It’s 8 p.m., right after dinner. The whole family is gathered in the dining room, squeezed around one big table. Cards are dealt, a new game of poker begins and uproarious laughter fills the air. Hand after hand is won until the final game ends, long past the children’s bedtimes.
Whether it be a shared love for poker, a favorite movie or a designated birthday dinner, the traditions held by members of a household can create memories that form a crucial part of one’s own identity.
“Anyone can be part of a family with blood, but to actually consider them family, I feel like you need some kind of strong bond with them,” said sophomore Sora Kim-Steiger. “Doing these kinds of activities really creates a special, strong bond, specifically for my sisters and I.”
“Doing these kinds of activities really creates a special, strong bond, specifically for my sisters and I”
Kim-Steiger has a special tradition for every birthday in her family.
“We usually like to find a specific cake recipe and together [my family and I] will bake [it],” Kim-Steiger said. “The last one we did was for my brother and sister. We made them a Japanese fluffy cheesecake … During [COVID-19], we didn’t want to risk getting sick by going outside to buy a cake, so I thought we can just make it at home.”
Annual traditions such as these can also be seen in sophomore Kasey Guerra Dorsa’s household.
“We’ll have things for all the little holidays that no one really celebrates,” Guerra Dorsa said. “On Groundhog Day, we make little Groundhog Day pudding cups that [my family] has been making since I was 5 or 6 years old. My mom would take us out to a trail and we’d look for groundhogs.”
Guerra Dorsa describes how this tradition came to be.
“I was in kindergarten, and I’d just learned to ride a bike,” Guerra Dorsa said. “So my mom and I went out biking to go look for groundhogs and when we got back we made little groundhog pudding cups.”
While Guerra Dorsa celebrates her tradition on an annual basis, junior Sooren Carrington’s family shares a love for a more occasional activity: hiking.
“[My parents] had a passion for [hiking] and they introduced it into our lives [hoping] that it would get us interested in it as well,” Carrington said. “One time when we went hiking, [on] the Delaware Water Gap, we walked 11 or so miles and got lost. It took us a while to get out, and we were all really tired by the end. But it was a fun experience.”
Family traditions aren’t limited to immediate family. Many traditions extend to all members of a family, such as sophomore Alex McGuigan’s family tradition.
“At the end of every family gathering, after we eat and converse, we play a card game [called “Screw Your Neighbor”],” McGuigan said. “When [my family] first played the game, they recommended that we play poker first. However, my great aunt suggested we play ‘Screw Your Neighbor’ and got the majority vote.”
“Screw Your Neighbor” is a game that uses the traditional deck of 52 cards. The objective is to have the lowest card value at the end of every round.
“I don’t feel like it’s going to go out any time soon. [The tradition] will probably outlast me”
“It’s been a lifelong tradition for my parents and me, so I don’t feel like it’s going to go out any time soon,” McGuigan said. “[The tradition] will probably outlast me.”
Family traditions can be a unique way to commemorate the identity of each family. From annual gatherings to weekly get-togethers, these traditions can unite people and serve as a celebration of family roots.
