Family Traditions
By: Darby McNeal
Bowling on Thanksgiving
During Thanksgiving my step dad's half of the family goes bowling. We get a 5 dollar bill to start with, once you get a strike you get the dollar. But the only way to keep it is if you get the last strike in the game. Plus we always go to see which one of the adults can get a turkey! (3 strikes in a row) After we are done with our games we always go back to my Grandma's house to eat!
Every Christmas Eve my Papa writes a poem to read
Every year he writes a poem to read aloud to the family before everyone opens their presents. Last year was the last one he wrote before he died shortly before Christmas. But the tradition will go on, and my Nana will continue to write them in memory of my Papa.
Wishbone
Every year on Thanksgiving me and my brother get to break the wishbone from the turkey. Even though there is a ton of kids Grant and I always get to
White Elephant
On Christmas we go to my step dad's mom's house and play white elephant. Which is a game where you put ridiculous present in the middle of a pile and everyone gets a number. 1 gets to go first to pick there gift, once they unwrap it anyone can steal it. but it only can be stolen once. So the game goes on and you end up with the most ridiculous gifts.
Easter Egg Hunt
No matter how old I get, my mom's mom makes us do an Easter egg hunt. She puts the eggs all over the back yard with money and candy in them. It actually is really fun. We get a lot of eggs too, but they are surprisingly hard to find considering her backyard is HUGE.
Frances
My middle name, my mom, my great grandma, and the original. It has been passed down from generation to generation. Even though it is a strange middle name i love it!
Santa
Since I was a toddler, Santa came to my Nanas. Every year he is there, to give very child a gift. He looks just like him too. Well we all get pictures on his lap and don't even have to bother going to the mall.
Oranges and Apples
Every year, in every stocking I get there is and orange in the bottom. No matter what i always have one. Mainly I think it is my dads doing. Also we always open them first on Christmas morning.
Mini Tree
I have this little Christmas tree that I put up every year, with my own bucket of ornaments. It tips over a lot from the weight of all the ornaments, since i get new ones every year. So it has a lot of ornaments on it. I out it up every year though by the window next to the big tree. My brother has his own tree too.
Bonya Calda
Every year since when my dad was a kid, we have made an anchovy dipping sauce called Bona Calda. You usually dip breads and vegetables in it. We always make it on Christmas, it is super salty. But hey i like salty!
Traditions To Continue
Frances
I want to continue with my middle name. I love it and If i have a little girl her middle name will also be Frances. Just like the rest of my family.
White Elephant
Honestly I look forward to white elephants every year, and I would love to continue doing that when I grow up and have a family of my own. It is fun and the adults and the kids love it. It is definitely a family favorite.
Mores, Folkways, and Values
Mores- norms that have moral dimensions and that should be followed by members of the society. I mean the Santa one could go along with this because every kid should get to believe in Santa and no one in society should break that belief in a child.
Folkways- norms that lack moral significance. White elephant is an example because there is really no reason we do it. It is just to have a fun time with the family and enjoy our selves. We also do it every year.
Values- broad ideas about what is good or desirable shared by people in a society. This goes along with Frances. It is my middle name, my mom, my great grandmothers, and it is the first name of my great great grandmother. It is a name shared among my family that is continued.