Passing Down Family Traditions

As we age, we tend to reminisce about times in our lives that we either celebrated traditions handed down to us, or traditions that we created. Why is it important that we strive to preserve these traditions and pass them down to our children and grandchildren? It not only builds a bond with our younger loved ones, it strengthens it year to year.

One may not even realize the importance of your specific family traditions. They are often taken for granted, yet these are the things that helped shaped your childhood and carried you into adulthood. Traditions also often help you to shape the childhoods of your own children. Don’t overlook the little things that we can sometimes take for granted with our families. Not every family has traditions the same way, and as we recall to our childhood, there was a moment when you most likely realized that what makes every family unique, are various traditions.

The values of your own family set the basic tone for the family foundation. Traditions inspire the bond of the family unit and help bridge the generation gap. Typically, our values help shape what kind of traditions we create. If you happen to have grown up with creative parents, chances are you are creative as well and have shown your children that side of you over the years. Every year when you carve pumpkins or put up the holiday decor, you have helped your children establish a tradition in their own minds and hearts that let’s them be creative as well.

If you ask your kids what traditions you shared with them growing up were/are their favorite, it would be interesting to hear what they have to share. It would also be interesting to hear what they felt help shape the foundations in their mind of the traditions they now share with their children.

So what happens if you don’t carry on traditions or teach the next generation about them? They sadly disappear forever. But it doesn’t need to be that way. Write down a few of your favorite traditions you remember from your childhood and reflect on how often you share those with your children and loved ones. Make it a priority to discuss this and continue on with the traditions that you have known and loved over you lifetime.

Your kids and grandchildren will truly appreciate it and will continue to build off of the foundation that you have helped create.