InterGenerational Traditions

Have you ever given thought to how traditions were established? It the simplest of answers, traditions have been established because they were done the first time and someone realized it was good and wanted to do it again and continued through the years.

Several years ago, we did something that has become one of our family traditions. We had gone to Christmas Eve services and then everyone came to our house and we just did “family.” Our Christmas Eve dinner has been clam chowder, shrimp (and lobster for the daughter who claims she does not like shrimp) and snacks. We all wrap gifts, play games and enjoy being with one another. Everyone spends the night together at our home.

Then our daughter, Lauri, added a twist. Everyone was allowed to open a present. It happened to be a present of her choosing. Each one of us opened our gift which was new PJ’s. One by one we each went and changed into our new pajamas. Now, out of our “church” clothes and with a fire blazing in the fireplace, we settle in to just have “family time.”

The picture is dark and of the fireplace with stockings hung. For some odd reason, no one in our family would allow me to post a picture of all of us in our pajamas.

Now with our family spread out and each with extended families, our Christmas Eve tradition happens on the even-numbered years and the week after Christmas on the odd-numbered years.

I am not sure that our oldest granddaughters, Ellie and Hannah, can remember a Christmas without new pajamas and the whole family enjoying being with one another. Now we add Makayla and Liam to the mix and I hope they will always remember Christmas that includes the family and new pajamas.

InterGenerational churches must be built on InterGenerational families; families who do life together and create their own traditions.

If your kids and/or grandkids were asked if your family has any Christmas traditions, what would their answer be and what do you want their answers to be?