It’s in the family: Unique family traditions

Every family has traditions passed down through generations. Some relate to holiday food traditions and using ancestors’ recipes, while others are more unique such as the tradition of all women in a family wearing the same wedding dress or veil.

Image credit: Betty Crocker

Whether it’s every day, every year or for a specific event or milestone, family traditions create lasting memories and strengthen family bonds. It’s always nice to have memories of recurring childhood activities with the family, and it becomes even more special if you carry those traditions forward for your own family.

Last week, a friend told me she was celebrating her daughter’s half-birthday. Growing up, her whole family celebrated half-birthdays. Her parents would even make half of a birthday cake! It was nice to see that, years later, she was continuing this same tradition for her own daughter.

I began thinking about my family’s traditions and remembered how my grandmother said she always sang “You Are My Sunshine” to my father when he went to sleep. My parents used to sing it to me every night, and now I sing it to my own son before he goes to sleep.

A family tradition provides a great link to the past and evokes memories of our own childhood and that of our ancestors. A simple ritual like a bedtime song or annual photo shoot is a great way to transmit special family moments from one generation to the next and bring a piece of your past to the present.

Do you have any family traditions in your family? Let us know in the comments below!