{"id":11073,"date":"2014-11-04T18:20:19","date_gmt":"2014-11-04T18:20:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nutritionknowhow.org\/blog\/?p=11073"},"modified":"2014-12-11T20:23:13","modified_gmt":"2014-12-11T20:23:13","slug":"holiday-rituals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nutritionknowhow.org\/blog\/c\/holiday-rituals\/","title":{"rendered":"Holiday Rituals"},"content":{"rendered":"

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From Halloween until New Year\u2019s Day, there are numerous times that people gather, enjoy each other\u2019s company and share meals.\u00a0 These are times when we share our family traditions with our children.\u00a0 They are specific to our families.\u00a0 They have personal meaning.<\/p>\n

Rituals are different from routines as they have a personal aspect.\u00a0 Brushing your teeth is a routine thing we do every day.\u00a0 It\u2019s not a great deal of fun, but we need to do it to avoid cavities, so we do it.\u00a0 Having family over for a Thanksgiving meal is a ritual.\u00a0 It is something you plan on every year, and most families look forward to it.\u00a0 It is celebrated in a specific way based on your family values and your upbringing.\u00a0 In our house at Thanksgiving, my extended family all come together to eat a great meal after church, hang out in the afternoon and play games and nap.\u00a0 We then have a light evening meal of leftovers, and call it a day to gear up for shopping the next morning.\u00a0 It is something we look forward to.\u00a0 Our children now look forward to it also.\u00a0 It is a ritual for them.\u00a0 One they can count on.\u00a0 One we hope they pass on for generations.<\/p>\n

Children need rituals.\u00a0 It gives them a sense of belonging.\u00a0 It gives them insight into where they have come from and what is important to their immediate family.\u00a0 Sometimes it\u2019s the event\u2014and not so much how it happens.\u00a0 For example, last year my Dad passed away right before Easter.\u00a0 On Easter, we would usually all go to mass, and then go to my Mom\u2019s house for a ham dinner and a quiet afternoon.\u00a0 Since no one had time to prepare a big dinner, we ordered pizza after mass, and still enjoyed Easter.\u00a0 The important fact is that we were all together!\u00a0 The food wasn\u2019t that important.\u00a0 Although my Mom refused to have pizza for Easter this year!<\/p>\n

One huge ritual in my family is passing down recipes.\u00a0 We all love to cook.\u00a0 Now that I have a busy growing family, sometimes it is not always easy to prepare a great meal.\u00a0 Rushing from soccer to football to school seems to keep me running.\u00a0 On busy nights in the fall, I like to continue my Mom\u2019s tradition of quick soups!\u00a0 My favorite is her vegetable soup.\u00a0 It takes very few ingredients, and you can make it as extravagant or as simple as you have time for.<\/p>\n

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Easy Vegetable Soup<\/strong><\/h2>\n