I’ve been reading Everyday Traditions: Simple Family Rituals for Connection and Comfort by Nava Atlas. If you’re a parent who is looking to create meaningful traditions for your family not only at holiday time, but daily, you should read this book. The 2006 Grand Prize Winner of the 14th Annual Writer’s Digest International Self-Published Book Awards, Everyday Traditions will show you a myriad of ways to create unique celebrations and comforting rituals that will reflect your family’s values and interests.

There are suggestions for daily daily or weekly rituals around family dinner and bedtime routines. There are also examples of seasonal rituals like gardening at springtime. There are also ideas for annual celebrations like holidays, birthdays and anniversaries. Nanva also includes a friendship rituals with ways to spend time with friends as well family members.

Each chapter has a resource guide with book suggestions. Everyday Traditions also has a workbook area for recording your own family traditons. This is a book you can dip into time and time again, and will serve as a reference guide to bringing your family and friends closer through rituals. (Click here to read an excerpt on the Writer’s Digest website or check out the Everyday Traditions website.)

Food Traditions

Many of our family’s traditions revolve around food. On special holidays or birthdays, my husband Paul will make corn pancakes. He was introduced to these when he was a grad student living in Berlin, Germany. His friend Thomas invented them, and is very amused this has become our family’s breakfast celebration food because considers it poor student food.

Basically, the pancakes are a mixture of flour, egg and milk. We don’t have exact measurements so Paul makes them by feel. Start with a cup or two of flour, an egg or two, and add enough milk to make a thick batter. Then add a can of corn (drained) and some finely chopped onions, a bit of cooked bacon or sausage, and salt and pepper to taste. Fry up in oil like a potato pancake and serve with lots of ketchup. Delicious! 

What are some of your family traditions? Share them below!

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