Looking back at my childhood, some of my fondest memories are of our family traditions. Although meager by-far, they’ve made a lasting impression on my heart and soul.

Family traditions don’t have to be elaborate at all.

It’s the little things that leave a lasting impression.

For example, I remember when I was in early elementary school I lived in Florida with my grandmother. Every morning before school, she’d make my favorite breakfast – peaches ‘n cream oatmeal. While this might not even seem important to her, I still remember how it made me feel. The warmth of the meal not only warmed my little belly – it warmed my soul.

Knowing how family traditions affect our lives, I of course wanted to share those experiences with my own children.

Christmas

Christmas seems to have the most traditions in our family. First, we try to make as many gifts as we can. The boys love making cards and I knit gifts. The gifts that we do buy, we pick out together as a family; thinking of each individual person’s characteristics. Shortly after putting up our tree, we go shopping for our new ornaments. Each year, the boys get to pick out their own ornament to add to the tree. This makes the tree personalized and reflecting their growth, as each year they’re likely to pick something different. So in 10-15 years, our tree with have chronologized their entire childhood.

Christmas also involves us going to the local mall and having the boys’ picture made with Santa! We’ve done this since the oldest was born and we have a special photo album that holds each year’s picture. It’s nice to go back and view the past ones. Our final Christmas tradition is the most special. We taught the boys early that Christmas really is Jesus’ birthday and that is the real reason for the celebrations. So, together we bake a cake or cupcakes (it’s up to the boys) for Jesus. We sing Happy Birthday and everything. When we leave treats for Santa, we also leave a healthy snack for the reindeer and even an extra special treat or gift for Jesus.

New Year’s

New Year’s Eve has always been the latest night of our year. We stay up after dinner, eating snacks and treats while watching the countdown.

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is all about homemade gifts. We try not to buy commercialized products that are wasteful. We show our love with gifts from the heart. We make cards and gifts including cards, photo cards, and food gifts. We enjoy making Valentine’s treats such as cookies, fudge, brownies and cupcakes. We wrap them, and give them as loving homemade gifts.

Easter

Every Easter, we try not to get into the commercialism of this holiday too. We make our own Easter baskets, again with gifts from the heart and with sentimental meaning. Our final Easter tradition is that we always have our picture made with the Easter Bunny.

Birthdays

For birthday’s we have always had the boys’ grandmother make their birthday cake. She’s an awesome pastry chef! It’s exciting to get a cake that is personalized for you and no one else. Most of the time, they choose theme’s that aren’t commercialized. For example, last year for our youngest son’s 5th birthday he wanted a bald eagle cake. So this tradition is extra special, again being homemade and personalized.

Autumn and Back to School

A couple of months after school starts back, the Fair comes to town. Even though everything is overpriced, we go and make lasting memories. From the games, slides, funnel cakes and corn dogs, we leave stuffed and usually with our arms full of souvenirs. But what’s even more valuable is the lasting memories that our trip provides.

Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving, we make a Thanksgiving Wreath. This consists of fall colored construction-paper hands assembled into the shape of a wreath. On each hand, we write what we’re thankful for. We hang this above our dining room table until after the first of the year. Another Thanksgiving tradition that we have is putting up all of our Christmas decorations on the day after Thanksgiving. It’s exciting for us going through the boxes that we haven’t seen in a year and discovering new treasures together. This also teaches us to work together to accomplish our goal. Usually this is an all-day job, but it’s a fun-filled day and we get to eat all the left-over turkey.

You can learn about others’ family tradition and tailor it to your individual family’s needs and personalities. No two family traditions are the same. One thing that is the same about family traditions is that it leaves a lasting impression on those you love.

Don’t you want your children to look back at their childhood when they’re grown and smile? Or even better, carry on some of those traditions with their own children; adding in some of their own.

It’s never too late to start your own family traditions! So what kind are you going to start?

Nikowa is a 2nd year homeschooling mom to two boys. (Ages 9 and 5) With her “learning never ends” philosophy, they have an eclectic year-round approach to learning. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys photography, organizing, cooking, reading, and knitting. She is a #1 LOST fan and watches UGA football too! (Go Dawgs!) You can visit Nikowa at Knowledge House Academy.