Tradition - one of my favorite words!
Tradition is what roots my family. As a Jewish woman, I strive to carry tradition through family activities, holiday festivities and decorations, religious observances, and gatherings with extended family.
When my children were first born, I put a lot of thought into how to best begin those tradition "roots". I was not raised with a strong family tradition, nor with strong religious background. It was and is important to me to ensure that my children developed the sense of faith, of belonging, of history, of culture, of tradition which would ground them and give them fond memories on which to build their own traditions in the years to come.
Some of the traditions we follow go back thousands of years in the history of the Jewish people, such as celebrating the Jewish holidays, lighting Shabbat candles and keeping a Kosher kitchen. Others are "Mommy" traditions, which have evolved over the years in my home. My favorite "Mommy" tradition is the annual hanging of the snow flakes. Every year we decorate inside our home in a winter/snow theme for the winter holidays - which makes a festive atmosphere for Hanukkah, while also welcoming our Christian friends into our home.
Tradition gives my family something special to enjoy and share with others, something to look forward to, and hopefully something to pass down, generation to generation. I look forward to when the next generation will join and evolve it's own version of our traditions while creating more of their own.
