By Linda Bergren Polich. October is Family History Month, so I thought it would be fun to talk about Family Traditions.
Let’s start with a definition … TRADITION – “the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc. from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice”.
Traditions are usually activities that a family does now, has done in the past and plans to continue doing in the future.
I’ve divided TRADITIONS into four categories that I will talk about here: HOLIDAYS – FOOD – STORIES – and RELIGION.
IT’S ALL ABOUT TRADITION!
Let’s start with HOLIDAYS. HOLIDAYS are filled with tradition.
Christmas traditions are of particular interest to me … as my father was a professional Santa Claus for over 20 years! (He was the REAL Santa!)
My very talented mother made his Santa suit out of red velvet and white rabbit fur.
My parents would schedule Santa appointments for Christmas Eve – usually every 20-30 minutes. My very organized mother would have the schedule and route all typed out – as she was Santa’s driver.
We had an old station wagon at that time and my dad would attach a plastic reindeer, complete with a red-light nose, to the top of the car. He would sit in the passenger side of the front seat.
My sister was Ralph the Elf. She would sit in the middle seat of the car, with my brother and me. Each stop had special instructions – and as we drove around town, we would have to review with Santa and Ralph the specific names and instructions for the next stop.
It was so fun to see other people’s reactions as we drove around town, especially the teenagers who would pretend not to notice, but who couldn’t help but smile.
We did these Santa appointments until 9:30 on Christmas Eve. That gave us time to get home, change clothes, and get to the 11:00 service as church.
And yes, my father was also a John Deere Santa … with another suit that my talented mother made. He was very popular at John Deere Christmas parties for many years!
This family tradition went on for many years – and created wonderful memories for not only our family, but other families around town as well.
The Dutch Sinterklaas was the main inspiration for Santa Claus. He is nearly identical to Santa: he wears red and white, knows if you’re naughty or nice.
Have any of you heard of the tradition of the Christmas Pickle?
As the story goes … the Christmas Pickle was a very old German tradition. The pickle was the last ornament hung on the Christmas tree and then the first child to find the pickle got an extra present.
http://www.whychristmas.com/customs/christmaspickle.shtml
As we go into the holiday season, try to incorporate your family traditions into your holiday celebrations. Here are a few examples from other countries:
In Belgium, Christmas is celebrated twice … once on December 4th when St. Nicholas visits families to see which children have been good and which have been bad.
The good children will receive gifts on December 25th.
Christmas in Sweden begins with the Saint Lucia ceremony. Before dawn on the morning of December 13th, the youngest daughter from each family puts on a white robe with a red sash. She wears a crown of evergreens with tall-lighted candles attached to it.
The German religious reformer Martin Luther is often credited with starting the Christmas tree custom. Also, in Germany, they lay out advent wreaths of holly with four red candles in the center. They light one candle each Sunday and last on Christmas Eve. Children count the days until Christmas using an Advent calendar. They open one window each day and find a Christmas picture inside.
So the Advent calendars that I’m sure many of you have made or used over the years originated in Germany!
Croatians start the Christmas celebration on December 13th by planting wheat seeds into a shallow bowl. By Christmas Eve, the wheat has grown tall enough to become the Christmas Dinner centerpiece, complete with a candle in the center, and red, white, and blue ribbon on the outside. This tradition has been passed down in my husband’s family.
IT’S ALL ABOUT TRADITION!
Now let’s talk about how FOOD is a part of traditions.
Remember, food also has cultural significance. Just as the many people in the United States celebrate national heritage with a Thanksgiving turkey feast, a special family meal is one meaningful way to celebrate family heritage.
If you’re able to incorporate old family recipes, this will be a wonderful treat for older family members, and it can teach something to younger members, too.
At the Center for Belgian Culture, you can usually find Lukken Waffle Cookies around the holidays! These thin, crisp cookies are a tradition for many Belgian families.
If you have a family member who’s a great cook, ask him or her to give a cooking-demonstration to provide any tricks or family secrets.
This is another reason to create that Family Recipe Book, complete with the stories and memories behind each recipe.
IT’S ALL ABOUT TRADITION!
Older family members are essential for sharing STORIES and memories, and you won’t be able to pass on family heritage if the younger generations aren’t included.
Celebrating your heritage is a great way to carry on traditions and pass those memories on to future generations. Your celebration can take many forms, but it’s important to try to incorporate every family member, young and old, in the celebration.
Take every opportunity to allow your older family members to share stories from the past with younger members of your family.
Celebrating family heritage and traditions allows us to remember in a special way where we came from and how we got where we are today.
Stories can also take the form of heirlooms. I’m sure many of you have several family heirlooms in your home that have been passed down through the generations. Each of these heirlooms has a story … which helps keep your heritage alive in your family.
I wear my Grandma Coopman’s engagement ring … which is over 100 years old! She and my Grandpa became engaged in Minnesota in 1914. They were engaged for NINE YEARS before she agreed to marry him! This ring was passed to my Mother, and then to me.
To learn more about your ancestors’ traditions and culture, talk to people at local ethnic and heritage societies we have available in the Quad-Cities area. Attend cultural events and festivals at the Center for Belgian Culture, German American Heritage Center, Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center, and others here in the area.
IT’S ALL ABOUT TRADITION!
And finally … RELIGION plays an important role in keeping our heritage alive.
When our ancestors first set foot on American soil, they only had their own heritage to guide them in this new life.
Ethnic groups tended to settle together in neighborhoods, and along with this, they would start their own churches.
First Lutheran Church in downtown Moline was originally the Swedish Lutheran Church and still houses several old church records.
Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Moline was built for the Belgian immigrants.
Still today, in several villages in Croatia, they celebrate a Saints Day. Each village celebrates the life of a certain Saint. I just learned about this custom in talking to some friends who lived in Croatia.
The religious customs that our ancestors followed in the old country were brought here and passed along to family members … with some religious traditions still being used today.
IT’S ALL ABOUT TRADITION!
Family traditions can be as simple as celebrating the first snowfall with hot chocolate … or Sunday dinner with your grandparents.
The important thing is not to lose track of those traditions … simple or complex.
And above all, embrace your heritage.
I challenge each of you to continue following family traditions to keep your heritage alive.
