Anytime Traditions

Today is the official first day of fall, or the fall equinox. If you noticed, the amount of daylight and darkness were almost exactly the same - about 12 hours of each.

While we look forward to cooler temperatures and brightly colored leaves on the mountains, the equinox has historically been a day of celebration for many different peoples. Stonehenge is probably one of the best-known sites that incorporates a way to determine the equinoxes (spring and fall) and solstices (summer and winter) into the alignment of the stones. How or why exactly, no one knows for sure. Ireland has megalithic cairns that are placed to capture the sunlight on specific days each year, and the Mayans and Native Americans also built temples to display patterns of triangles of light during these times, as well as other stone structures.

The early Christian church, in an effort to shift pagan celebrations into religious observances, replaced the fall equinox with Michaelmas, the feast of the Archangel Michael. This was a kind of thanksgiving celebration, since it took place just after the harvest.

One tradition my family and I enjoy at this time of year is taking a drive through the nearby mountains for a look at the autumn leaves. There are spots where the brilliant reds and yellows transform entire valleys into a riot of color, so beautiful it almost aches. We also try and fit in the last warm-weather hike of the year, though with a 2-year-old we might have to modify that tradition a bit to meet the needs of short little legs.

What are your favorite autumn traditions?

As the welcome three-day weekend approached this September, I started to think about traditions centered around the Labor Day holiday. I realized that I know very little about this particular holiday, and so decided to post a brief bit of history from my research.

According to the US Department of Labor website (www.dol.gov), Labor Day is "a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers." (Hmmm. That's me!) "It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country."

The first Labor Day was celebrated in New York City in 1882, but it didn't become a national holiday until Congress passed an act declaring it a legal holiday in 1894. The original proposal outlines how we should celebrate Labor Day: a street parade dedicated to the trade and labor organizations, followed by a festival "for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families."

Today, Labor Day has become less about trade and labor organizations and more about that last "fling" of the summer. For many, the Labor Day weekend is the last camping trip of the year. Others schedule the first hunt of the season. Sports fans anticipate the beginning of the college football season. And, for the rest of us, there are still parades, flags, speeches, barbecues, picnics, and that one last trip to the beach or water park.

In short, the form the Labor Day celebration takes is as unique as the community celebrating it.

If you've got a fun Labor Day tradition, please share! As for me and my family, I think we're going to fire up the grill, slather on the sunscreen, and spend a little free time in the great out-of-doors!

A fun family tradition to consider (or reflect upon, as the case may be) is the Summer Camping Trip. Growing up, camping was a frequent family activity, and we explored many a remote location stuffed helter-skelter inside a sweltering camper. While it was only after I moved up and out that my family settled on a location to frequent each year (a friend's cabin in the mountains southeast of home), camping was a big part of our family identity all through my childhood.

That being said, it may be a surprise to you that I do not particularly enjoy camping. I like hiking, and being outdoors, but the whole sleeping-on-the-ground and dirt-and-bugs thing (not to mention the whole peeing-in-the-bushes thing, a rare but unfortunate necessity at times) are definitely not at the top of my list of favorite things. For this reason, we don't go camping often, but we do go camping, and here's why:

Camping is a great way to encourage the members of a family to work together toward a common goal - your mutual comfort and survival. During the regular course of our busy lives, we rely heavily on modern conveniences to allow us to accomplish our many tasks, rushing through them to accomplish yet more tasks. Camping allows us time to slow down and reconnect in ways that are often not possible at home. We can learn a great deal about ourselves and our family members as we struggle and work together. We are forced to deal with discomfort, boredom, and inconvenience, annoyances that are often all too easy to avoid. We can learn cooperation, self-reliance, and tolerance. And, we can take the time to stop and look around us at this world that supports us, and cultivate within ourselves a gratitude for the infinite and universal wisdom of a plan that provides so much for us. For me, if I can spark a small sense of appreciation for the natural beauty and wonders of the world in the hearts and minds of my children, it is all worth it.

And, if nothing else, it's a great excuse to get really, really dirty once in a while! I am convinced that I never appreciate a long shower more than after I've gone without for a few days - heavenly!

As a new school year fast approaches, I find the memories of dozens of "first days" glinting behind the hustle and bustle of shopping, open houses, and paperwork that precede that opening bell. I recently saw a television spot where the kids are gathered around the schoolhouse doors, counting down to the morning bell like revelers in Times Square on New Year's Eve. "Three...two...one...Happy School Year!" they cry, and rush into the building amidst cheering and excited laughter. What a happy little fiction they have shown to us!

In reality, your First Day of School may bear absolutely no resemblance whatsoever to the vignette I've described. In fact, many times anxiety, fear, and even tears show up during the course of this often stress-filled and highly emotional day. And I'm not just talking about the kids! I'll admit it, I cried the first time my baby climbed those school bus steps by herself. And the second. But soon, we developed a routine, complete with our own little tender rituals of hugs and kisses that helped ease the anxiety of separation.

Out of such small moments are strong family traditions created. Traditions can help us through some of the most intense emotional experiences of our lives. They help us come together, strengthening the bonds between family members while creating poignant memories that become the rich texture of the fabric of our lives.

One tradition that I have cultivated over the years is the First Day of School photo. I have made an effort to take a picture of each child, dressed to impress, backpack on, just before they head out the door on that very first morning. They like to set these photos side by side and watch themselves as they've grown from timid preschooler to confident middle graders. I think they find a certain reassurance in this simple custom, a continuity that helps them face the relative unknown with the quiet confidence that they've done this before, and therefore they can absolutely do it again.

If you'd like to share your family traditions for the First Day of School (or other school-related traditions) please do so! We'd love to hear from you!

I am starting a new collection today - a collection of unique family traditions!

I am asking for submissions for my little collection from you, my friends and family. While I welcome traditions related to holidays, I am particularly looking for unique, unusual, or creative tradition ideas for all of the other days and events of the year. To get those creative juices flowing, here's a short list of suggested themes to consider: school-related (first day, last day, graduation, etc.); neighbors; service; reunion, grandparents, or extended family; Earth Day and "going green"; Groundhog Day; tooth fairy or other childhood traditions; chores; coming of age; specific brithdays, milestones, performance, etc. Remember, this list is just a start - feel free to add to it as you like. I am especially looking for traditions that have brought your family closer together, and that have created fond memories that you and your family continue to cherish.

Now, you may be asking - so what? What am I going to do with all of these traditions? I envision this little collection becoming a book, a kind of reference guide for families looking to start new traditions, add to existing traditions, or perhaps update traditions that some family members may have outgrown. While traditions are definitely a way to connect us to our past, I also see tradition as the glue that keeps a family closer together - and keeps 'em coming back for more! Traditions are not only about the past, but about our futures, too.

So please, if you have a few minutes and a good story, let's hear about it! Submit here on this blog, or send me an email. Anyone who sends in a story that is selected for use in my book will receive a copy of the book - free! (c'mon, does it get any better than that?!?)