Does your family have traditions? Dates, occasions or rituals that are personal to your family? Well, if not, you might want to create some as research has found that having family traditions can be a healthy and beneficial experience for family members of all ages. Here are some of the things we love about family traditions:
They give us chance to reconnect
Busy lives mean we don’t often get to see friends and family as often as we’d like. But traditions bring us together. Whether it’s an annual summer barbecue or a festive get-together, knowing that an occasion is coming up is a great reason to meet up with loved ones.
They build links between the generations
Long-standing family traditions are a great way to bring different generations together. Children can meet their older relatives and everyone benefits from the feeling of being part of a unit. Even when older family members have passed away, looking back over the years and celebrating past traditions can help you feel close to those you have lost.
They give us a sense of belonging
If you’ve moved away from home or travel regularly with work, coming back to your hometown or just back with old friends and family can help give you a sense of belonging and peace in an otherwise stressful life.
Traditions are fun
It’s often easy to feel that the day-to-day chores and commitments leave little time for socialising. This is why so many friends and family members drift apart. But traditions remind us to enjoy life and have fun together. Create traditions that everyone will enjoy – they should be something to look forward to, not something that feels like a duty.
How to create new traditions
Of course, every tradition has a starting point. So, if you don’t have any family traditions yet, don’t worry. It’s easy to build them. And within a couple of years, everyone will start to view them as a tradition that will then continue into the future. Find fun things that you all enjoy doing together, then set a regular date to continue in the coming years.
Remember to document your family events. Looking back on family photos or mementos of past experiences can really help strengthen traditions. Keep family heirlooms safe and remember to let the younger generations know where to find special items or records.
Reluctant to join in?
When you are young, you might feel that family traditions are a bit of a bore – perhaps you’d rather be with your friends than at a party full of older relatives. But be patient, play your part and you’ll reap the rewards later in life. As you get older, you’ll find you appreciate family traditions more and more. But equally, if you’re the organiser of a family event and you find people are not as enthusiastic about maintaining the tradition as you hoped, perhaps it’s time to let go and find another way to appreciate one another.
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