Tradition

I've always loved these first lines from the musical, "Fiddler on the Roof":

"A fiddler on the roof. Sounds crazy, no? But here in our little village of Anatevka, you might say that every one of us is a fiddler on the roof trying to scratch out a pleasant, simple tune without breaking his neck. It isn't easy. You may ask, 'Why do we stay up there if it's so dangerous?' Well, we stay because Anatevka is our home. And how do we keep our balance? That I can tell you in one word: tradition!"

(Is the song in your head now?)

Over the years, my children and I have made many traditions. Some of them we came up with ourselves. Some of them have been handed down for many generations. Each one has a special meaning for us and some events and holidays just wouldn't be the same without them. I think Tevye had it right. Traditions bring balance to our lives.

This Easter weekend we've celebrated with several traditions. Here are a few pictures of our favorites.

My son informed me a few days ago that we did NOT make the bunny cake last year for Easter and that it was imperative that we DID make the bunny cake this year. I hadn't realized this was a tradition, but apparently it is. We've made this cake on and off for the past 10 years. My son wanted to decorate the bunny's face this year. As you can see, it is a Harry Potter bunny.

We, like many families, love to color Easter eggs. Someone usually makes a rainbow egg. Someone usually tries to make a brown egg. All of the eggs are full of creativity. Anything involving creativity and color is bound to be an important tradition in this family!

This last tradition goes back many generations. My grandfather's family was from Russia and made the amazingly delicious traditional Easter bread (Kulich) flavored with saffron and lemon. It's extra special making this bread. I feel ties connecting me with family every time I make it. It reminds me of who I am and where I come from. It provides perspective and balance in my life.

"Without our traditions, our lives would be... as shaky as a fiddler on the roof!"