We all have our long standing traditions around family events, specific holidays and even seasons, but there is always room for new traditions. Whether it’s something completely new to your family or a revision of a long standing family practice, creating new traditions with your kids is a wonderful way to welcome the season of renewal and make some mighty memories.
Easter, Passover, spring training, spring cleaning, daffodils…these are all things that mark the rise of the spring season. They involve various combinations of family, friends, believes, passions, beauty, necessity – and are all wonderful. But is there more you’d like to do? Or something different? Is there a tradition your grandmother used to do that you’d like to revive? Traditions can be big or small, simple or complex, quiet or loud. Most of all, traditions at any time of the year, for any reason, are about what makes something special and meaningful for you and your family.
Indoor traditions
Sure, spring cleaning is a tradition among many – and very helpful for clearing the mind and the house of cobwebs and clutter. But what about other indoor spring traditions? Do you have some spring decor to bring out in March to start brightening the house?
Do you change how you cook in the spring? Is the first serving of asparagus risotto what does it for your family? Or is it a day baking and decorating flower shaped sugar cookies? Try finding some new recipes with local, seasonal ingredients – or simply adding bright food coloring to a regular recipe just for silly fun.
Find out 5 Ways to bring spring into your home.
Outdoor traditions
Particularly in northern regions, the outdoor spring clean up is a noted effort after the snow and storms of winter. There is much to be done and it can be a tradition, yes, but what about creating something new within that chore? What about choosing a garden area or a nice planter for the first flat of pansies from the garden center, or choosing a new rose bush each spring as a reward for making it through another snowy winter?
Get more tips on how to start gardening with your kids.
Maybe your outdoor tradition isn’t garden related. Maybe it’s the first extended family pickup baseball game in the yard or park – even if there is still mud or even snow. Maybe it can be building a new bluebird house each year and erecting it for the birds you hope to lure to your little corner of the world.
Outings
Traditions don’t have to be anything more than the effort to be together. You could decide that on the weekend closest to the spring equinox each you, you and your family go camping, or on a favorite hike? You could make that the annual day you go to the local art museum or botanical garden. You could also use it as a day of commemoration and visit the gravesites of loved ones to plant new flowers and just remember.
Traditions at any time of year are what you make of them. Whether it’s continuing what has been happening for years or creating a new tradition with your growing family, traditions are what tie us to time and place and build comfort and community. This year, try creating a new tradition for welcoming spring.
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