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Tradition keeping makes families closer. It shows that you all hold your connection dear to the heart by making an effort to connect in a regular and particular way. I have seen that traditions have the tendency to disappear over time. Following these 3 easy guidelines on tradition keeping and you can keep your family's traditions alive.
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Make it routine
A tradition has to be done every year, every month, on certain days or certain times with no exceptions. The key to tradition keeping is to have it occur at regular intervals without variance. Every Christmas Eve you open presents and eat Pigs in a Blanket, every Thanksgiving you roast a honey glazed ham, or every Sunday you watch a movie together, etc.
Make it everyone's
Tradition keeping is the responsibility of the entire family. Without everyone in on the tradition it will start to fade in regularity and significance. One way to make everyone feel as if they are invested in a tradition is to make it personal to each family member. I have seen that traditions worth keeping are those that give participants identity within a group and a sense of belonging. Do things that everyone enjoys and looks forward to doing.
Change traditions as needed
Remember that the point of a tradition should be that you as a family are doing something enjoyable all together. Some traditions are outgrown just as story books and clothes. If a tradition is loosing its appeal, don’t kill yourself over trying to keep it alive. You will just alienate your family members who will feel as if you are forcing them to do something they do not enjoy.
Instead, change up the tradition by substituting it with a new one that everyone will enjoy again. Instead of coloring pictures of the manger scene every Christmas, have your family act out the story or sing Christmas carols. Rather than dressing like the Pilgrims for Thanksgiving dinner, have each person make their own dish to add to the table. There are always new and exciting ways to change a tradition in order to keep it.
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