Family Traditions

Family traditions build memories and bonds in families. Each family has their own, personal traditions, either twists on popular holidays, or family holidays all their own. One of our family's traditions is called The October Thing. It doesn't commemorate anything particular, so no one knew what else to call it, and yet we've been celebrating The October Thing for more than 20 years. Courting couples have turned into newlyweds, newlyweds into parents, and children have grown up and made families of their own, but as our family grows we still gather each year to relax and enjoy The October Thing. Only it is always in November now. It began in October and, for one reason or another, kept sliding forward year by year until it settled quietly in to November. But everyone kept right on calling it The October Thing. Now it's part of the tradition.

It is always on a Saturday night. That hasn't changed. The whole family goes over to the lot my parents own on the banks of a small lake, where they've strung lights, set up a few tables and chairs, and my step dad has a lovely campfire burning. None of the children can resist playing in it. They start with sticks, then surreptitiously sneak other things in to it, like paper plates, until they get caught and get in trouble. Of course now it is the younger kids. The older kids play other pranks.

Everyone brings some food to share. We never coordinate, so we never know what it will be. Last year it was mostly cookies and chips. But there was also my sister's incomparable deviled eggs. And my brother brought "long tailed frog," also called "swamp lizard." Some people call it alligator meat. Because, of course, that is what it is. I had the tiniest piece I could find, just so I could honestly tell you I have eaten alligator meat. Nope, it doesn't taste like chicken. Maybe a little like pork. We just call it "what eats the other white meat."

The main course, though, is hot dogs that we all cook on forked metal cooking poles. This is family tradition! I cook mine until it is bubbling, but it is usually still ice cold when I bite in to it. Once I got it done really well. That was a first. It doesn't matter, really, because the main event is roasting marshmallows. Everyone has their own special way of doing it. One young niece likes to cook them, but not eat them, so she is always going around begging everyone else to let her cook theirs. Her special technique is to catch them on fire, blow them out when they are bubbly and blackened on the outside, then present them to the recipient. I like to get them toasted medium brown all the way around so they are a little crispy on the outside, and melty on the inside. Perfect! My once a year treat. My step dad always makes his hot spiced cider, too, and has leaves it on its own special table in a tiny crock-pot.

We talk about all kinds of things. We talk politics and religion and sports, hunting and fishing, video games, tell funny stories and plan future get-togethers. My brother brings his pet raccoon, new puppy, whatever his current pet is. The raccoon loves to drink soda out of his cup. A teenage niece recites "The Man From Snowy River," Australian accents and all. Sometimes we sing, and one year a son who'd had a dancing lesson taught the box step to a younger cousin.

Gradually, later then they'd intended to stay, different branches of our family begin gathering up chairs and children and heading for home, usually taking chips, cookies, or soda with them. Everyone is full of marshmallows and root beer, and smells like smoke after our once a year, micro-camping family adventure. Family traditions are important ways for families to build memories and bonds, as our family discovered through our own personal October Thing.