Traditions

This Christmas season, I have been contemplating traditions.  Someone I know said, "Why bother with traditions.  Its a lot of work for nothing."  I've been thinking a lot about that statement, and sometimes I wonder if it is worth the effort to create and follow through with traditions.

As I have pondered the value of traditions, a couple of things have come to my mind.  First of all, in the December issue of the Ensign, there is an article that touched on traditions.  Part of the article states, "I believe family traditions are like the hewn oak trunks driven into the ground to build the Old Fort House.  Make the honoring of family traditions--  holiday traditions, birthday traditions, Sunday traditions, dinnertime traditions-- and the development of new ones a priority throughout your lives.  Honor them, write them down, and make certain you follow them....  Be certain you are creating a rich environment in which your family can look forward to special times of the year when traditions hold you together as a great eternal family unit."  So this tells me that the leaders of my church feel that traditions are important.

And as I have thought about the article and traditions in my own life, I have realized that while traditions can be a lot of work, they are important.  If I don't take the time and make the effort to build a tradition, then the special occasions will pass me by and not contain as much meaning.  They will be emptier.  Yes, it may be a lot of work to corral the children and make gingerbread houses, but it will create memories and good feelings.  It may be freezing cold and I may have to deal with grumpy children, but if I don't go caroling with my family, will I feel as much Christmas cheer and will I miss out on an opportunity to bring that cheer to someone else?  Is it a lot of work to wrangle a frozen turkey into a tasty delicacy?  Yes it is, but by making the commitment of time and energy, my family knows that it is important to me that we take the time to gather as a family to celebrate with a feast.  Is it easier to let the children run rampant on Christmas morning and attack the wrapping on their presents then it is to structure the event and slow everyone down?  Sometimes.  But in slowing it down and making tradition a part of the unwrapping, it makes the morning less of a greedfest and more of a chance to share in each other's excitement about giving everyone a gift.

The same goes for Christmas trees and birthday cakes, anniversaries and Easter baskets.  Some traditions are more easily upheld and some are harder to do, but even the little ones matter.  They build up the family.  They create memories and good feelings.  They bring the family closer together.  They provide more meaning the the event or activity.  So whether or not traditions require a lot of work on our part, they are worth it.  They need to be created and upheld and passed on.