The Importance of Traditions
Hello, and a warm welcome to you all,
At last Spring has arrived, and with it an early Easter. How are you planning to mark the Spring weekend break this year?
Traditions and regular celebrations are an important part of our lives. They’re a way of marking the passage of time and of revisiting activities we’ve come to love, such as particular meals or ceremonies.
During our focus on relationships this month, I’ve highlighted the way important others in our lives reinforce our sense of who we are. Traditions do this as well. The way we celebrate a particular holiday reflects our ethnic, religious and cultural identities. Doing the same thing year on year also provides a feeling of flow, of time connected throughout our past and up until right now.
We also feel a greater sense of safety and purpose when ceremonies are repeated every year, a feeling that we know what to do and can predict what this day will bring. I’m sure you’ve noticed how calming it is for your dogs when you maintain a sense of structure to their day, when you create a schedule that allows them to know when it’s time to carry out a particular routine and what’s likely to come next. It's no different for us humans! We, too, flourish when we can see ahead clearly.
Even more important for our purposes this month, traditions encourage social connection. When Christmas or Easter or another important calendar marker approaches, we start to think about whom we would like to share this special time. Who will it be for you this year? Who have you missed and would love to see again over Easter?
Finally, to make this Spring break even more meaningful, why not create a new tradition? Think about the people you know, people in your ‘loose ties’ group. Is there someone who’s on their own, who perhaps seems lonely or is feeling down because of a tough time recently? Why not invite them to share your traditions this Spring weekend? It will enrich your experience, and it certainly will bring them joy.
Until next time, all my best,
Linda