Photo by Ellen Redding
From Thanksgiving Burgoo to New Year’s Day polar plunges, family traditions create memories that last a lifetime.
Every holiday seems to come with its own family traditions. Maybe it’s a Fourth of July trip, an Easter egg hunt or a Halloween pumpkin-carving party. Whatever the occasion, these familiar rituals have a way of bringing people together and creating memories that last long after the decorations are put away.
One of my favorite traditions is our family’s Day After Thanksgiving Burgoo.
We wake up early, and everyone gets involved in chopping vegetables. My brother gets the kettle ready and heated, and then the daylong process begins. Each ingredient must be added at just the right time, and the burgoo must be stirred constantly. Throughout the day, everyone takes a turn with the paddle. No one gets to sit on the sidelines for long!
But our burgoo is about much more than a big pot of soup. It’s a family gathering filled with conversation, laughter and storytelling. It’s a chance to catch up, reconnect and make new memories while carrying on an old tradition.
Curious about which traditions had stayed with my children over the years, I asked them to share some of their favorite holiday memories. I loved hearing their answers, especially when they mentioned moments that were favorites of mine, too. Many of those memories included not only family but also the friends who became part of our holiday celebrations.
My son Scott remembers dyeing Easter eggs with our friends, the Vickers and the Nords. Afterward, the eggs were kept for weeks, becoming props for games of hide-and-seek. Looking back, I’m not sure how long those eggs should have lasted, but the fun they inspired clearly made an impression!
Halloween brought its own special memories. Downtown trick-or-treating and the annual costume contest at the tennis courts showcased some of the best homemade costumes around. It was a time when creativity took center stage and everyone enjoyed seeing what children — and their families — had dreamed up.
Thanksgiving and Christmas also hold a special place in Scott’s memory. He remembers Christmas Eve with his grandparents, followed by midnight Mass at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Christmas Day meant the annual Berry family reunion at the Atkinson Park shelter.
That reunion has long since ended, following the passing of the older siblings who hosted it. Yet I’m so glad the gathering left such a lasting impression on a little boy. It’s a reminder that we may not realize which moments will stay with our children, but those shared experiences can become treasured memories.
As our family changed over the years, so did some of our traditions. After my husband’s parents passed away and our children moved away, our Christmas Eve celebrations took on a new form: making homemade Christmas cookies.
I would prepare the dough, and then everyone would make and decorate a cutout cookie of their own. The goal may have been to leave a few treats for Santa, but that rarely happened. The cookies were simply too tempting to make it all the way to his plate!
I also enjoyed hearing about the traditions other families have created and carried on.
Sally Wedding and her family grow pumpkins, and each year at harvest time, the children and grandchildren gather to collect them and choose their favorites. What a wonderful way to celebrate the season while making memories together!
Rhonda Gillham and her family enjoy a gingerbread house-building contest, combining holiday creativity with a little friendly competition. Jean and Terry Carver’s family makes cookies and attends midnight Mass at Holy Name Catholic Church, bringing together the pleasures of baking and the meaning of the season.
Beth and Jud Royster have found a fun way to engage the entire family with a Saran Wrap ball game. The wrapped ball is passed around as music plays, adding excitement and laughter as everyone waits for a turn.
And then there’s the tradition of Ann and John Hodge, who have hosted a polar plunge in their lake every New Year’s Day since 2009. Young and old join in, but there’s one important rule: It doesn’t count unless your head goes under the water!
After the plunge, participants can warm up in the hot tub, enjoy plenty of food and spend time visiting with friends and family. It’s certainly one way to start a new year with enthusiasm — and a story to tell!
Although these traditions look different from one family to another, they all share something important. They give us a reason to gather, a connection to our past and something to look forward to in the future. Some traditions are passed down through generations, while others begin with a simple idea that becomes so much fun everyone wants to do it again next year.
Traditions also evolve as families grow and change. Children become adults, loved ones pass away, and new generations bring fresh ideas to familiar celebrations. Sometimes an old tradition fades, while another takes its place. What matters most is not necessarily how long a tradition has existed, but the love and togetherness it creates.
Years from now, our children may not remember every gift they received or every meal they ate. But they may remember stirring a kettle of burgoo, decorating a Christmas cookie, hunting for Easter eggs with friends or gathering with relatives at a park on Christmas Day.
Those are the moments that become part of a family’s story.
So, what are your family traditions? Have they been passed down through generations, or are they newer traditions you’ve created along the way? Whether it’s a holiday gathering, a special recipe, a friendly competition or a daring dip into a cold lake, I’d love to hear about the traditions that make your family’s celebrations special.
After all, the best traditions aren’t just about what we do. They’re about the people we share them with — and the memories we make together.
Calling all Hendersonians!