Traditions, Now Vs. Then
The holiday season is right around the corner and many of us look forward to participating in the annual traditions that we share with friends and family. Traditions are a joy to look forward to for most but can be a cumbersome task for others. The purpose of this blog is to explore the traditions that add Shine to our lives compare to those that don’t - even though we have been accustomed to them for years. There are many sides to even the simplest traditions, and we invite you to take a new way of thinking based on how traditions were celebrated then (as children or in the past) vs. now.
What are some of the traditions that your family has done for years or maybe even decades? Have they changed since they were first started? Has your opinion of the traditions changed? It is no surprise that traditions can come in many shapes and sizes so we hope to take you down memory lane with us and share ideas, highlight the traditions that make us feel warm on the inside and invite a discussion about how traditions can both fill us up or drain us in the process. If we are able to understand what traditions make us happy and which we want to continue, that's the greatest joy and those traditions will be passed on from generation to generation!
One of the longest standing traditions for those who celebrate Christmas is putting out cookies for Santa. As a child, we loved the opportunity to decorate cookies and pick out the special mug that Santa would use. We went to bed with sweet dreams knowing that Kris Kringle will scurry down the chimney, eat our delicious cookies and leave us lovely gifts. Now, let’s flip the coin and see how this tradition has morphed over the years as we grow out of our youth and now provide this tradition for our children. As the facilitator of the Santa cookies, we now have a few more tasks on our plate to do this tradition: we must collect the baking supplies, make the cookies, locate the Christmas cutlery and decorating kitchen items and wake up in the middle of the night to take nibbles of the cookies. Although there is the cooking, cleaning and sleep-interfering tasks involved with this tradition, the joy of our children’s faces when they discover the cookies have in fact been eaten by “Santa” makes this tradition one that fills us up and allows every Christmas morning to start of with sparks of curiosity and joy! Traditions such as this fuel us to keep this fun little trick alive!
Another tradition that may be experienced differently based on your role in the family is cooking dinner on Christmas Eve. For some families, this tradition is meant to be a large feast - in the Breedlove home, we’ve taken this tradition and made it our own so that the culinary lovers of the home can sit back and enjoy this evening without slaving away in the kitchen and cleaning pans instead of relaxing and enjoying each other’s company. How did we achieve this, you may be wondering? We’ve taken the complexity out of the feast and every Christmas Eve we enjoy sandwiches and finger foods (and out course that Hot Cocoa Bar we mention in the newsletter) so there is minimal clean up after we eat. This tradition is cherished because we are able to put a focus on what matters most to us -- sharing stories and catching up with our loved ones without anyone busy in the other room. Think about what traditions are more of a burden for some and consider making changes to your ways so that you can do more of what you want to do… SHINE!
Another tradition for many is to put up the Christmas tree on November 1st, the day after Halloween. This tradition is one of our favorites because then for nearly two months the entire household gets to enjoy the sparkling lights and begin to get in the Christmas spirit. However, if you are the person in charge of locating the tree and decorations, perhaps this tradition is a dreaded task that is only enjoyable once completed. Perhaps it is simply one’s perception that can be changed so that instead of dread, with every ornament that is added to the tree, it is not perceived as yet another chore but as a tiny reminder of how many years this tradition has lasted. Admire each and every tinsel and trinket and put it in it’s new place for it to live this holiday season. Enjoy the little moments and increase the entire tradition’s Shine!
Having community and family traditions brings together some of the most lovely moments as we get to reflect on years past and present and how things have changed. What are some of the traditions that your family holds? We would love for you to share with us and tell us about how your opinions & perception of the tradition has changed then vs now.
From our family to yours, Happy Holidays from Shine Your Bright!