Family rituals

[pegkerr]

Tell me about one family ritual that you do that means a lot to you. I'm asking about everyday rituals, not holiday or special occasion ones. It could be from the family you grew up with or the family you're in now--or even somebody else's family, if it is a ritual you like and admire. I'm looking for a list of the little things that families do that build together memories, cohesion, trust and love.

When Rob and the girls and I eat dinner together, we go around the table and each person says one good thing that happened that day.

Whenever I'm driving with the girls and we see crows, we recite the rhyme:

One crow sorrow
Two crows joy
Three crows a girl
Four crows a boy
Five crows silver
Six crows gold
Seven crows a secret never to be told

And you?

Comments

[althea_valara]

Whenever I'm driving with the girls and we see crows, we recite the rhyme:

One of my favorite books as a kid was The Secret of the Seven Crows. I must've checked it out of the library a dozen times.

Family traditions & fond memories:

• Pizza on Fridays. This was such a tradition that when we played Barbies, they were always ordering Giordano's stuffed cheese pizza.
  
• Asking my dad where he was going on Saturdays. If he was getting his hair cut, he'd say, "I'm going to get my ears lowered." Another favorite response to the same question: "I'm going crazy--want to come with?"
  
• Playing Monopoly with my younger sister. I was always the dog, and she was always the horse. I'd make barking sounds as I moved, and when she passed me she'd knock my dog over. She got the yellows, and I got the reds. We never really played to compete, but just to have fun.
  
• Tripoley with pennies. Canasta and Cribbage when we got older.
  
• Jigsaw puzzles and hot chocolate on cold, snowy winter days.
  
• Yard chores on Saturday mornings. We all hated it, but it's a strong memory.
  
• Movie nights at our grammar school, hosted by our church's Family Life Committee. My parents were a part of it, so I usually helped out at the popcorn/soda window.
  
• Cutting through the "prairie" (an overgrown, weed-filled abandoned lot) on the way to our tiny library. The new, larger library was built on top of the prairie.
  
• Getting up early on Tuesdays and Thursdays to roll the local shopper newspapers, which we then delivered. The smell of newsprint, and the slipperyness of black on our hands. Grandma rolled them the tightest.
  
• Playing Yahtzee with Grandma! And watching game shows together during the day on summer vacations. Sale of the Century, Press Your Luck, Pyramid.