Labor day allows for that last long weekend to spend as a family and to say goodbye to another summer. The celebration of Labor day with a parade and public festival was originally outlined in the proposal for the holiday. Today however, most laborers prefer to celebrate their day off peacefully with close family and friends, rather than attending parades and festivals.
This got me thinking about tradition. From black and white movie nights, hiding pickles in the Christmas tree, and writing the initials of the Magi with chalk on the door frame. Recently I have had the pleasure of hearing of some great family traditions, both serious and comical. For instance, a family we know chooses to commemorate the beginning and end of each school year with some fun family traditions that their children will no doubt cherish into adulthood. On the last day of the school year both parents take a half day from work in order to make sure that they are there to greet their children at the bus stop...with fully loaded Super Soakers! The kids look forward to the inevitable cat and mouse chase on their last day, in which their child-hearted parents run after them, giving them their first taste of summer!
Tradition is defined as a belief or behavior with special significance and origins that is passed down within a group or society. Religious traditions are sometimes as pivotal to the faith as the Word of God itself, and following these unwritten truths is required in maintaining orthodoxy. These rich traditions of faith and culture are truly beautiful, but the challenge often becomes remembering the origin and the meaning and purpose of the tradition in the first place. If you are familiar with the play, "The Fiddler on the Roof," then you may recall the popular song about Hebrew Tradition. In said song, the singer tells about the traditions of their faith and culture, at one point stating, "You may ask, how did this tradition get started? I'll tell you. I don't know."
As wonderful as it is to uncover one's heritage and ancestry, it is even greater a prize to truly understand the deep development of one's faith history and to be able to share that with others who question religious traditions. Through birth or adoption into the family of God, we share in a rich history uniting us all eternally and incorporating us into beliefs and behaviors oriented in God Himself. The Fiddler on the Roof song lyrics describe Tradition as a way that the Hebrew people have kept their balance, known who they are, and what God expects of them.
As we prepare to gather around our family tables for holidays abounding in traditions, let us remember the origins and be able to explain the meanings to our own curious children. Let our holidays become learning experiences and reminders of cultural festivities to take pride in, as well as Biblical narratives we want committed to the memory of the heart.
This got me thinking about tradition. From black and white movie nights, hiding pickles in the Christmas tree, and writing the initials of the Magi with chalk on the door frame. Recently I have had the pleasure of hearing of some great family traditions, both serious and comical. For instance, a family we know chooses to commemorate the beginning and end of each school year with some fun family traditions that their children will no doubt cherish into adulthood. On the last day of the school year both parents take a half day from work in order to make sure that they are there to greet their children at the bus stop...with fully loaded Super Soakers! The kids look forward to the inevitable cat and mouse chase on their last day, in which their child-hearted parents run after them, giving them their first taste of summer!
Tradition is defined as a belief or behavior with special significance and origins that is passed down within a group or society. Religious traditions are sometimes as pivotal to the faith as the Word of God itself, and following these unwritten truths is required in maintaining orthodoxy. These rich traditions of faith and culture are truly beautiful, but the challenge often becomes remembering the origin and the meaning and purpose of the tradition in the first place. If you are familiar with the play, "The Fiddler on the Roof," then you may recall the popular song about Hebrew Tradition. In said song, the singer tells about the traditions of their faith and culture, at one point stating, "You may ask, how did this tradition get started? I'll tell you. I don't know."
As wonderful as it is to uncover one's heritage and ancestry, it is even greater a prize to truly understand the deep development of one's faith history and to be able to share that with others who question religious traditions. Through birth or adoption into the family of God, we share in a rich history uniting us all eternally and incorporating us into beliefs and behaviors oriented in God Himself. The Fiddler on the Roof song lyrics describe Tradition as a way that the Hebrew people have kept their balance, known who they are, and what God expects of them.
As we prepare to gather around our family tables for holidays abounding in traditions, let us remember the origins and be able to explain the meanings to our own curious children. Let our holidays become learning experiences and reminders of cultural festivities to take pride in, as well as Biblical narratives we want committed to the memory of the heart.
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