What Are Some of Your Family Traditions?

Oxford Languages defines traditions as the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way.

Prior to moving west, while still in New York around family, I can recall several traditions. After arriving in Arizona, traditions slowly over the years died, or at the least faded away into oblivion.

Family traditions centered on food and religion. Prior to 1956, there were yearly reunions. Having been born in 1949, I recall none even though I attended the 1952 (age 3) and 1954 (age 5) reunions. I remember nothing, obviously. I do posses documentation, names, of those who attended:

Church at least three days a week (or during special events, i.e., vacation Bible school seven days a week), grandpa and grandma sitting on or near the front row. Grandpa and Uncle Hank would lead the song service. I sat playing mind games or if provided paper and a pencil sat and randomly wrote words (if the preacher said the word rock, I would sit and see how many ways I could write that word) or see how many ways I could write a letter, or number for example the number 4. When I filled the page, rotated it 180 degrees and wrote on the other side of the lines, and if necessary flip the paper over. I sat and kept silent. One thing I leaned during these times was if a stack of books included a Bible, the Bible had to be on top, otherwise it was a sin, weird right. Perhaps, but took years before I dared to place anything on top of a Bible. An occasional treat would be if I could talk grandma out of one of her throat discs.

We spent Thanksgiving together: three children, six adults; the women cooked and cleaned; the men sat and watched TV (Grandpa was an avid fan of the Green Bay Packers), or read the newspaper, while the kids stayed inside, bored. Then there was the adult’s table and the kid’s table. And ultimately plates, stacked and someone would take a photograph.

Prayer with every meal, amen.

Christmas, the Maynard’s opened our presents on Christmas eve with grandma and grandpa and got our Christmas stockings in the morning. The Moore’s opened their presents on Christmas Day with grandma and grandpa, including their Christmas stocking.

Yearly Christmas tree. You know those shiny silver strands (icicles); we placed them on one-at-a-time. I so hated decorating the tree.

Birthdays included cake, blow out the candle and a few gifts, at home. Only once did I actually have friends over for an actual party with all the trimmings, at home.

We ate every meal at the table and at the end asked, “May I please be excused from the table?” Children seen not heard. I sat and played this weird mind game that even today wanders in and entertains me.

Why, once in Arizona, did traditions fade away? I dare say our family waned away. Kathy and I aged out. The schism between my parents. Family members went their own way while the family patriarchs died. No one took up that mantel. For me, the lack of snow dampened the Christmas spirit.

"There are so many mediums for people to stay in touch these days that we didn't have in the past. I just don't know if the younger generation really, including myself, understands the significance of having something like this."

https://www.wyso.org/arts-culture/2014-09-21/family-reunions-a-tradition-in-decline

Paul wanted to hold a reunion. Of all the relatives still in the east, four were interested, including Paul and his wife, here in the west, three? This never panned out because of age, cost, health, and I venture the ‘youngers’ uninterested.

Causes leading to the demise of the “traditional” family:

Individualism Over Collectivism

Decline of Traditional Roles

Rising Divorce Rates and Delayed Marriages

Economic Pressures

Technological and Media Influence

Redefinition of “Family”

Loss of Shared Narratives

Many stories to be chronicled, my hope I’ll be around long enough to record some for future generations, but to be honest, I doubt most care, until they face their mortality.