Of Holiday Traditions - Be Careful You Don't Break "Tradition"

One of our family's holiday traditions is to watch a movie after the after-dinner conversation of the feast. This tradition began back in the early days of home VCRs. That first year I had given my parents their first VCR as a present, and had brought along a tape of the "family friendly movie" type for everyone to enjoy. The next year I gave movies as presents to some family members, and again brought another "special" movie for us all to share during the holidays.

This continued for several years until one year ... I did give more movies as gifts, I think this was the year I gave my brother's family their first DVD player, but ... after the table was cleared, leftovers stored away, and dishes washed, my brother asked, "what's this year's movie"? OMG! I had forgotten to bring the "special" movie for after the feast! The whole house, three generations of extended family, was in chaos! "Oh No! MrBill had NO after-feast movie!" ... whatever shall we do?

I had broken "tradition", a tradition that I had even founded and perpetuated. You see, if you begin doing something, and continue to do it year after year, it becomes expected, maybe unconsciously expected, but an expectation that is looked forward to none-the-less. Just like my mother's standing rib roast and Yorkshire pudding that is the centerpiece of our family's holiday dinner, it is expected, it is ... TRADITION!

So, as "tradition" dictates, I will again bring a "special" movie for the entire family to watch after we gorge on the traditional standing rib roast and Yorkshire pudding feast, have coffee and pie, store the leftovers and wash the dishes. The traditional movie is usually of the light-hearted comedy romp genre, occasionally animated, and with the arrivals of my three little monkeys had to become kid friendly. Last year "Hairspray", which was a huge hit with my dancing nieces, was added to the long running list of films that have played on our holiday-after-feast movie screening.

Once begun, traditions are hard to break, especially family holiday traditions. And even though a particular "tradition" tends to happen only once a year at most, you better remember them and take care not break a family tradition, especially during the holidays!

2008 © MrBill
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