On Christmas Eve every year we watch Love Actually. The tradition started when we saw it at the cinemas on Christmas Eve in 2003, while on holiday in Australia.

My brother and I also have a tradition of listening to a particular Blink 182 song on Christmas Eve. The song is terrible, but we’ve listened to it every year since 2005, when we stumbled upon it on an old hard drive.

On Christmas Day we open presents and then have a Pandoro or Panettone, which are Italian Christmas cakes. We’ve done this as long as I can remember.

These traditions invoke feelings of nostalgia and bring back memories. They anchor us to our past, and reminds of us all the good bits of it. They’re an important part of us, and preserving them makes us feel like we have a bit more control and consistency over our experience of the world.

The New Traditions

However, each of these traditions happened for the first time at some point. They were once new. And one day we might not be able to keep our traditions going.

Sometimes it isn’t possible to maintain them. Sometimes the right people aren’t there. Sometimes we’re in the wrong place, emotionally or geographically.

But it’s okay.

Because we’ll develop new traditions. New ways to shape our realities. New ways to anchor our memories and sentiments.

And the new traditions will reflect more of who we are now. And the people we have in our lives.

So keep the old traditions when you can. But don’t be scared of the new ones. Because one day they’ll be worth just as much, if not more than the old ones

Image was taken at the Christmas Eve lunch with my cousins. My cousin’s daughter, Madison, is two months old. She’ll have many years ahead of her to develop her own traditions 🙂

Merry Christmas everyone! 🎄