Traditions

It’s funny how you create traditions without even realising it.

When our kids were little we would let them take turns putting the angel on the top of the Christmas tree. One year (1997) we couldn’t remember whose turn it was. So we sorted that out and I decided to make a note so we wouldn’t have the same dilemma the following year. I tucked the note in with the angel and it worked really well.

I wasn’t really a documenter back then.

I wasn’t thinking about how in a few years time I’d want to scrapbook about the things we do and that the bit of paper I tucked in with the angel would become so important to me. So I just grabbed a bit of notepaper. It’s a scratchy old bit of probably not very archivally safe paper. But boy does it hold some history!



It is so much more than just a list now. The kids each wrote their names and the year it was their turn. It’s great looking back and seeing how their writing has changed. And remembering how they each in turn were happy to let the other one have their turn without argument.

This year both our children left home. But we still had to get together to decorate the tree (even though they both had trees of their own). This year they thought it should be our turn to put the angel on the tree. But it just wouldn’t be the same if one of them didn’t do it. So the list came out again this year. And the paper’s just about filled up.  So next year when we need a new bit of paper to continue our tradition, it will be archivally safe – for me and for them. Because this is one tradition I don’t want to lose.

What traditions have you created in your world?