Traditions are great! During the Christmas season there is much focus on traditions. Family gatherings, special recipes, a favorite movie watched only once a year, caroling, special church services - the list could go on, and I know we can all list some favorite traditions observed in our families through the years. How wonderful to be able to pass on special customs to a younger generation, while teaching them about the real meaning of Christmas!
That said, one of the most annoying things about Christmas, to me, are traditions. Maybe it’s my personality, life experience, or a combination of the two, but I am just not a traditionalist, especially at Christmas. After analyzing why I am this way, I came to the following conclusion; It’s not the tradition I object to. It’s the fanatic clinging to tradition. The attitude that "it’s not Christmas" unless we do these certain things.
Think about it...How many holidays are made more stressful in the name of tradition? It seems to me we spend more time complaining about the holidays than actually enjoying them. Why do we continue to do the things that stress us out or that we don’t enjoy? "It’s Tradition!" My response - "So what?" Traditions have their place and we have a few in our family that I enjoy and look forward to, but becoming enslaved to the tradition removes the joy from what should be a time of celebration.
Imagine celebrating Christmas the way you really want to - in a way that is meaningful to you - instead of celebrating the way you feel obligated to. Life is constantly changing. Traditions that were fun and meaningful years ago may not be so now. In place of the joy and laughter, we become frustrated and disappointed when things are not the way they have always been. In my opinion we should cherish the memories of past traditions, but when it is time, make room for new traditions and experiences. Our lives will be richer for it.
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2 comments:
I agree about the traditions thing. I realized how they can sometimes get in the way of us changing our ways to fit our lives when Ben and I got married and he started being gone for Christmas every year. He is going to be gone again this year for the third one in a row and we are having to make new traditions in order for us to celebrate this special day in a way that is unique and fitting for our family! Good reminders that we should take each day and each Christmas and make them special in their own way!!
You know I feel the same way. I've decided that our new tradition is going to be doing something new every year!
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