Tradition is a word that can be very heavy. Depending on the first thing that pops into your mind, it could be something warm and a happy, it could sting with a bit of sadness, or any range of emotion in between. Traditions are also just ritual. A time for honoring what we might find sacred. Traditions are a practice.
When I take a second to think about the traditions I grew up with around the holidays, there's a lot that I down right loathed about the holidays. Things that I vowed I wouldn't participate in if I ever had a family. We have a lot of traditions now that I enjoy and I hope my kid looks back on fondly when they're grown. My favorite holiday traditions, in no particular order:
- getting a live tree on the day after Thanksgiving and drinking eggnog and eating snacks while we decorate.
- dive bar date night with my partner where we get dinner and then go on a little pub crawl of our neighborhood (NE MPLS) dive bars.
- celebrating Yule and Solstice with lots of thoughtful intention and a special feast.
- staying in my pajamas all day on Christmas and not leaving the house.
Take a second to think of a tradition, or ritual, or practice in your life, just whatever the first thing to come to mind is. How does that make you feel? How can you make it better?
Maybe it is my age. Maybe it is because I have my own family, but I find myself reevaluating my traditions quite regularly. To make sure the bring me joy. This time of year especially, we fall into the trap of doing things we've always done. Let this year be the year that you refine an old tradition and bring it into the 21st century. Or be a total rebel and start a new one all together.
Journal Prompts:
- What traditions do you keep? Who influenced them over time?
- How can bringing traditions and ritual to your life bring you joy?
- Are there new things you have wanted to try that could become a ritual or tradition?
Today's Gift:
Today's treat is one of my favorite products in the Apothecary 19 lineup, Cleansing + Protection oil. When I originally developed this product it was for my own use in ritual, specifically in the bath. Over the past few years, both from my own use and feedback from customers that have used and loved it, I realized it has so many uses. The product can be used in the bath obviously, but it can also be used in the shower, on your person, and even when you're cleaning around the house. I love to put a few drops in my mop water when I mop our floors. If you use it in the shower for the aromatherapy properties, put it around the edge and be careful because it will (and often does) make the floor slippery. This oil sometimes separates and that is perfectly normal. It has a little bit of polysorbate-20 in it to help it mix better when it comes in contact with water. Just give it a shake before you use it and you should be good to go!