Today’s Bloganuary post is based on the prompt: “Write about a few of your favorite family traditions.” Read on for my thoughts on this.

Family traditions are fascinating because they are different depending on numerous factors. Those factors can be what country, city, or town you live in; they can also be influenced by religion, superstition, age, or a multitude of other reasons. Often, we don’t know why family traditions start. All we do know is that they stick.

One of my favorite family traditions is my Dads ensuring that Christmastime always felt special. As a result, Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love the music, the gatherings, and the feeling of the season. It’s special, and that’s all because my parents made it feel that way and never stopped. Now, we do the same for Oliver.

Family traditions don’t need to be major events. I believe they can be rooted in the way you behave daily. For example, I always kiss, hug, and say “I love you” to family members who are leaving. The reason why is that I want to make sure that our last words to each other are positive in case someone terrible should happen to either of us. Life often isn’t fair, so it’s important to tell those you love that you care about them all the time.

Another daily family tradition is reading books to my son before bed. After he has his milk, I read him several books. They are often the same ones because they are so short. However, I treat each reading like a performance so Oliver is thoroughly entertained. Seeing him smile or laugh when reading to him is a delight. I hope this tradition will instill in him a love for reading and writing.

Family traditions matter because they help us create happy memories between us and those we love. These traditions can be big or small. Regardless of their size, family traditions matter.