Holidays and Traditions -

 I was asked to speak to an Intermountain group on Diversity and Holidays. 

Below are a few points I shared: 

Celebrations, Traditions, Rituals, serve 4 purposes in a community (group of people): 

1. Entertain  2. Educate  3. Social Control  4. Reinforce the Values of the Community

There are three mediums in which folk ways (the ways of the people/folk) are presented: 

1. Verbal (things we say)   2. Material (things we make)  3. Customary (things we do)

In order for a folk way to remain alive it must: Change over time, and the community (family, city, group, team, organization) will adapt and adopt other traditions and their own, to meet their needs. 

Awareness of an event and the traditions surrounding, must be recognized before they can be disregarded. 

What does this all mean? 

"Every year we go around the table and everyone has to share one thing their grateful for." Entertain, Educate, Reinforce the Values

"What? You don't eat turkey? Everyone has to take at least a piece of Dad's smoked turkey!" Educate, Social Control, Reinforce the Values

"The adults sit at this table, teenagers at this one, kids sit here." Educate, Social Control Reinforce the Values

"Grandpa, tell that story about the time you tried deep frying a turkey in a milk can!" Entertain, Educate

"What are you doing for Thanksgiving this year?" Verbal and Material and Customary

"What are you baking for Thanksgiving this year?"  Material, Customary

"We're having pizza this year; It's just going to be two of us, and I don't want to cook." Verbal, Material, Customary, and awareness of the tradition, in order to not participate. 

"We have turkey for dinner, but we also have shrimp cocktails, my daughter-in-law's tradition that she wants to carry on." Adopting

"Grandma made the best sour dough rolls for Thanksgiving dinner, but I fail at that. So I've ordered rolls from Kneader's, not as good, but still pretty darn good." Adapting, changing over time in order to remain alive. 

"This year, instead of Thanksgiving dinner, let's make sandwiches and go to a movie. We'll have a traditional dinner next year." Acknowledge the tradition, do something different. 

"It's time for someone else to host, time to pass the baton on to the next generation." Changes over time in order to stay alive. 

Next up - A Walker Family Dinner Party -