Family Cultures and Traditions. Are They Different?

I am just going to answer the question right away for you all. YES they are different! The two words, culture and tradition mean two separate things. We recently dicussed the definition of culture in my class and I want to go into that a little bit more today. I didn't really understand the difference between the two. But now it makes so much more sense. I want to write a little bit more today. I didn't really understand the difference between the two. But now it makes so much more sense. I want to write about the different cultures we have in my family and the traditions we pass down from generation to generation.

We are just going to define the two words culture and tradition. Culture (n) is defined by, "the arts of other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively. And the word tradition (n) is defined as: the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the face of being passed on by word or mouth. NOW, take that into a family sense. What cultures exist in your family? What type of traditions do you do?

I'm going to use my family as an example! So in my family there are 5 kids. One of our cultures in our religious beliefs. We are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This is a big part of the culture we have becuase we use this in our daily lives. I really love having this culture in my family. Figuring out the cultures we have in our family is a little difficult. But I would say religion since it takes a big role in our live. And we have a set of morals that we like to follow to go along with that. One of them is that we aren't allowed to date until we are sixteen years old. My parents made sure of that when I was growing up!! I used to feel so left out of all the cool people in school becuase everyone that age has their first boyfriend and their first kiss and then there was me. But later, as I grew up I realized that it is to help us be good kids when we do start to date. I CAN SEE WHY NOW!
As for traditions in my family, I am very grateful for all the ones we have and still do every year! One of my favorite traditions we do in on Christmas Eve. On this day there are actually quite a few tradtiions we have kept since I was a baby. We put our names on the little pieces of paper and put them in a bowl. Then we pick out of the bowl just one name. With that name, we go to the dollar store and pick them out one gift that we think they would like! It is so much fun becuase it is a surprise. Then before we go to bed that night we all get new pajamas to sleep in. I know that lots of families like to do that also. It is a fun tradition to have and I hope to bring that tradition into my family when I get older.

Another tradition we have as a family, is when we go to Lake Powell. Every summer with all my cousins and grandparents, we pack up and go camping on a lake for a week. It is so much fun! I have many memories of this trip when I was younger. I feel like with this trip we got really close as a family. I am so glad we get to do that each year. It is a fun tradition that everybody loves. It helps us all get together and have fun while doing so. 

As I grow older and become my own family with my future husband one day, I hope to have lots of traditions. I feel like there really is no wrong tradition as long as it is bringing the family closer. It can be what the family needs to get through a hard moment in their lives, etc. Traditions are a good way to keep the family united and happy. It also makes it so the children look forward to something. They like doing things like that! I'm grateful for my family culture and the traditions we have in my family :)