Traditions where you live (Family or Community)

[Jolly Blue Giant]

There's a couple of traditions in my community that I think are great. The first one is my old school, where each year, the H.S. seniors take the kindergarten kids out and together, they plant a tree for each kindergartener. We have a huge flat field with basketball courts, tennis courts, six soccer fields and four ball diamonds, and a lot of free space being developed into a massive park, so the trees help build the future park. The older kids help the younger kids, but allow the young ones to use a shovel and any other tools needed, and to carry a bucket of water from the river to water the tree after it's planted. When done, they shake hands and move on. Now, when the kindergarten student becomes a senior, he or she gets to see how much the tree has grown that they planted 13 years ago, and the whole circle comes back around. And for those who don't move away after graduation, they can point out a tree to their kids or grandkids and let them know they planted that tree. Personally, I think it's great

The Syracuse Orange football team has a tradition each year, called "The Burning of the Shoes". Each player has to bring the shoes they wore the previous year and throw them into the small bonfire. The coach speaks about "nothing that happened last year matters...it's a fresh new start, even if you had a great year before, this one is going to be different and even better...etc." I think it's cool. Although, as I watched each player take their turn throwing their shoes in the fire, some looked a little disappointed as they threw in a 250.00 pair of fancy Nikes that looked new...LOL

Family traditions: My parents had 6 children, 29 grandchildren, and many more great-grandchildren, and even great-great-grandchildren. We have a big family (over 60 1st cousins, several I've never met). Each of my brothers and sisters had plenty of children, as did I (4 to be exact). Because of it, the cost of buying Christmas presents around the horn was too expensive, so each year we held a "White Elephant Christmas Party". It was only among adults, as some of the gifts were pretty perverted. The idea was to find something around the house you no longer needed or wanted, and wrap it up nice and pretty (with no name tag or who it was from of course...which meant a lot, because everyone knew who to avoid...LOL) and put it under the tree. We'd sit around in a big circle and each person would take a turn and pick a present, one person at a time. The rules were, that if you already had a turn and got a present, then you could demand to trade with a person that just got a gift. Rarely happened, as most of the gifts were crap gifts that would later be thrown away. I once got a plastic Santa Claus figurine that when you pushed his head down, his hands would throw open his robe and an erect member would pop up...lol. Good ole Uncle Joe. Anyway, we'd laugh until our sides hurt over each gift being opened. Saved us a ton of money and was one of the most fun things we did as a family. Note: if you try this at home, the prettiest packaged gift is probably the worst one...lol

A few of my crazy gifts...a rubber chicken, and one year, shorts with a plastic bare ass and a coconut carved like a monkey





Another family tradition, is that we all have to bring a specialty dish for Thanksgiving. I've been bringing my caramelized mashed buttered-rutabaga every year for close to 40 years. And everyone insists that I bring it

[ozzie]

Jolly, I'm just going to say I LOVE the tree planting tradition between the seniors and kindergarteners!
What a great sense of Community that must create and I bet both the young 'uns just starting out and the young adults both get a thrill doing it.

[LennG]

 I ahve several 'traditions' for watching Giants football that haven't changed in God knows how long. They are just my personal things. MY wife is great about things l;like this and just allows me to be me and does what she can to 'keep me happy'. Like on f football Sunday, we never eat a family dinner. Instead I eat a brunch of am omlete, home fried potatoes a veggie pattie (since we don't eat meat with dairy) and some rye toast. I like this to happen just at 1;00 for kickoff, regardless if the Giants are playing. As long as I can remember, my wife has made sure this happens and she has done it for all these years whenever we are home.      

As for family, I envy you Ric as we have a very limited family. I have one brother who lives in Colorado, and my wife has one brother who, let's just say, isn't the friendliest person around. We have 3 children, 2 living local and one in PA where our grandkids are, so having a family thing is getting harder and harder.
 Most of our  'family' traditions are about holidays. For the first time since we have been married and it was 50 years this June, this April we  did not make a Passover Seder. This ahs been our thing again since we have been married and ever since. Everyone came to us since it is holiday we do not travel. So we always had a houseful of people. This past year we  ended that tradition by going to my son's house in PA. It is easier for us to travel before-hand than for them to pack up 4 kids and pp to Long Island. Whoi knows what will be next year, but for now, my son has taken on this new tradition.

[ozzie]

I live in the Dallas area and about the only "Tradition" I can think of is The State Fair of Texas which commences near the end of September and runs through the month October. My wife and I went once when we first moved down here and then once more when our kids were old enough to go. In the 30 years I've been here, that was more than enough for me.
It is a very big deal for Texans and folks come from all parts of the state to attend. Schools close for "Fair Days" and give all the students free tickets to attend and there are all the usual rides and blue ribbon competitions.
I get the feeling I would enjoy a State Fair atmosphere in other states, but to be honest, the Texas Fair is not in the best neighborhood and it is crazy expensive, at least to me.

Family traditions are another story. We have quite a few and most revolve around holidays. My favorite one is what we call "Elf Night". It may seem silly to most, but here it is.....In the week leading up to Christmas we will set aside a night for watching Christmas movies.
Before the movies get rolling, we all choose our spot in the family room and set up our bed for the night. The wife and I are usually on the sofas and the girls on air mattresses on the floor. PJ's on, bedding laid out and popcorn popped, we're ready to roll.
As you may have guessed, Elf is always on the agenda, along with the original, animated Dr. Suess' How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Then we will choose one or two others to round out the evening. When the movies are finished and everyone is good and tired we all settle down and sleep together in the family room in the glow of the Christmas tree.
This is something we started when our daughters were young as a one night thing and it just sort of blossomed into tradition. The best thing about it is that my girls are now 30 and 27 years old and they still look forward to it every year!