Relationship Tips for a Happy Marriage Part 43: Follow Tradition
Having a traditional marriage complete with a set of family traditions is not as bad as it is sometimes made out to be. In fact, we sometimes follow tradition without realizing it. For example, many people enjoy traditional weddings with bridal gowns and tuxedos, vows, wedding cakes and bridal parties.
Most couples establish traditions for their marriage and family over the course of their marriage. These rituals provide a sense of belonging to the couple and their children and also tell a story about the family.
While it is a good idea for all married couples to have their own traditions, they don’t have to make them up from scratch. They can borrow ideas from each other’s families as well as from history and then build on them.
Follow Family Traditions
Family traditions from the wife’s and husband’s families can either come together beautifully or conflict terribly. However, there is no way to know unless you try them out.
Ask your spouse about his or her family’s traditions and then commit to trying them out. Once you know how they feel, you can decide whether you want to keep them as they are, modify them or toss them out. Keep in mind that it is important to try the traditions first before dismissing them because it displays deep trust and appreciation for your partner.
Follow Anniversary Traditions
What did you get your wife or husband for your last wedding anniversary? Many couples struggle to come up with great anniversary gift ideas for their partners but few realize that a traditional anniversary gift list exists. Also, this list is readily available on the internet.
The first anniversary, for example, was traditionally celebrated with paper gifts and some ideal gifts for this anniversary would include a drawing or a handmade card.
Marriage Traditions
Couples begin to develop their own unique set of traditions as soon as they begin dating and throughout courtship. These rituals can be as simple as a daily phone call, meeting up for dinner after work or attending church together.
Unfortunately, too many couples leave these traditions behind when they get married without knowing that these rituals can create an emotional, spiritual and physical bond between the husband and wife.
If you have abandoned your dating rituals, it’s time to re-establish them and breathe life back into them. Also, if you don’t already have a pattern for celebrating birthdays and promotions, now is a good time to establish one. This will not only make the celebrations more fun but also give both of you some family traditions to look forward to every year.