Why Are Traditions Important to Family

At least in my family, traditions are an important glue that holds us together. Beyond blood, beyond relationship status, in our family, traditions reign supreme. At my wedding, my bridesmaids were my little cousins and one of my best friends, who served as my maid of honor. My ex-husband had our boy cousins serve as the ring bearers, along with his brothers and my male cousin, as his groomsmen.

For example, when my oldest son was born, and we were setting a date to christen him into our Roman Catholic Faith, because of tradition, we chose my same-aged cousin, who is like my brother, as his Godfather (since I do not have siblings) and my ex-husband’s sister as his Godmother. My second son’s christening choices went further down the family line, and we chose my next oldest male cousin as his Godfather and my aunt, who is close to my age, as his Godmother.

Furthermore, since my family is Sicilian and my ex’s family is Polish, we both come from a Catholic faith background, so naturally, when it came time to raise our sons, we raised them Catholic. Here are some of the ways we practiced our families’ Catholic traditions:

Christened our babies within the first year of life
First Eucharist (Communion) in second grade
First Reconciliation (Confession) second grade
Confirmation ninth grade
Volunteered as a Catechist for my sons’ years in catechism
Volunteered for our Parish’s annual fair and fundraiser
Placed ads for our family’s small business in the Catholic directory (the Parish’s weekly newsletter)
Volunteered our services to help with spring and fall clean-ups of the Parish’s grounds
Enrolled our sons in the Parish’s Scouting programs
Volunteered as a Den leader for the Scouting programs
Went to mass on Sundays
Went to mass on special Holidays such as All Souls Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, etc.

It has been a tradition for religious groups, such as Jewish and Catholic organizations, to collaborate. It has been that way for centuries. For instance, we know that Peter, Andrew, James, and John were fishermen (Matthew 4:18-22), Matthew was a tax collector (Matthew 9:9), Luke was a physician (Colossians 4:14), Paul was a tent maker (Acts 18:3), and Jesus was a carpenter (Mark 6:3).

From a scientific perspective, according to the American Psychological Association, traditions are important to families because, “Family routines and rituals are important to the health and well-being of today’s families trying to meet the busy demands of juggling work and home, according to a review of the research over the past 50 years. The review finds that family routines and rituals are powerful organizers of family life that offer stability during times of stress and transition.

… and are associated with marital satisfaction, adolescents’ sense of personal identity, children’s health, academic achievement and stronger family relationships.

The most frequently identified family rituals were birthdays, Christmas, family reunions, Thanksgiving, Easter, Passover, funerals and Sunday activities including the ‘Sunday dinner.’,”.

How to create family traditions at home

Besides continuing long-held family traditions in our faith life, I also carried on other family customs while raising my sons. Technically, I am still raising them as my youngest is sixteen and my oldest is twenty years old.

How to create family traditions? Just start and continue to carry the torch!

One of my favorite family traditions is camping in Pure Michigan. I was two months old when my mom first took me camping; likewise, my sons were also just a few months old for their first camping trips. We still camp together, and I couldn’t be happier that they still want to do that with their “old” mama!

Another huge tradition in my family was playing, singing, and dancing to music together. One of the qualities that brought my ex-husband and me together was our shared love of music and playing instruments together. When our boys were little, we didn’t play kiddie music for them while driving or in the home; nope, we played a variety of music for them so they would have a good foundation when they later chose their own styles of music. My mom was so happy that we did that and teared up when reflecting on the fact that her grandsons knew who The Beatles were.

We also had dance parties on Friday nights and enjoyed watching their routines they put on for us. At bedtime, since they each had a radio in their room, I played either smooth jazz or classical music while they slept. During the winter holidays, I played Christmas music not only while they slept, but also at home and in the vehicle all season long.

Another bedtime tradition and routine after brushing our teeth and washing our face or taking baths on bath night, we snuggled up in “mommy and daddy’s” bed to read stories. This was also the time that my little boys would finally open up and talk about their day. Sometimes in an effort to sneak extra time before lights out, but I was on to them and didn’t care because I knew that time would not last long before they were too grown or too busy.

What is the value of a tradition?

The value of tradition forms a core part of our principles, providing a sense of belonging and continuity—a thread that connects us to our past, influences our present, and guides our future.

“Tradition is not to preserve the ashes, but to pass on the flame.” – Gustav Mahler.

These are some other traditions we established in our family:

Funny family stories at bedtime
Cooking together, especially learning how to make the family sauce that came from my great-grandmother, a Sicilian immigrant
Road trips to visit with family on the East Coast
Game night on Saturdays
Movie nights in the summer at the drive-in, wearing pajamas and snacking in the vehicle (yes, we have a drive-in!)
Making Christmas cookies together
Boating together (my ex-husband’s family are boaters)
Dinner together every night, at the table, no TV, only the radio for ambiance (yes, I actually made that happen as it was a top priority as the mom)
Chores without pay. It’s a tradition in my family to contribute to the family home and not expect an allowance. We would say, “Does mommy get paid for doing the dishes? Does daddy get paid for cutting the grass?” It fosters a sense of partnership and self-worth, rather than entitlement.
Mother-Son dance and date night
Sunday family bike rides or hikes with the dogs

In conclusion, family traditions are vital as they strengthen family bonds, create lasting memories, and instill valuable life lessons. Continuing to embrace traditions enriches the family’s cultural and emotional fabric for generations to come.