Nine Family Rituals or Traditions You Can Start Today!
Janet Plankenhorn, MS LMFT
Family rituals or traditions can help families build memories and bonds that will forever be a part of their lives. These rituals can be passed down from generation to generation, or you can start a new tradition right now!
1. Have an at home movie theater night once a month by renting a movie and popping up some buttery popcorn. Take turns picking the movie!
2. Sunday family breakfast can become a great tradition – just think of the possibilities; special recipes, cooking together and gathering at the table together to share a meal makes for a happy family.
3. Release a balloon with a handwritten message to a loved one that has passed on. This can be done on their birthday or at their favorite place!
4. Light a candle at a holiday meal to represent someone who is no longer with you during the holidays. After lighting the candle, take turns sharing a special memory of your loved one.
5. Serve others together as a family, such as working at a food bank during the holidays or delivering warm coats and blankets to the homeless that you have collected.
6. Plan a yearly multi-generational picnic together and include games in which everyone can participate. Make it more fun by including homemade ribbons for the winners!
7. Each Thanksgiving sit down and write a letter or a poem to a member of your family telling them how thankful you are that they are in your life.
8. Decorate a gift box for someone special in your life. Use this special box to exchange birthday gifts between yourself and another. Each year, add something to the box; for example, a sticker, a quote or a drawing. It will be fun to see the box transform into a work of art throughout the years.
9. If you celebrate Christmas, decorate the family tree together. Each year a new ornament can be added to the tree that represents something special that the family did that year.
Traditions evoke special memories for family members and they can also help with the healing process of grief, especially over the holidays. Your family will remember these special times together as well as benefit from time well spent with loved ones.
