There are few things I'm more passionate about than creating family traditions. I think this mostly stems from growing up in a home where traditions were abundant and the family culture was rich and vibrant and fun. In hard times, our traditions buoyed me, providing a familiar shelter warmed by years of laughter and love. Now as a mama of 4, I'm constantly reimagining family life in terms of the traditions that keep routine and provide a stability and place of belonging for my children.
I wanted to give you a list of family tradition ideas that our family has adopted! These will hopefully get you thinking about ways you can incorporate even simple things, like family dinners together:)
1. Dinner together (This may not seem like a "tradition" but did you know this is one of the biggest indicators of childhood success in life? To me, it might be the most important tradition to keep alive!)
2. Asking "high's and low's" at the dinner table- each night we have the kids share their highlights from the day. During the Autumn season, we ask what they are thankful for!
3. Sunday afternoon Swedish pancakes- After church we all have a nice lunch together of Swedish pancake. Substitute your favorite meal, and enjoy sabbath together. One fun addition is reading James Herriot's Treasury for Children See HERE. The "All Creatures Great & Small" Veterinarian in Yorkshire, England has so many wild adventures with animals that my kid's love!
4. Friday night pizza and movie night- This is a staple in our home and the kids look forward to it every week! I buy the pizza dough and sauce at Trader Joes, but you can also homemake it!
5. Seasonal Books- For years I have been collecting books for each season. I store them away, and when the first day of the new season arrives, I pull them out. Each September, I pull out all my Fall books. The day after Thanksgiving, my Autumn books will go in storage, and out will come my huge basket of Christmas books! I use Thriftbooks, or look for deals on Amazon, or hit up yard sales or thrift stores!
6. Library Day- Every Monday I take the kids to the library. We bring back our old books and find new ones. The kids grab books and have a relaxing afternoon reading, they truly look forward to it!
7. Valentines & St. Patrick's Day breakfast - For both these holidays, I decorate the dining room table with appropriate decor so that the kids get a fun surprise when they wake up! We make pink heart pancakes for V-day, and green pancakes for SPD. I usually find some Target $ bin or dollar tree items the night before to make it fun!
8. Good Friday Meal for Easter- On Good Friday, I make a charcuterie board of items that all represent the walk to the cross for Jesus. (ie: Olives for the Mt. of Olives, a toothpick for the spear, a Hershey's kiss for the kiss when Judas betrays Jesus, etc.) We read through the scriptures associated with each food item, and then end the evening washing each other's feet, it is so special. I have it saved as a reel on my IG HERE if you're interested
9. First day of summer- When the kids are officially out of school, I gift them each some pool toys to use for the summer. Everyone gets an inner tube and pool noodle and a few rings or sinkable toys. (Thank you Dollar Tree!) Then I give each of the kids a special Bible verse I want them to memorize for the summer. You can see more about our summer tradition HERE.
10. Summer Read Alouds- During the summer I print out a list of read-a-louds we want to read. We usually set a goal of how many books we want to read together, and the kids have fun crossing them off! I love Read Aloud Revival for book lists!
11. Midsummer- My dad's entire family is from Sweden, and after my children were born, I realized I wanted to incorporate more of his heritage in to our yearly calendar. In late June we celebrate the summer solstice (longest day of the year) by wearing flower crowns, eating Swedish food, and then dancing around the mid-summer pole! You can see more about it HERE.
12. Annual Summer Trip- Every summer our family goes to the beach in Santa Cruz. It's not fancy, but it is full of family and full of love, and it's the kids absolute favorite! Even if it's simple like camping, pick a week each year and make it a priority.
13. Back to school camping trip- At the end of the summer, Kevin takes the kids camping the weekend before they start school. It is a way our kid's mark that the summer is over and the Fall is about to begin!
14. Autumn Party- Every year the kids and I have put our head's together to plan an Autumn party. Most years we do apple bobbing, pumpkin painting, and bake loads of apple and pumpkin treats. One year Avonlea and I planned an Anne of Green Gables Mother/daughter watch party. Be creative!
15. Thanksgiving Run- One tradition we've had for decades is doing a "Turkey trot" event on thanksgiving morning to help raise money for our local homeless shelter. It's a beautiful way to start the day, exercising in the park with our family, and raising money for a good cause! Check your local guide to see if there are any events that would work with your family!
16. Cutting down our Christmas Tree- We live a short drive away from a National Forrest that allows certain areas to be cut down for Christmas trees. The weekend after Thanksgiving we load up our thermos of hot chocolate and a packed lunch, and head up the mountain. We play Christmas carols in the car, and I bring a new Christmas book that I reveal to them on the drive up. It is one of our favorite days of the year.
17. Santa Lucia Day- Every December 13th, our family celebrates our Swedish heritage by observing St. Lucia day. The night before we make the traditional pepparkakor and Lussekator buns, and then on the morning of the 13th, the oldest daughter wears a crown of lights on her head and delivers the treats to my husband. The boys follow my daughter as "star boys". We then take all our baked goods around town to all the widows we know. You can see more about it HERE.
18. Christmas Baking- I used to do this with my Grandmother, and now my mom does it with my children and I! We pick a day and all gather at my parent's house and spend the entire morning making Christmas cookies. We basically stock up for all the festivities over multiple days! The kids love using the cookie cutters and decorating with sprinkles, red hots, pearl candy and frosting! An easy tradition to implement!
19. Christmas Family Movie Night- One night in December I invite my parents and all my siblings and their families to come watch The Polar Express at our home. We drink apple cider, play games, and then sit by the fire and watch the movie with the twinkle lights on the tree and mantle. It's such a fun time!
20. Æbleskiver on Christmas morning- Christmas dinner may change from year to year, but we ALWAYS have Æbleskivers (a danish puffy ball shaped pancake) on Christmas morning. We fill them with whip cream, lingonberries, maple syrup or eat them plain!
The WONDERFUL thing about traditions, is that you can start at ANY time! Some of these traditions I grew up with, and others I have incorporated as an adult with my own children. Some of them I've done since my kids were born, and others I have started this year.
Now...tell me YOUR traditions!
