My friend Liz received a text from her daughter, “Mom, I got my dream job! Let’s discuss it over dinner tonight.” Liz gushed as she explained that her family has a tradition to gather for a celebratory meal when one of them receives good news. I love this deliberate, yet informal family tradition. A tradition laces together joyful, past, repetitive actions with anticipation of some sort of future joy.
The details that go into creating a tradition leave you with childlike awe. Like the electric train set that chugged around my grandparent’s Christmas tree. Or the fall hayride with my girls at Farmer Luke’s that wouldn’t feel complete without the annual fresh bread and apple cider. These details become lifetime memories that give a sense of belonging and comfort. It just takes consistency.
As adults we become a mixture of the cultural influences from our race, religion, sexuality, upbringing, education, politics, careers and friendships. Layer on our leisure activities, like music, food, art, sports, etc., and the cultural material of our lives becomes a rich and meaningful tapestry. From this woven fabric our unique traditions are formed, repeated and anticipated.
Stepping into marriage is a great opportunity to combine and weave new traditions. Borrow from childhood, from friendships, from cultural influences. When the chosen experiences from both of your lives come together, you create something that feels like home for both of you!
Connect to family history through the oral tradition of storytelling. Remember the embellished tales told to you, and share them with your spouse and children year-after-year. It will reinforce your origin story and family values. It is a beautiful way to connect to past generations. A flickering flame produces a theatrical storytelling ambience that causes us to be captivated and mesmerized by the moment. Add a FLIKR FIRE portable flame to your family story hour this holiday season.
Celebrate the traditions from both sides of your family to create a new blended version for you and your spouse. It’s a great way to stay grounded and be a part of something bigger than yourself. Family traditions often involve religious observances. Your first holiday season as a married couple? This December may be the new tradition of a Christmas tree and a menorah. Add Judaica items and Christmas Candlesticks to your Hanukkah and Christmas shopping lists, so next year you are ready to go!
The everyday traditions like notes in your kid's lunch box, bedtime stories, and family dinners are some of the most common but most cherished. They create warm nostalgia when we think back to our childhood. We are big fans of eating dinner together as a family. Each place setting we add to our shop is chosen to facilitate blissful daily moments when the family reconnects over a meal. Add new Place Settings to your holiday wish list to kick start 2023 with good family dinner intentions.
Showing up for others and being vulnerable enough to let family and friends help you is the connective tissue of our lives that creates the ultimate tradition of friendship and family bond. Celebrating together is just as important as mourning together. Each act plays a part in strengthening our relationships to last.
At The Dowry we love seeing friends and family gather around a table, around a fire and around one another. We work hard to accessorize these moments and add the details that start to become part of the traditions themselves. Like my grandfather's electric train that now chugs around my sister’s tree and holds the memories of holidays past.
- These items come to you with a rich history of craftsmanship.
- They are made by artists whose intention is to deepen your moments together.
- Their quality makes them instant family heirlooms.
Click image below to shop The Dowry's Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide for unique and meaningful gifts to give to the ones you love!
