What Are Family Traditions – And How Do You Start Them

I want to start off this article by noting that every family has their own traditions, whether they realize it or not. And it’s therefore something that we can often take for granted, which is a shame… Because being intentional about building the right ones and upkeeping them, can result in so much bonding and so many memories! So in this post, I’ll not only answer the question of “what are family traditions”; but also give you some valuable advice and examples about how to implement them yourself.

What are family traditions?

By definition, traditions are customs or beliefs that have been (and continue to be) passed down from generation to generation. And this means that family traditions are the same concept! But rather than being passed down on a national or global scale… They’re passed down through specific family lines.

It also means that technically anything can be considered a “family tradition”, if it’s something that most of the family engages in. So it could take the form of something as large as an annual vacation. Or something as small as nobody wearing shoes in the house.

Family Tradition Ideas

Now, if you’re looking to start your own traditions, here’s a list of ideas for inspiration…

Everyday Traditions

First off, we have “everyday” sort of family traditions. These are easy to implement, and can be done anytime.

• Daily Family Time – If you truly want a tradition that takes place everyday, you could consider dedicating a specific time of day where everyone spends quality time together. For instance, when my girls were young, it was our tradition to sit and play games on the Wii after dinner every night.
• Movie Night – Another easy-to-create tradition is hosting movie nights. It could be once a week, once a month, etc. But it will give everyone something fun to look forward to on a regular basis!
• Find A Joint Hobby – You could also try out various family hobbies. And, once you find one that everyone enjoys, stick with it for a while. Because, not only is this a great bonding opportunity, but it could even help you all to learn a new skill.

Occasional Traditions

Next, we have traditions that can be repeated every once in a while…

• An Outdoor Activity – Some families like to camp, some prefer a good hike, and others enjoy playing an outdoor game like gold or tennis. Whichever one you choose… It could benefit everyone to make a shared outdoor activity one of your new traditions!
• A Specific Place – One thing that I didn’t mention during my “what are family traditions” explanation is that traditions can also revolve around places. Maybe a specific restaurant that you and your family enjoy frequenting. Or even a specific city or country that you visit every few years.
• Doing Charity Work – A really meaningful tradition to consider starting is doing charity work as a family. This is a really beautiful thing to do, and will benefit everyone involved.

Special Event Traditions

Finally, we have more specific traditions that revolve around certain events. Think holidays, birthdays, seasons, etc.

• Decorating Together – One of the most common types of family traditions is decorating together! Many families decorate for Christmas specifically, but some even decorate seasonally! Regardless, it’s a fun tradition to start; especially if your family loves a particular time of year.
• Forming Holiday Specific Activities – Holiday specific traditions can look different for everyone. Some families may choose to wear matching pajamas for Christmas. Some might have a board game marathon on New Year’s Eve. And some might choose to make up their own holiday!
• Having A Birthday Routine – A fun idea that I love is forming a special routine for birthdays! Like doing a similar thing, gifting similar presents, or going to similar places every single year for people’s birthday bashes. Or simply making it a tradition that birthday boy/girl gets to design their own day.

How do you get family traditions started?

So we’ve covered the “what are family traditions” question, and we’ve gone over some ideas… So that means there’s only thing left to cover, how to get them off the ground! Because if you don’t already have them established, this can take a little bit of intention at first.

Step one is to choose which one to focus on. And I do suggest you just choose one to start with, or maybe a few (if the timing of them is spread out). Because traditions shouldn’t feel crammed or forced, otherwise they won’t be as special!

Step two is to plan out when the tradition is supposed to take place. Obviously if it’s holiday related or seasonal this isn’t applicable. But if it’s something more open-ended, a little bit of scheduling on your part can ensure it actually happens.

Step three is to get everyone involved! It’s often easier to pull this off when you’re dealing with your nuclear family unit, especially if you have younger kids. However, it can still be done with larger (or older) family units. As long as you stick with it and choose something everyone will enjoy!