Tag Archives: Tradition

Tradition by andrea

This time of year it is easy to be melancholy about our traditions. We recall the ones that we enjoyed and let go of the ones that pain us. I remember 13 kids, waking early, listening to adults still bustling about, wrapping, decorating and organizing for Christmas morning. We’d have gone to bed with no sign of Christmas and awoke to piles of packages and a decorated tree. At 5 am we’d all line up, youngest first and for about 30 minutes we’d squeal with delight and chatter away as my mother and older siblings looked on, bleary eyed from a very long night. That was my mother’s tradition. We were never a part of decorating, wrapping, shopping and sharing the joy of Christmas preparations.
When I married we decided to make our own traditions, then with each passing year our family grew. Often with more individuals we were more contentious. It was clear that the traditions I learned didn’t make Christmas or any other day a happy day.
Then I got saved and found the meaning of Christmas and meaning in my life. I realized there were so many more important things to focus on than baubles, wrapping paper and decorations…. Christmas became more of a time to watch others enjoying their traditions and just soaking in the truth of life in Christ. Christmas is a day… life in Christ is the gift.
Now we celebrate Christmas Eve with family, Christmas Day we invite all who want to join us to a Chinese restaurant… no ASAP necessary, just a time to laugh and make sure no one has to spend Christmas Day alone. Our traditions can never fulfill what Christmas actually means; Unto us a child is given, unto to us a son is born and the government shall be upon His shoulders: and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

 

Amidst all the memories of past Christmas’s with drunken parties, the hung over mornings, a sense that something was seriously missing… I’ve found the missing piece and no bauble, wrapped or unwrapped will ever matter more than finding that the true traditions are the ones we experience every day.
The joy of Christmas is in knowing God lives within, the decorations are smiling eyes, a loving heart and a warm embrace to our fellow man.
As an unconventional Christian, I bristle at the term traditionalist. I love reading N.T.Wright, who has challenged my once traditional view of heaven. Scott McKnight, who in his book The Blue Parakeet, challenged me to look at my own cherry picking of scripture. Rethinking Hell, a site I frequent that encourages my faith in a loving and gracious God who does not torture unbelievers for eternity. I thank God I no longer hold to traditional views that I see as unscriptural. I can challenge my own views and others.
Tradition can be a warm fuzzy feeling or it can bring loneliness and heartbreak because we cannot continue an idealized vision of what our family “should look like”. I recall someone saying to me please don’t ‘should’ on me. The many obligations we carry like emotional baggage simply because we can no longer fulfill our traditions.

 

Tradition can also blind us to truth. We accept what was given to us without question. That is why I call myself an unconventional Christian. I allow myself to question, to be challenged and to stand on the love of Christ and not on the word of man.
Today I prefer to find the joy of ordinary days. Any day with breath, any day without drama, any day I share the joy of Christ in my life is a great day. Traditions be damned.
If you’re stuck working to fulfill traditions, make a new tradition. That you’ll celebrate the days that are important to you, your family, your loved ones. Have a “It’s a good day to have a party” party. Instead of struggling through Christmas without a loved one, make a totally different celebration. I’m a great believer in ­­volunteering and encouraging people to find their joy.
Our family will probably be at Sakanas Christmas afternoon for dinner. Although, if one of us doesn’t feel like Chinese we might just decide to have ice cream for dinner and watch old movies for Christmas Day. Whatever we decide we will remember that Dec. 25th is the day, chosen to celebrate the greatest joy in life. The birth of God, come to earth to bring great cheer, love and eternal life. The greatest gift of all is free, eternal life, paid in full by Jesus Christ and offered to all who only need to call on Him and follow. Don’t allow your traditions to hinder you from experiencing Gods gift.

TRADITION by Peggy

‘Tis the season for unending days of tradition. We all have our certain ways of decorating, certain foods that are always made, cookies always baked, songs always sung, movies always watched.

We rely on our traditions to make us feel good.  Have you ever sat late at night, in a quiet room, alone with the beautifully lit Christmas tree, and feel…, well, just comforted?  It’s like every breath you take brings to mind another memory of Christmases gone by.

I can hear my mother and father setting up the toys under the tree when they thought we were sound asleep.  I can feel again the excitement as I set up the toys for my children, anticipating their utter glee upon waking.  Contentment fills my mind and emotions, as I recall every midnight Mass attended with my parents and siblings; I can still smell the incense of the High Mass and the candles in the sanctuary, hear the choir singing in the choir loft, and being part of that same choir in seventh grade. I still display my mother’s Nativity set (right next to her huge ceramic Christmas tree with little peg lights), reminding me always of the true reason we have this season, and hope rises within me a little stronger.

Every year we string tons of colored lights inside and outside the house, on every branch of our tree.  One time someone snickered at my tree and said it looked like a “clown” tree with all of the colored lights, instead of just clear ones.  Humbug, I say!  If your traditional tree bears clear lights, I’m sure it’s beautiful!  But so is mine!  The beauty of each having their own traditional decorations is that there is no right or wrong, there is just joy!  Unspeakable joy!

I am very melancholy this year, as I know some long-running Christmas traditions are coming to an end.  We will probably sell our house this next year, thus ending the annual open house we host, the lights on this lovely home of ours, the fresh-cut tree tagged weeks before we pick it up.

The thing I think I will miss the most, though, is the family Christmas breakfast.  I just love having all of my children and grandchildren together in the morning, reams of wrapping paper everywhere every colored light blazing. Lots of coffee, French toast, Dutch puff, and so much love!  Everyone is happy, and together.  I look forward to it every year, and will surely miss not being able to host it in this house.  This house where we raised our children, and housed some others for a spell along the way.

