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| MIKE HADLEY / Scroll |
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Coloring Easter eggs is one of many traditions that families carry on year after year. College students can build their own traditions from what they did with their family or they can make their own.
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Traditions have been passed on for centuries, from one generation to the next. Customs may have been passed on from any one influence, but traditions are widely known to be passed on from and between families.
Traditions range widely from large celebrations to single activities, from annual holiday traditions to everyday occurrences.
“In the Ukraine we do not have Mother’s Day, we have Women’s Day,” Viola Surkova, a senior from Donetsk, Ukraine, said. “[Women’s Day] is where all women, young and old, are appreciated and small gifts are bought for all women.”
Holidays seem to be full of a variety of traditions.
“When I was a little girl, my mom would always buy my sisters and me new dresses for Easter to wear to church on Sunday,” Megan George, a freshman from Pocatello, Idaho, said.
“Also we would always get cold cereal for a stocking stuffer at Christmas time,” she added.
“Christmas isn’t a very big holiday; New Year’s for the Ukraine is like Christmas here, in America,” Surkova said. “It is said how you spend your New Year, with whom you spend it and such, is how good your year will be.”
Smaller holidays prove to also have traditions. “On St. Patrick’s Day my mom would always use dye . . . for food like green eggs, or green milk,” George said.
Traditions may not always turn out to be large, and may not always take place annually. Some can take place weekly, even daily.
“We always have a Sunday dinner, where my mom insists we use our best china, every week. My grandmother used to do the same thing,” George said.
“My mom would always bring home treats for us from the store. Treats like chocolate. It makes you appreciate your mom so much!” Surkova said.
Traditions may even comprise of how things are perceived or done, such as cleaning or even playing certain games.
“[My brother and I] help out when it comes to cleaning to show respect to our parents. Respect was taught by our parents,” Surkova said. “I cannot sit down and do nothing because I want to show appreciation to my mother.”
“Our family loves to play cards. We also play a marble game, which is like “Sorry!” and we also watch movies together. It is always fun,” George said.
Yearly vacations may also fall under the category of a tradition. “We would go every year on vacation to the sea. We would shop, we would walk along the shore, and we would play games,” Surkova said.
No matter how many people are involved in a tradition, the memories made during the activities can be a treasure.
“You learn how special [your parents] really are!” Surkova said.
