Shoopa!

How do family traditions come into being?

I think mostly by necessity. A certain china pitcher is used by Grandma every year to pour the eggnog so it's a tradition. It was also the only pitcher Grandma had back in the day and it suited the purpose so THE PITCHER was born.

Some of the time we have no idea where a tradition started, we just know that it is and we like it so we carry it on. At our house, our stocking oranges would fall into that category. Every now and then a tradition comes with a burden of responsibility that we'd rather not bear but aren't sure how to lay down. I'll tell you someday about my wedding tiara.

Shoopa! was born of necessity. Bringing a growing and roaming family together is a difficult thing. Holidays don't work because his parents (and his parents and his parents) want that time. The amount and timing of vacation from jobs has to be factored into the equation. Then add the work schedules, school schedules, financial limitations. Gathering everyone together becomes almost impossible. Unless, once a year, it is a priority and a joy.

Shoopa! is our family celebration of each other. It is birthday, Thanksgiving, girls night out, Christmas, Valentine's Day and sometimes Halloween, all rolled into one. It is a week long festival of love and zaniness that I cherish. Shoopa! comes but once a year, it's a lovely thing that I have the pictures and the memories to enjoy in between times.

What family traditions do you have that bring your family together?