The Power of Tradition
12/17/2019
What a Tradition Really Means
My experience with the holidays
“Tradition is a guide and not a jailer.”
Christmas is often regarded as one of the most magical times of the year. The dazzling lights, the merry songs, and of course, the excitement of presents. Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, after all, so naturally it would be America’s favorite holiday. But the holiday that I think doesn’t get quite enough love is New Year’s. New Year’s Eve is often swept under the rug as the holiday after Christmas. There isn’t much leading up to it, besides the occasional “What’s your New Year’s resolution?”. No songs, symbols, or festivities that make it distinct from other holidays. Personally, New Year’s is a fun holiday, but not one I think much about. It usually seems like a small special event before I have to go to school.
My New Year’s Eves usually play out similarly. It starts with my dad and I sitting down on our old couch to watch a movie at about 8:00. The type of movie never matters, just something that we can both laugh at while the minutes tick by. My sister has gone out to meet with friends while my mom has gone to bed early. It’s just me and my dad in our dimly lit living room. After the movie is over, I’m usually not sure what to do. What I end up doing is going to play on my computer because I don’t want to watch another movie, but I don’t want to miss New Year’s. After an hour or two of being by myself, I come back out to wait for the countdown. My dad has woken my mom up and we all sit back and wait for the ball to drop. Eventually, it’s time. 3..2..1! The cheap party poppers we bought explode with a snap. Unlike most of the East Coast, there isn’t a loud cheer, just a couple voices showing their appreciation for the new year.
It doesn’t seem like much looking back, but that’s what I like about. There’s no major rules of the holiday, you’re free to celebrate how you like. New Year’s Eve isn’t an extraordinarily special holiday, but one that I am grateful for. It’s not about the presents or the food, just a small moment for you to enjoy yourself. Sure, after five minutes the joy starts to dissipate, but it still is a fun holiday. I get to celebrate my own way, not a way that people before me decided was good. What makes a tradition special isn’t how long it’s been around or how many people follow it, but the fact that you have fun with it, whether it’s by yourself or with crowds of others.
This was very interesting, Owen. At the beginning you had me thinking I was going to be reading a typical Christmas narrative story, but it took an unexpected turn which I liked. You opened my eyes to all the good parts of New Years too. I never usually think about New Years too much because Christmas stands in it’s way, but you did a great job of conveying why it is important to you. Great job.
Posted by: Sam | 12/18/2019 at 05:39 AM
The essay specifically catch the ”the power of tradition” though using time and family actions. The vocabulary use is wonderful. Good work!
Posted by: Gerald | 12/18/2019 at 05:44 AM
Wow, you really didn’t write about what I expected you to write about. For the first few sentences, I thought it was going to be the usual Christas story, but you threw a curveball and began talking about how New Year’s Eve doesn’t get enough love. It was funny, unexpected, and ingenious. Well done!
Posted by: Elliot | 12/18/2019 at 05:53 AM
Owen, I really enjoyed your piece. I would agree with you on the fact that New Year's Eve is more special than Christmas. I would say within the past 3-10 years especially, Christmas has become a HUGE commercial holiday involving sales, events, party's and gift's becoming more of the main focus which allows New Years to just stay simple and special as it hasn't been targeted by company's. Overall, this was one of my favorite pieces to read as you really explained to me your personal experiences! Great Job!
Posted by: Henry Spence | 12/18/2019 at 06:30 AM
Owen, I like how you introduce this piece not super strongly, but rather slowly ease into it. Then you describe the tradition which creates a clear picture in the readers brain. Once you get to talk about the real part of the tradition you are able to express it in a way the the reader can connect with. Then once again, you are able to wrap it up in a thoughtful way! Well done!
Posted by: Hudson | 12/18/2019 at 06:31 AM
I like your views on tradition and how it doesn’t really have rules and that it can still be meaningful, even if there isn’t a lot of memories behind it. I haven’t really looked at it that way and your views on it was a real eye opener.
Posted by: Connor | 12/18/2019 at 07:02 AM