I remember when I was but a wee lad, my sister and I would come downstairs on Christmas morning and one of the first things we would do is look for baby Jesus.  My mother had a ceramic nativity scene, and every year she would hide the little ceramic baby Jesus. We would have to find him and put him in the manger. Looking back, it was a simple tradition, but it meant something to my family because of the meaning behind it.  It was a part of our family identity.

As my wife and I share our first Christmas together, we decided to spend it just her and I.  This may come as a surprise to some because we are newly married and normally, one would think that we would prefer to celebrate our new union with our loved ones over the holidays, but we made this decision because we felt that it was necessary to create our own family identity and our own culture.

So, as we are getting closer to the holidays, we have been trying to figure out what Christmas looks like for us.  This led to several conversations about traditions and rituals that have happened in both of our families. From having a real Christmas tree to going to see the Christmas lights around the neighborhood.  This got me thinking, why do we need traditions? What importance do they hold?

Traditions and rituals can sometimes seem a bit arbitrary or unnecessary, but I believe they play a valuable part in the family culture/system.  They may vary from culture to culture, and some are passed down for generations. Traditions and rituals create greater identity within a group; they remind us of the bonds and connections we have made with one another.  Whether it’s the pickle in the tree or singing carols together every year as a family, these repeated activities help families come together to unite under one banner.  

That brings us to the actual holiday of Christmas, which is in my opinion,  the greatest tradition of all. It may look different to each individual family, but without fail it brings all of us together as one family in Christ and reminds us of our redemption in the Lord, as well as allowing us to celebrate together the birth of Jesus Christ.  

So, knowing the importance of traditions, how can you better facilitate unity and celebration in your family?  What traditions do you use to celebrate your family? What ways can you better celebrate your unity with Jesus Christ?  

 

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