Thanksgiving: Breaking the Tradition

So often, we find ourselves repeating traditions that were started long before we were born, we really do not know why, but we just do it because that is what we were taught and are accustomed to. Some traditions are good to keep up, but some traditions can and should be broken.

Usually, my family gathers in Mississippi at my parent's house to celebrate Thanksgiving. Traditionally, my mom would prepare this delicious feast made up of turkey, ham, dressing, green beans, mashed potatoes, corn, greens, you know...the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. We would spend time fellowshipping with one another, and after dinner, my sister and I would be the designated dish washers. That was the not-so-fun part about it. All in all, this is what we have been doing since I was born, and that was 27 years ago. 

This year, we broke the tradition. My family came to Birmingham to spend Thanksgiving with me since God blessed me with a beautiful new home this year. Not only that, we also did not do any cooking. Instead, we went to Ruth's Chris and enjoyed a delicious meal together. The mental outcome (spending time with my family and enjoying one another's company) was the same, but the physical tradition was broken. 

I want you to know, that there is nothing wrong with breaking traditions. We often get so caught up in doing things one way, and one way only, that we forget to explore the other options that are out there. This applies to our lives as well. We get so stagnant and doing things a certain way to where we forget to break out and try new things. We have to explore what else is out there to experience, and open our minds to new things. 

If your family has a tradition of not going to college, try to break that tradition and be the first one to receive a college degree. If your family has a history of drinking all the time, try to break that cycle and incorporate sober activities into celebrations. If your family has a tradition of being broke, declare that you do not fall into that tradition. All traditions are not good traditions, and we must set ourselves apart from the ones that mean us no good. If you are in a relationship that has a tradition of arguing, break that cycle by entering into a relationship with someone that wants complete and total peace. 

It is okay to break old traditions as long as the meaning behind the tradition is not broken. If your family has a spell of generational curses, pray that God allow you to be the one to break that curse. We are to live in happiness. We have to learn to start traditions of our own that will benefit us in the long run. Take some time and think of an old tradition you should break, and revamp it into something new, something more modern, and something better. 

Xoxo,

Krispin