As you look ahead to the Christmas season, consider how your traditions connect past and present. Or if you don’t feel the connections there are strong, consider what new traditions you might start!
I recognize that Christmas is not celebrated by everyone.
My family and I do celebrate Christmas. In fact, we have set aside tonight for setting up our Christmas tree!
Of course, I know that some think a tree shouldn’t go up until after Thanksgiving. And I believe that historically, trees did not go up until Christmas Eve.
Still, in our family we’ve sometimes gone for as early as Halloween 😀
Ah the wide variety of opinions on timing and trimming!
It’s clear to me that what we call traditions are actually a combination of inherited ideas and individual creativity. The desire to keep some things constant or to keep certain memories alive, and the stamp that each unique person in our family puts on a celebration – both are beautiful!
And talk about connecting the dots! This coupling of past and present make times steeped in traditions like Christmas a wonderful time for turning hearts!
If you are like me, sometimes this heart-turning will be more personal and introspective. But at other times I’ll want it to be more social and active.
So I’ll throw out ideas in both veins.
Introspective Heart-Turning
Maybe it’s as handmade ornaments are unpacked that you find yourself reminiscing. Or maybe it’s prompted by a child’s curiosity at dinner one night: “Why do we always [fill in the blank]?”
Christmas can be a time for reflection and even re-evaluation.
Here are just a few questions to get your gears going. You might ponder these questions quietly. Or journal your thoughts so you and others can have them in the future.
- What do you know about the origin of your traditions for this time of year?
- Did you invent or adopt traditions that were different from those of your parents? Why did you make those choices?
- What elements of your celebration do you hope most fervently that your children and grandchildren will carry on when you’re gone?
Active Heart-Turning
- Use the questions above to start conversations with family members! As you’re gathering and engaging in these traditions, throw out a question and welcome the flood of responses! “Who remembers how we got started doing this?” “Do you remember how [insert ancestor’s name] used to do that?” Keep in mind that not every individual in the family will remember the same event the same way or have the same feelings about traditions – and that’s okay! Enjoy learning from your family members!
- Make a record of your perspective on family traditions. Maybe video yourself doing x, y or z and say a word about why you like it so much or why it’s important to you. Upload these videos to a platform your posterity uses frequently – and if you don’t know where that might be or how to do it, ask one of them for help! 🙂
- An alternate record could be a photobook or scrapbook with photos of Christmases past and present, instructive “how to’s” and recipes and so on. Write in your captions where you think the tradition started, etc. These would make amazing family history gifts!
- Try something new this year inspired by what you have learned of your heritage! You could read on Wikipedia or WhyChristmas.com about how Christmas is celebrated in various countries. You could also log into your FamilySearch account, find the “Activities” tab and select “Where Am I From?” The default will land you on a world map. Find the “My Heritage” tab (third from the left) above this map. Click on “My Heritage” and you’ll then be able to select a location and view information about various social customs and historical tidbits. Oftentimes there will be something about how Christmas is celebrated in this place under the “Traditions” tab.* Be sure to check out the food (including some recipes) in this place. Maybe one of those is something you can try for Christmas dinner!
*Side note: If you, like me, would like to see more on this “Traditions” tab at FamilySearch, drop them some feedback! You can write your own comment or piggyback on mine.
I hope that whatever form your Christmas celebrations take on this year, they will strengthen your family connections!
connectthedotsgenealogy.com 