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Family Traditions


Hello everyone!  I want to start this post off with a quote:


Today we are talking about family traditions!  Each family has its own unique culture and unique traditions.  Traditions are defined as “a long-established custom or belief that has been passed on from one generation to another.”  There can be both good and bad traditions within a family.
Some examples of traditions could include family dinners, reading scriptures together, singing the children songs before bed, family prayer, Sunday walks, kissing the children goodnight, board games, family home evening, daddy/daughter dates, mother/son dates, yard work on Saturdays, Christmas Eve dinners with extended family, fireworks on the 4th of July. 

In the Handbook for Families published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, it states:

Family traditions are like spiritual and emotional cement in the foundation of a happy home. They create fond memories, and these memories bond us together as nothing else can.

Traditions influence the way we live and the way we look at life. They may be practices or beliefs handed down from generation to generation, or new habits or patterns we establish in our own families. Some will be based on commandments and righteous principles, others may evolve from our cultural or national heritage.

I love these statements.  I really love the image of the cement, both spiritual and emotional, in the foundation of a happy home.  I know in my own family, the things that bind us together are the traditions that we made and kept growing up.  My favorite was always family meals.  I always looked forward to dinner as a family especially as I got older.  It gave us a chance to put our technology away and talk about our days.  Often, this would be the only time we were together as a family throughout the day.  As I got older, we got busier and our schedules got crazy.  Even still, I cherished family meals.  I remember countless times where my mom and I would laugh until we cried, and those memories will always stay with me.



Being members of the church, there are traditions that they have asked us to establish and maintain in our families:

Among the most important habits and customs we establish should be some that are clearly gospel oriented. For example, besides praying together as a family and blessing food at mealtime, we ought to observe the fast, attend meetings together on the Sabbath, study the scriptures, hold family home evenings, write in journals, and participate in missionary and service projects.

These traditions not only help us understand our identities, but they help us come closer to our families and to God which are the most important things in our lives.

Another one of my favorite family traditions is father’s blessings before school.  I love that my mom would record them on her phone and type them up in a transcript for us so during the year, we could look back and find comfort and strength through times of struggle.

However, it is important to keep in mind that not all traditions will be easy to carry out:

Whatever the tradition may be, parents need to expect that few activities will go exactly as planned, particularly when children are involved.

There are so many ideas for family traditions both big and small.  There are some that are good and some that aren’t so good.  I would love to hear from you!  What are your favorite family traditions?  Are there any traditions that you would like to start?  Any traditions you weren’t so fond of growing up?  Let me know in the comments below!  I hope you all have an amazing week!!







Sources:
https://www.lds.org/study/ensign/1986/03/traditions-worth-keeping?lang=eng

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