Traditions connect people and create a sense of belonging through shared experiences. Whether we are talking about cultural or religious traditions, such as large-scale holidays and festivals, or family traditions like family game night or an annual outing, one thing is for sure: traditions help us feel connected to each other and to our roots and offer a prospect we can look forward to.
Immigrants face the hurdle of integrating their cultural traditions into a new society. Staying rooted in their heritage is as important as adapting to their new environment. Their cultural traditions are the link to their homeland, their ancestors, and their own personal story. They serve as the foundation for their emotional well-being, especially during times of transition.
I wish I had known this when I started a family. I didn’t care for cultural traditions; I thought they were simply boring. When my dad insisted on celebrating “random” occasions I thought he was being closed minded and old fashioned. I didn’t realize he was trying to keep the traditions he grew up with alive.
I didn’t care about any of that and adapted a non-traditional lifestyle. I was personally affected by the consequences of my rash decisions after we moved to the U.S. I was shocked to discover that I had actually missed those “silly” traditions. I longed for them. I tried unsuccessfully to recreate them. But it was too late. I was already uprooted, and I uprooted my entire family along with me.
I still had reservations about traditions, and I resisted any form of celebration for a long time, until I gave in and started creating our own unique, integrated traditions. A mix from here and there that ended up being just our own, which, although fun and new and uniquely ours, still felt isolating in a way. “No one else does that,” I was told by my kids before, “but we love it that way.” Phew, right?
Except for Christmas. My kids love Christmas. One day, I was out running errands and came back to a fully decorated house, complete with a lit tree with ornaments and garlands, and Christmas music on. It was November first! I guess it is a new tradition.
The silver lining is that, although my kids and I are not rooted in our culture, we can still develop, shape, and fully embrace our own unique identities. That is something I’m very proud of.
We have some budding traditions that are ever-growing, and we tend to them regularly with our own birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, weekends, celebrations, and the list goes on. And I’m learning to be more open to new traditions, repetitions, and even routines.
