Family Traditions

Write about a few of your favorite family traditions.

My favorite family tradition is now just a memory. My paternal grandmother hosted family dinners for Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. After my parents divorced, these family gatherings kept our family connected. Oh, how I appreciate that! Once Grandma C. passed away, that holiday tradition stopped.

Now my grandparents and parents are gone. My siblings still have family dinners on occasion. It isn’t the same as gathering at Grandma’s house, but we still really enjoy getting together at a restaurant or at a sister’s home.

Growing up in a large family, we loved to play board games. My older brother, my sisters, and I would gather after school to play Monopoly. When we went to Grandma C’s house, we would play Yatzee or Chutes and Ladders. Today, my older sister gets her Scrabble game out every time I visit, so we can crown the Scrabble champion.

A family is not just the people you’re related to by blood. I have a church family with its own traditions. Celebrating holidays and gathering for meals builds connections and passes our values onto the younger generation. In the fall, there is always a chili cook-off, but now there is also a harvest celebration for the kids. I am looking forward to the Winter Extravaganza tomorrow.

Traditions give us something to look forward to. They create precious memories and bond us as family.