I’m very interested in the traditions of everyday life. 

Research shows that traditions and rituals boost physical and emotional health. They can elevate experiences, enrich memories, strengthen relationships, and reduce decision-making. They can add a sense of whimsy, community, and holiday to our lives.

I got curious about new, secular traditions in the United States—ones that have arisen in recent decades. I came up with:

• elaborate yearly photos for the first day of school or summer camp
• the great expansion of Halloween
• Taco Tuesday

I asked on social media for other ideas, and was fascinated to read about so many traditions—many of which I’ve observed myself, but without quite realizing that I was participating in a new traditional practice.

People suggested so many traditions:

• Dry January—my sister Elizabeth likes to do this
• Promposals—an elaborate “Will you go to the prom with me?”
• NaNoWriMo—National Novel Writing Month—I’ve done NaNoWriMo myself
• Graduations for many milestones—preschool, kindergarten, sixth grade
• Tailgating at football games
• Elaborate bachelor and bachelorette parties
• Pregnancy photos
• Babymoon
• Push present
• Photos of marriage proposals
• Pumpkin Spice Latte release date—I think it’s so funny to think of this as a cultural tradition
• Black Friday
• Cyber Monday
• Giving Tuesday
• Monthly photos of a new baby, with a prop to show how old the baby is and how big—I did this for my daughters, but took a photo every three months, not every month
  
  

I’d never heard of some traditions:

• Leprechaun trap
• 100th day of a baby’s life—though my daughter’s kindergarten did celebrate “100th Day”
• Dog weddings
• Wellness Wednesday

Someone wrote, “Here’s a tradition that I wish would gain some traction: clean up after yourself. Can someone make this a social media sensation?” Hilarious.

If you want some ideas for family traditions, Elizabeth and I talked about listeners’ ideas in episode 378 of the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast.

Traditions are fun, but they can consume a fair amount of time, energy, and money. Do you tend to embrace new traditions, or are you more reluctant to join in?