Students embrace traditions as holiday break nears

by AMANDA RUNION
Staff writer

Families have passed down customs, beliefs and legends for generations, each with its own special twist on traditions from family before them. With the holidays upon us, the desire to be with family becomes stronger and these traditions come to the forefront of our minds. By definition, a tradition is something that is handed down, which includes recipes from your great-great grandma on your father’s side to the recipe for fruit cake that no one eats anymore.

Traditions are an interesting concept. They can include the decision made years ago to eat ham instead of turkey or the demand for grandma’s pecan pie rather than Sara Lee’s pumpkin pie because, well, it’s always been pecan pie. During meal time, homemade cuisine is what some were brought up with,  while others are used to the selections Kroger or Walmart have to offer. Today, even family dinners at Bob Evans can become traditional. 

Traditions are not limited to recipes, however. They can include anything from being able to open just one special present on Christmas Eve before tearing into the pile on Christmas Day or going out into society and giving someone a Thanksgiving or Christmas to remember when they have nothing to give in return. The selfless act of giving each and every year can also be a tradition. 

Traditions can be off beat, such as the Christmas pickle. Believe it or not, this is a tradition in the U.S. that was once an old world tradition. A pickle is hung on the tree on Christmas Eve after children are put to bed, and the first child to find it on Christmas morning receives an extra present and good luck for the year to come. 

They can also be used to keep otherwise naughty children nice. This is the case with the Elf on the Shelf, a bendable doll that helps keep bad behavior under control in young children. The elf is found every morning in a different location, doing something slightly naughty. The elf also reports back to Santa each night. Take a walk through the holiday aisles in a store and you’re sure to find a standing army of elves on the shelves. This tradition has gained momentum through social media outlets, but each family has a different twist on the concept.

Even watching The Christmas Story that plays on Christmas Day for 24 hours straight can be a tradition families enjoy each year. (Thankfully, my family no longer watches it the whole day. Some traditions can definitely become hassles, to say the least.)

​The beauty of traditions is that even the simplest thing, such as a pickle, can become part of future family gatherings. ​