Changing Traditions

Changing Traditions by Heidi Christianson

I have five sons; four of them are adults.  This year two of them had to work Christmas day.  They live in Texas and couldn’t get here until the Friday after Christmas.  I decided to completely postpone our Christmas so that we could all be together.  Those of us at home just enjoyed a quiet day while the rest of the world celebrated.  We went to the movies and had a nice meal but that was it.  But we kept our traditions; we just postponed them.

It was interesting to me how much the traditions meant to my kids – and not just to my thirteen-year-old.  They wanted the comfort of what they knew.  We needed the picture of all of them by the fireplace with their stockings.  They all had to file in by age in the morning. 

I admit they aren’t the only ones holding on to these traditions.  I see what is coming.  One of them is already married.  I know eventually, more of them will be, and then there will be the blending of traditions and all the “who is going to be where, when” of Christmas.  I see it coming but I was happy to postpone our day and preserve our traditions this year.  I know it is only going to get harder though.

There are so many things that we do just because it is a tradition, even in education.  When our kids are getting close to school age, we sign them up at the nearest school.  Each year the weeks before school starts, we take them to get supplies and clothes.  We do what we are familiar with and don’t question it.  It is just how we do things, right?

Or is it?  Our school year is based on a farm-based society, and our system of education was created because of the industrial revolution and its need for good factory workers.  That is not how we do things now so why don’t we change our traditions?  We need a system that meets the needs of our society today, not the needs of the past.  Right now, we are trying to prop things up and fight against change to keep things familiar and comfortable.

But we can’t expect it to stay this way.  Our kids are the ones that are going to be hurt if we do.  They need a new way of doing things so that they can be successful in a changing world. Our world needs people that can share their genius, be innovative and creative, and fix the problems we have.  We don’t need an education system based on standards.  We need one that can harness the individuality of each student. 

Change is coming.  We can fight it, but it will just make it harder.  We can try and postpone it and enjoy the status quo for a little bit longer, but it is inevitable.  And the sooner we accept it the better.