Christmas in Connecticut & Other Adventures

In 1990, my husband, my 1-year-old daughter and I moved to Connecticut from California. This move would take us far, far from our families out west. We were young and naïve and we looked at this cross-country move as an adventure. And adventure it was. During our two years in Connecticut, we hiked the Catskill mountains, explored U.S. historic sites on bike, picked strawberries at Lyman Orchards, ate great Italian food, and had our car towed during a snowstorm. But one memory that has outlived them all was our first Christmas Eve. Too poor to go home to California, we decided to watch the epic 1945 movie Christmas in Connecticut. This classic holiday movie featured Barbara Stanwyck and was the perfect combination of corny, hilarity and romance. And a tradition was begun. Now far from Connecticut, we still watch this movie every Christmas Eve, now surrounded by 3 grown children, extended family and one adorable grandson.

Here are three reasons why traditions are important:

Togetherness 

As a child, I loved our family tradition of playing the game of Risk every Christmas holiday. The college kids would gather from their universities near and far, mom would make sure we had sufficient food for the war, and dad would stop reading for a few minutes to encourage the teams in battle. Sitting around the table, laughing and sharing stories of our life, brought us together. This tradition encouraged strong bonds between younger and older siblings, between awkward teenagers and cool college coeds, and even between grandparents and grandchildren. Traditions bring us together. 

Timelessness

Twice a year, our church has a world-wide conference. On this day, we don’t go to church but watch this conference on TV. Several years ago, in order to make this conference weekend special for our then-young children, we made a yummy breakfast treat called Rosy Plum Streusel Squares. This breakfast has become a conference tradition for our family. Now, since our children are in different states, we make this treat in our various kitchens and swap pictures of our streusel with each other. Because of their recurring nature, traditions are a constant in an ever-changing and ever-distracted world. Some day, when I am gone, my children will still make Rosy Plum Streusel Squares and share them with their children. The tradition will live on. Traditions are timeless.

Trust 

About 10 years ago, one of my children asked if we had to watch that corny Christmas in Connecticut again (insert whiny voice). The answer was and will always be “yes.” We are going to watch it again this year and the next and the next. The years have past and the whiny voices are gone. Just yesterday, in fact, my oldest said that she “can’t wait” to watch Christmas in Connecticut again. Yes! Sometimes the traditions might seem like a burden, but as time passes, trust that your loved ones will see the value in your tradition. Trust that these important recurring activities will solidify family bonds. Trust that they will instill the love that is at the heart of all traditions.

Don’t have any traditions? It is not too late to start! Host an annual gingerbread cookie party. Give your family matching pajamas on Christmas Eve. Eat a green and red meal on Christmas Eve. Cut down a real Christmas tree. Feed the homeless at a soup kitchen. You can start now to create cherished memories that will encourage togetherness and will be timeless. And trust that these traditions will bring more love and unity!

Good luck with your holiday traditions and if you need help getting organized for the holiday, I am happy to assist!