Family tradition is one of the greatest gifts that we can give to our children and grandchildren. In my home, I still make that great oven-roasted pot roast that my mom and grandma used to make every Sunday after church. I can still remember walking into the house as a child and smelling the wonderful aroma that filled our home. There are 12 wonderful months in which you have the opportunity to entertain and cook through the spirit of tradition. Plan ahead this winter! Keep it simple, keep it fun, and bring in some of your own treasured memories of the season. Don’t just entertain and cook great meals for an occasion – do it for your family through tradition. Traditions are a key to creating lasting memories and enriching the soul.
Christmas Traditions
Every year on Christmas Eve, my family looks forward to attending a candle light service where we sing Christmas carols and usher in the Christmas spirit. We then go to one of our children’s homes for an evening of festivities. If your family’s homes are close to one another, organizing a progressive dinner can be fun and memorable! Cook foods that your family knows and loves – this is how you enrich their souls and warm their hearts.
Caroling is another Christmas tradition we enjoy. Every year, we take the time to bundle up and go door-to-door, holding candles and singing our favorite Christmas carols. It is wonderful to see the smiling faces of all the neighbors who open the door to listen. Make sure to have a plate of Christmas cookies ready to give to the neighbors after you’re done singing, and have a pot of hot chocolate warm and ready for yourselves upon your return home!
My memories of Christmas would not be complete without the reading of Scripture. I can still see my father sitting in his chair, his Bible on his lap, reading Luke 2:18, as all of my siblings gathered around. If you haven’t made this a part of your tradition, start this year!
Traditions All-the-Winter-Through
If you are planning for a family photo, make it a whole day affair – something to remember! Last year, all 15 of us dressed in similar colors and had our photographer take pictures of us outside. We followed it up with a family movie and dinner.
Another great tradition is an annual family vacation. My family looks forward to that relaxing trip to Mexico during the first week of January each year.
Next year on Thanksgiving, try this: buy a white table cloth and some fabric markers. Have everyone write what they are thankful for, along with the year and their name. It will be so much fun and meaningful in the years ahead to read what everyone has written at past Thanksgivings. Let the children color on it and sign their names, too.
Traditions help bring families together. This holiday season start making your own traditions so that your children have something special to look forward to from year to year. Traditions can be as simple as having lunch after church at Grandma’s each Sunday, or venturing out to look at Christmas lights every December.
Come back next week for Part 2 of Entertaining through Traditions to receive some delicious winter recipes to start your own traditions!
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