A New Year—New Traditions: I find myself doing things just like my mother and sometimes I have no clue why.

A few minutes before midnight the sounds of a bell clock on red square ticked and the count down to the New Year started in Moscow, Russia, just as the Big Apple fell in New York City in Times Square. People wrote wishes on small pieces of confetti and threw them into the New York wind. In Russia fireworks were lit on every street corner, and the festivities continued until about 3:00 in the morning. The presidents spoke and wished all a happy, successful New Year. Many including ourselves watched the traditional New Year’s Eve Russian movie Irony of Fate, a 1975 production. In America many viewed the traditional film It’s a Wonderful Life for the holiday season.

For many years now, we have watched the New Year approach on foreign soil. Since we are eight hours ahead of our parents on the east coast of the United States, we call and say, “Happy New Year; we are calling from the future!”

The preparation for celebrating the holidays actually begins weeks in advance here as it does in the States. Still I often wonder why we have certain traditions. For example, why do we decorate a tree? I presume we would receive different answers if we asked that question. The Russians decorate trees for the New Year. When we think of a favorite tune for Christmas in America, “Jingle Bells” is at the top of the list. In Russia the all time favorite is “Yolochka”. The first stanza is sung as children dance around a decorated evergreen tree and await presents from Grandfather Frost- a figure equivalent to our Santa Claus. The stanza goes like this:

V lesu rodilas yolochka (In the forest was born a little fir tree),
V lesu ona rosla (In the forest she grew),
Zimoy i lietom stroinaya (winter and summer she stands tall),
Zelyonaya byla (Oh, how Green was she!).

Traditions. When, where and why did they originate? It is rather comical how I answer my children when asked the question: Why do you do it that way? For instance, when I am teaching my girls how to cook or take care of the home, many times I respond to their inquires rather simply. I often say, “I don’t know, but that is the way Grandma always did it.” Yes, I find myself doing things just like my mother and sometimes I have no clue why.

We had guest over for the holidays and played some party games. One of the games was a quiz about Christmas. Later I researched more on the topic and found that the tradition for decorating a tree in a home, for example, probably originated in Northern Germany which today is known as the Baltic region. Trees were brought into homes to give hope for the new season to come that crops would be plentiful just as the tree is green. This was a pagan tradition for worshipping the gods in many ways. I have also read that Martin Luther also decorated a tree to remind him of a time when he saw the brightness of stars shining through the branches of a fir tree as he was traveling home one night. I guess we may never know exactly when the first Christmas tree was lit, but we do have some clues. I concluded that I want to be careful what I choose to do, because many traditions that countries or cultures adopt are pagan ones.

Some questions for me to ponder are: Why do I do what I do? What will be my answer when my children ask questions about the Christmas tree or the turkey I serve for Thanksgiving holidays? How will I witness to my neighbor two doors down if I really do not understand my own traditions when she asks what I do for the holidays? How can I say that someone else’s traditions are not right when I do not even understand my own? We have many opportunities to witness about cultural holidays. I want to be prepared to give an answer.

Did we have a Christmas tree this year? Yes. Why? The kids wanted to decorate one. Therefore, we discussed what our tree means to us. The fir tree symbolizes life of the new born baby that brings us everlasting life. The presents were given and shared showing our love for one another. We discussed the known traditions of the Christmas tree. Really the point is not whether or not we actually placed a tree in our home. The point is: Did I pass on a tradition with meaning?

I realize more and more everyday that every moment counts. Every thing we do impacts someone else. I want to question the traditions that I pass on to others. This is a new year, and I have an opportunity to pass on new ones— traditions with a reason why I do what I do. Happy New Year!

L. Burch, journal entry, 1-09