family traditions

What are your family traditions?
Both dh and I come from families without many so I'm thinking of the traditions we would like to start. I'm a Buddhist so they will participate in Buddhist celebrations when they are old enough and if wish to and we will do Xmas dinner and Easter midnight mass since it is an extended family thing.
I would find it very interesting to hear your traditions. Have you thought of things you might purchase each year for holidays or birthdays(e.g. xmas tree ornaments for each child), activities you will organize, ways to celebrate special days (e.g. i've always taken the first day it snows off from work and will probably not send children to school that day)? Any daily rituals you would like to accustom your children to (e.g. prayer, daily walk)?
I think family traditions however discreet or grand are precious and feel bad I don't have many in place to continue.
What did you enjoy as a child or are thinking of doing?
I can't wait to read your posts

 

What are your family traditions?
Both dh and I come from families without many so I'm thinking of the traditions we would like to start. I'm a Buddhist so they will participate in Buddhist celebrations when they are old enough and if wish to and we will do Xmas dinner and Easter midnight mass since it is an extended family thing.
I would find it very interesting to hear your traditions. Have you thought of things you might purchase each year for holidays or birthdays(e.g. xmas tree ornaments for each child), activities you will organize, ways to celebrate special days (e.g. i've always taken the first day it snows off from work and will probably not send children to school that day)? Any daily rituals you would like to accustom your children to (e.g. prayer, daily walk)?
I think family traditions however discreet or grand are precious and feel bad I don't have many in place to continue.
What did you enjoy as a child or are thinking of doing?
I can't wait to read your posts

 

We have Holiday Traditions for xmas mostly right now since the boys are at the age where they are able to know more about whats going on. On the first sat. of December we celebrate St. Nick night. We will leave the boys shoes by the front door and in the morning they will have a special gift in them. Every year they will also receive a christmas book and christmas pjs to wear to bed on christmas eve and morning while they open their gifts. Each christmas the boys get a new ornament to put on our christmas tree and when they get married they will take all their ornaments with them for a start to their tree... My mom did that with my brother, sister and I and its a very nice traditions to carry on.

Thats all I can think of for now....

Nikki

 

Thanks for posting Nikki.
I liked your St. Nick custom! Do you know what part of the world it originates from?

 

I think it was a European Tradition but im not 100% sure...
Sorry I cant be of more help.

 

We also buy an ornament for each of our kids each year, but only buy the photo frame type ornament with the year on it. That way hey can look back at all of their ornaments and see what they looked like that year.

We also buyy them pj'seach XMas that they open on Xmas eve.

 

Family Traditions? We lOVE them! We celebrate the 4 sundays of Advent; St. Nicholas Day - we do stockings then, special breakfast, and a "feast" in the evening at which we usually invite some other family to join us; Christmas - for the past several years we've drawn names for presents as we don't want to encourage the "gimmes" but rather to focus on others; Valentine's day - I always read the children a book about Valentine; St. Patrick's Day - again with a special book about Patrick; the First Day of Spring with our special "dirt cake" ; Easter/Passover; Canada Day; Birthdays - we have 11 in our immediate family..........Daddy has begun baking and decorating the birthday cakes because he thinks it's so much fun!; and we also really enjoy our yearly All Saints' Day with our fun family skits. Each year these skits get more and more hilarious. Our 3 year old was able to really take part this year and we are still laughing at his terrific acting!
My dh and I think that family traditions are very important no matter what your faith. I think they can really "gel" the family together and make the children feel apart of something special and something that is "bigger" than themselves. Especially important in combatting the negative effects of peer pressure and school's negative "social" hierarchy.
Anyways, I'll get off my soapbox now! Have fun coming up with ideas for your family!