Holiday Traditions
Unusual Holiday Traditions
What people remember and look forward to every holiday season isn't the gifts and goodies -- okay, not only the gifts and goodies. Folks eagerly anticipate the traditions and rituals that they celebrate together, especially those that go beyond the expected and become unique and special to a particular family or group of friends.
"The traditions that a family chooses or creates themselves will probably be sustained for a much longer time and have more positive effects than something imposed on them by the much-maligned Hallmark," says Barbara Fiese, PhD, professor and chair of psychology at Syracuse University.
What kind of positive effects? Fiese's research has shown that meaningful rituals contribute to family members' psychological health and emotional well-being. Also, children reared in families that ascribe a lot of meaning to ritual tend to feel less anxiety, a greater sense of belonging to a group, and a stronger sense of identity.
The same goes for groups of friends who create traditions together -- especially, perhaps, for those who do so in place of family rituals. "Creating a holiday ritual with friends elevates those pals to the status of surrogate family, and it makes you feel anchored to a place and people that you care about," says Marla Paul, author of The Friendship Crisis: Finding, Making, and Keeping Friends When You're Not a Kid Anymore (Rodale, 2004). And sometimes, she adds, "gatherings with friends are more stress-free, even more joyful, than family gatherings."
The last line of this article is sad but true alot of times I think because we pick our friends and unfortunately the same is not true of our family If you don't get along with family , find friends to create that special tradition ..
What people remember and look forward to every holiday season isn't the gifts and goodies -- okay, not only the gifts and goodies. Folks eagerly anticipate the traditions and rituals that they celebrate together, especially those that go beyond the expected and become unique and special to a particular family or group of friends.
"The traditions that a family chooses or creates themselves will probably be sustained for a much longer time and have more positive effects than something imposed on them by the much-maligned Hallmark," says Barbara Fiese, PhD, professor and chair of psychology at Syracuse University.
What kind of positive effects? Fiese's research has shown that meaningful rituals contribute to family members' psychological health and emotional well-being. Also, children reared in families that ascribe a lot of meaning to ritual tend to feel less anxiety, a greater sense of belonging to a group, and a stronger sense of identity.
The same goes for groups of friends who create traditions together -- especially, perhaps, for those who do so in place of family rituals. "Creating a holiday ritual with friends elevates those pals to the status of surrogate family, and it makes you feel anchored to a place and people that you care about," says Marla Paul, author of The Friendship Crisis: Finding, Making, and Keeping Friends When You're Not a Kid Anymore (Rodale, 2004). And sometimes, she adds, "gatherings with friends are more stress-free, even more joyful, than family gatherings."
The last line of this article is sad but true alot of times I think because we pick our friends and unfortunately the same is not true of our family If you don't get along with family , find friends to create that special tradition ..
posted by Rochelle @ 6:20 AM
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