Look at a strong family and you are likely to find one with strong family traditions. Whether it is activities that the family always does, the everyday routines or ways they celebrate holidays and special occasions, these family rituals bring a sense of belonging, familiarity and routine to family members. In strong families, members become more committed to each other when they spend time together and create bonds. Traditions provide a sense of continuity, understanding, connectedness and love that strengthens family closeness. Family traditions are also opportunities for families to have “good times” and establish “good memories.” Rituals touch the hearts of family members in a positive way and help members feel good about themselves and each other.

Wayne Matthews, human development specialist with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, explains that family traditions reflect relationships between family members and how the family interacts with the community, culture or religion. Traditions help form the story line for a family’s unique history with each generation adding or deleting certain traditions that enhance the family story.

Matthews shares other benefits of family traditions.

Family Traditions:

• Encourage family members to spend time together. Quality time together is necessary to build and maintain strong family relationships.
• Allow members of the family to share the ups and downs of life, supporting one another when problems arise and celebrating the successes when they occur.
• Help establish and communicate what is really important to a family and its members – its values, its belief system and its place in the larger world.
• Provide a means of working out the family’s interpersonal dynamics, dealing with conflict, hurt feelings and misunderstandings.
• Provide a means of sharing love, laughter, loyalty, unity and a sense of commitment.

Ask for family input on how your family can enhance your family’s traditions.