“Does your family have any Christmas traditions?” I have a very long answer to that question. I can give a detailed account of everything we do without fail, every year, from 10 am on Christmas Eve through dinner on Christmas night. From a very young age, our kids loved ritual; now, in their late teens and early twenties, they still follow our traditions and customs. I was the same way: my dad used to comment on how I was able to relish the same experiences over and over.
I have been thinking about this as a legacy I am leaving them. Sometimes, it’s true, we unfortunately stifle someone’s perfectly good desire for something new. But the ability to appreciate traditions is a great gift. Going together to cut down our Christmas tree brings us together as a family. Having cinnamon rolls on every name-day reminds us of the honor due to our patron saints. Having lengthy card games to decide who gets to choose which room on vacation is trivial—but those games sure are played with a lot of zest.
In Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye says of his people, “Because of our traditions, every one of us knows who he is, and what God expects him to do.” I don’t make grandiose claims for our family traditions, but they do shape us, and bind us in a way that strengthens the love we have for each other. Maybe, in an appropriate natural way, they open us to the divine Tradition as well.
