Values Forum: Family Programs

Traditions - The New Year

"Raised to believe that good little children should all be in bed by 8:00 PM, we were. So on New Year's eve I tried very hard to stay awake until midnight when there was a "watch night" service at our church. When I did manage to stay awake, it was an uplifting experience because no New Year's Resolutions were ever made (what a relief). Instead, we prayed for the leaders of our country and the challenges of the new year."
Donna Glacken, Age 59, Pacific Grove, California

"We don't have a family yet, but the two years we've been married my wife and I audio taped and then video taped on New Years day. We made resolutions for the new year. The next year we first explained how the previous year went and compared results to resolutions and then made resolutions again for the new year. We kept it light and humorous even though the resolutions themselves were serious and practical. We hoped we would be able to help each other achieve our goals if we made them concrete and shared them. It hasn't worked perfectly, but we think it is one of the things we do that draws us closer together and reaffirms our desire to support one another and help each other stick to our highest ideals. We intend to expand the tradition when we have children and they reach school age."
George in Oregon

In many convents nuns vocally report infractions in the rules they strive to live by to other assembled nuns. In the convent with which I am most familiar, nuns wrote infractions in a small book every night before bed and made an oral 'confession' once a week. It is not shameful; although it is a confession of sorts it is also a sharing of struggles encountered while striving to become a better human being. There is no shame because those who hear come to know and share each others struggles; they become a cheer leading section, encouraging and supporting one another, like the AAA and other support groups. Convents consist of a family of nuns. Secular families once performed similar functions. In those days therapy was not sought from strangers, the family was the first and foremost support group for its members! It sounds like George is attempting to revive this old tradition. We wish him luck and encourage others to adapt a variation of George's idea to their own situations.

"We celebrate Chinese New Year which takes place in late January or early February and continues for fifteen days. The meal that heralds the New Year always includes a whole fish or chicken because the head and tail signify a good beginning and good end. We look for things that signify good luck, like the color red. We paint the Chinese characters for luck and fortune on red paper and hang these over doorways so luck and good fortune might enter."
J.L., male, San Francisco, California

"Every year on New Year's Eve, my family and I always go sledding at about 5:00 P.M. We've been doing this for about 6 or 7 years. And I want to keep on doing this because this hill we sled on is extra steep. Also I like crashing, but not as hard or else I might get white washed in the snow."
Chad Tilley, Washington

"On New Year's Day my family and I go over to my grandparents to have dinner there. I usually bring some of the things that I got for Christmas to show my grandparents what I got. I like it because I get to try some wine. My grandma always makes my favorite food - baked beans. But the whole family likes them. We usually talk about what kind of Christmas we had.Then after a while we go home."
Nick Page, Washington