Tradition.  It’s a beautiful thing.  It’s important.  It sets our roots a little deeper, and gives each generation a sense of stability and belonging. The comfort zone of tradition gives us structure, boundaries, and even excuses.

The thing about observing traditions is that we take them with us forever. No matter where we are, we always will have the memories and the feelings they invoke.  Throughout the years, our Christmas traditions have stuck, and everyone in the family feels the same as I, and someone else will pick up the baton. Even though I won’t be hosting the holiday festivities in this house, they will be hosted somewhere, and we will be there.

We aren’t sure where we will end up, Jim and I; most likely out of NJ. Where ever we are, I will string the colored lights, display the Nativity set and ceramic tree, and photos of Christmases past.  I will breathe and take it all in, and I will remember every single Christmas of my life.

I will smile and give thanks to a mighty God, who sent His son to a manger, under a star.  The one destined to die for the forgiveness of all sin, for the salvation of mankind.  I will thank Him for a life well-blessed, and for Christmas.  Then we will get into some mode of transportation and show up at one of the kids’ houses for Christmas breakfast!  Traditions never die, they just change location, and I’m ok with that.

                    Merry Christmas to all, and to all I pray for many blessing throughout the New Year!

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 2: 11-14 (KJV)

TRADITION by Barbara

When we talk about traditions the holidays naturally come to mind. I think back on many traditions fondly. One of my happiest memories as a child was Christmas Eve in South Philly.  My sister Karen and I set off to John’s Bargains store and brought a game.  We played the game most of the day to help make the time pass as we were eager for Christmas day. Karen and I, both in our 60’s now, still talk about that tradition and the happy memories it gave us.

As we grow older our traditions change.  Being the oldest of 8, I am quite a bit older than some of my siblings.  Christmas Eve develop into a time when the young ones would go to bed and the older children helped my parents play Santa.  My dad loved to decorate and I don’t think there was a spot in the house that did not have decorations.  He even had a platform with trains, houses, stores, churches and so much more. The tree was decorated Christmas Eve and we helped with toys that needed to be put together.

Life brings changes and our traditions are no exception.   When we marry our traditions change as we decide what family we’re going to spend each holiday with and unfortunately that can at times turn into a tug of war for the grown children. Love ones passing and divorce change traditions and it can be a difficult adjustment.

 

What did Jesus have to say about traditions? Jesus observed traditions as he celebrated the Jewish holidays but he also blasted others.  In Luke 11, we find Jesus ready to dine with a Pharisee.  When the other Pharisees saw that He did not follow the ceremonial washing they rebuked Him.  Jesus ripped them a new one!  I’m paraphrasing what He said but he basically told them, you hypocrites concern yourselves with being clean on the outside but inside you are dirty.  Among other things He told them that they burden the people with their man made rules, their rules are hard to bear but they themselves would not lift a finger to lighten the load.

On another occasion in Luke 14 we see Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath. Once more we find Him at a Pharisees house for a meal. The good ole boys were there as they were hoping to entrap him.  There was a man with dropsy.  Jesus asked them, is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?  Though they did not answer Him, we know what they were thinking.  Jesus healed the man and sent him on his way.  Jesus asked them if they had a son or ox fall into a well on the Sabbath would they not pull him out immediately. Yet again, silence. Jesus tells them in Mark 7 that they set aside the word of God in order to keep their man made tradition and regulations.

There are times when the expression “rules were meant to be broken” speaks to me.  I believe this was the mind-set of the woman with the issue of blood.  We can find her story in Luke 8. She had a hemorrhage infirmity for 12 years. Her doctors took all her money even though they could not cure her. She settled it in her heart if she could just touch the hem of Jesus’ garment, she would be healed.  In those days a woman in her condition would have to shout unclean, as she walked through the streets.  If she touched anyone she could be stoned.  What a horrible and lonely life she must have lived.  She got to the point where she did not care what the tradition or law was, she was going to reach Jesus no matter what.  I can almost see her, so weak from losing so much blood but she dragged and crawled on the ground to get to Him, knowing when she did, her suffering would be over.  We know with all those people about it would be impossible for her not to touch someone but she pressed on and made it.  As soon as she touched Jesus, He felt it and asked “who touched me?” The disciples answered, (paraphrasing once more.) Seriously????? Are you joking Jesus? All these people around you and you’re asking who touched you, really? The woman admitted it was her. Did Jesus reprimand her, and tell her she broke tradition or law? No, He told her, your faith has healed you. She took the risk, broke the tradition, touched the hem of His garment and was healed.

So is tradition a bad thing?  No, not at all. Paul tells the people in 2 Thessalonians 2 to hold fast to the traditions they were taught.

Now that the Christmas season is upon us, let’s reflect on our traditions.   Christmas is not even mentioned in the Bible.  It is a man made event. I am not saying it is wrong to celebrate it but we need to remember the reason for the season. Jesus is God, who left his throne to be born as a baby, to die for us, be raised from the dead, restore us back to the Father plus take back all the enemy stole from us.  It is ok to enjoy the gifts, food, tree, and family/friends getting together but keep Jesus in it. Let us not make our man made traditions a burden on anyone.  It is wonderful for family to get together but for the most part it can be impossible to get everyone collectively. I understand there are some family members that hog the holidays. Try to come up with a fair solution but take into account you can’t make everyone happy and that is ok.   When my daughter was young, I started my own tradition. I made the decision to stay home but anyone was welcome to come to our house for dinner or just visit.  It worked quite well and I did my visiting during or after the holidays.

Praying you have a blessed Christmas. For those who have lost love ones and have gone through divorce, I pray that the peace of God would comfort you. Psalm 34:18 tell us, The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Enjoy your traditions but don’t be fearful of creating new ones.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!