Many of those gifts have become cherished treasures.
And Grandma (my Mom, who cherished a special ornament given to her by her grandfather) decided to gift each child an ornament each year at Christmas. This has turned out to be something very special and each child has a lovely box of ornaments that are full of memories when they start celebrating Christmas in their own homes.
