Not all family traditions involve cooking or holidays! Let me explain.
Some of the tools racked around the shop are my father’s, and one or two probably date back to his father. Tools, access to, and use thereof are a family trait. Become an adult in our family, and you will likely receive a tool kit. The contents will vary depending upon the specific interest: for general work, jewelry making, model making, or design. We procure the goodies from various tool catalogs, internet sites, and tool sellers at shows.
It’s more than tools alone that are intergenerational. My bookshelves contain titles that were in my father’s library. Bookstores and booksellers get ransacked while we look for titles in areas that interest us. We always look for independent dealers who stock more than the local big box store. Titles on creative arts, crafts, and skills are in high demand.
When people talk about favorite family traditions, it’s often about food and holiday celebrations. And those are important, but much more gets passed on – food and holiday traditions are just the easy ones that come to mind without any prompting. What about gardening traditions, musical interests, or occupational specialties? Some of these traditions are off the beaten track. More than one family I know of has vocabulary items passed from generation to generation. Not understanding the little phrases and sayings leaves you out of the conversation.
In a way, it’s atrocious that when we discuss family tradition, our minds immediately skip to the most obvious rather than the truly unique bits of culture that are distinctive to our family.
This made me think of a conversation I had on the phone with my Aunt Martha in maybe 2000? She said, “I hope that pans out for you.” “Pan out” is an idiom from out here (though I know it’s used elsewhere). I hadn’t heard it at all after I moved to CA. It was a family/regional colloquialism and it felt so good to hear. There are a lot of those. “It’s OK, Martha Ann. We still like you.” My Aunt Jo and Uncle Hank the summer I lived with them when I got in trouble and was punished. I say that to people sometimes, “It’s OK. I still like you.” I know full well it only means something to me. There are so many small things like that and they are lovely.
They are lovely!
I picked up tons of linguistic odds and ends from my first wife’s family ( they’re the ones mentioned in thje post ). My favorite is being “highly permuched” – very self satisfied and pleased, is from England. An English blogger ( EllaCraig) picked up on it in one of my early posts. It’s an old saying being that the people from that part of Maine settled in the area before the Pilgrims and other early settlers.
These little quirks are what makes language fascinating and fun.
Yes! In a way like discovering my grandma’s mac and cheese in Appenzell Switzerland.
Your grandma’s mac and cheese is a perfect example. It’s not the big stuff. It’s the little things sometimes that are most persistent, and most important.