Why Do We Do That?

Long ago I heard a story about a family traditions that I’ve never forgotten.  A mother and her young daughter were helping to prepare the family’s Thanksgiving meal.  They were tasked with cooking the ham.  The first thing the mother did was remove the ham from the package and remove the ends.  The girl asked why they cut the ends off the ham.  Her mother looked at her puzzled, then turned to her mother and asked, “Why do we cut the ends off the ham?”  The child’s grandmother, like her daughter, looked puzzled and turned to her mother, the child’s great grandmother, and asked “why did you cut the ends off the ham?”  The response was I always cut the ends of the ham off because my pan was too short!”

Family Traditions

We all have family traditions.  Sometimes we know where they came from and sometimes we don’t.  Like the secret family recipe that is passed down from one generation to the next.  Maybe your family decorates the Christmas Tree as a family on Christmas Eve, maybe you do it Thanksgiving weekend.  Maybe your extended family gathers at a certain spot every summer for vacation, a family reunion, or your family always participates in your town’s Fourth of July parade.

Beginning Anew

If your family doesn’t seem to have any traditions, the good news is you can start your own.  Family traditions are a great way to bring us together.  They also can give us a sense of belonging and create memories that will be passed down from generation to generation.  They can give children a sense of being grounded in an ever changing and challenging world.  And besides, they are just plain fun!

Your family may have some traditions that have gotten lost over the generations.  Discovering your family’s history can help recover these so your family can continue them.  Does your family have some cool traditions? Use the comment below to share!

Heroes of the Past is here to help you discover what made your family of the past unique!  Contact us today to get started!