Family Customs and Traditions

Family Rituals There are three main types of family rituals:  Rites of passage  Family traditions  Family routines

Rites of Passage  Rites of passage mark a time when a person reaches a new and significant change in his or her life.  They are about TRANSITION

Examples include:  Baby showers  Naming ceremonies  Christian baptism  Bar Mitzvah  Circumcision  Engagement  Travelling  Going away to school  Weddings  Funerals  Wake

Family Traditions  This ritual is less about culture and religion because it is unique to individual families.  Traditions are inherited or established customs, beliefs, or behaviours passed down from one generation to the next.

Examples include:  Special celebrations for the first day of school  Family night  Making an annual photo album or digital slide show of family celebrations  Sunday dinners with extended family  An annual family photograph  Sleeping under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve  Volunteering at a homeless shelter once a month as a family

Family Routines  A researcher studying families discovered this:  Children said it was the simply family routines and rituals such as bedtime stories and family meals that they would remember most from their childhoods, not the fancy vacations and celebrations. Routines are: familiar set patterns or habits.

Examples include:  Reading nightly bedtime stories  Regular bedtime  Meal preparation  Creating a family message board  Chores  Sharing meal times  My favourite family rituals/routines My favourite family rituals/routines

Routines & Rituals are Healthy  Eat at least two to three family meals together each week  Enforce bedtimes, especially for young children  Give children a weekly allowance that represents their portion of the family income.  Assign children chores that represent their portion of the family labour.

Rituals help how?  Help deal with stress and loss  Promote health and healing  Strengthen the family by providing understanding, continuity, security, and closeness

Activity  With a partner complete the exercise on page 51 to ensure you understand the difference between each of these family rituals. Match the action to the correct family ritual.  A – rite of passage  B – family tradition  C – family routine

Death Rituals  Weddings are joyous occasions and are often rich with cultural rituals and traditions. The death or passing of a family member, although a sad occasion is also marked by rituals across nearly ALL cultures.  Let’s watch the video “Death Rituals.”  Answer the questions as you watch the video.

Engagements  The Modern Proposal The Modern Proposal

Weddings  Mennonite Church & The Christian Wedding Mennonite Church & The Christian Wedding

 Thoroughly Modern Marriage Thoroughly Modern Marriage