Unique Family Traditions


Celebrate what you want to see more of. ~Tom Peters



Family traditions provide such an opportunity for celebration. When we take the time to celebrate, to put together a few festivities just for the people we love…it means so very much. Traditions are what we remember of our childhood. How many stories have you told of your childhood that started out “We always…”

When the family composition changes…due to divorce, death, or even the addition of a new person…decisions must be made regarding which traditions will go, which will stay, and which might be tweaked. These events can also be a great opportunity to revive traditions from your past, things that maybe got lost along the way.

Make it big!

Family Traditions can be elaborate productions. Large Thanksgiving meals with all the trimmings…Christmases with decorations, cookies, and beautifully wrapped presents. You can spend hours, days, weeks, and months putting together a grand family event. These events are fabulous and certainly the stuff of memories!

However…

You can be less elaborate and still create wonderful and memorable family traditions.

To create some excitement in the frozen sun-deprived early months of the year I came up with silly, low maintenance traditions that the kids really look forward too. Doing everything by myself made me think about ways to simplify, be memorable, and yet keep the focus on family. Here’s a rundown of our typical calendar of festivities. We sprinkle in zoo visits and typically hit the local Renaissance festival. Perhaps these ideas will inspire your family. Feel free to share your family traditions below…we are always looking for new ways to celebrate!


New Year’s

Because my darlings are not fans of the sauerkraut…our traditional pork and cabbage good luck meal has been converted to coleslaw and sausage. Yum! 


Ground Hog’s Day

No Ground Hog’s Day is complete without watching Bill Murray’s Ground Hog Day, and a review of Punxsutawney Phil’s predictions for the timing of spring!


Valentine's Day


Valentine’s Day is great time to shower your kids with extra lovin’. Hearts abound! We celebrate a Valentine’s breakfast with heart shaped waffles, topped with cherry pie filling, whipped cream and heart shaped sprinkles. Strawberry milk, heart shaped brownies and cakes, and tiny heart boxes of yummy chocolates end our day. 


Click to finish out the full year of ideas!