Sharing Traditions

By Jerod Santek, Write On, Door County Founding & Artistic Director

“Traditions touch us, they connect us, and they expand us.” – Rita Barreto Craig

From somber remembrances of those we have lost to joyous celebrations of life and new beginnings, December is full of holidays and days of observance that bring with them traditions unique to each individual. Many of us bring family traditions from our childhood into our adult relationships. New traditions are created as families evolve. Sharing your traditions with others certainly does connect and expand us. You couldn’t imagine not celebrating the season with a tradition a spouse introduced you to decades ago — a tradition that seemed quite odd at the time. 

Write about the traditions or memories that you cherish and share them with family and friends this season. Maybe it is the memory of baking a delightful treat with your parents or grandparents, the joy coming from the act of creating it together as much as from the taste. Maybe your family took a special trip this time of year to visit a faraway relative. Perhaps you all gathered the same night every year to watch a particular holiday movie. 

Celebrating Reading and Writing
Among December’s celebrations are several with appeal to writers and readers.

• December 7 – National Letter Writing Day. Send a letter to a friend or family member.
• December 10 – Readers and friends of the library can rejoice in Dewey Decimal System Day. Share a memory of searching the card catalog or visiting the library as a child.
• December 10 – Is also Emily Dickinson’s birthday. Read some of Emily’s poetry.
• December 17 – Fans of Charles Dickens can celebrate A Christmas Carol Day. 
• December 20 – Is both  Games Day (see below) and Poet Laureate Day, a good day to enjoy the works of your national, state, or local Poet Laureate.
• December 21 – The shortest day of the year is naturally set aside to celebrate the short story (and many other shorts). 

Begin a New Tradition With Us!
Celebrated in both the U.K. (where it originated) and the U.S., Games Day encourages people to play games of all kinds: cards, board games, video and digital.  At the center, we have shelves of word games and puzzles that are literary-related. Come celebrate Games Day with us, Wednesday, December 20, 10 am – 2 pm. Drop in any time!

On Short Story Day, join us for a special free offering on writing the very short story: Thursday, December 21, 1 – 2:30 pm. Or come to read your favorite short story anytime during our regular hours, 10 am – 3 pm.

Both days, the fire will be lit, the coffee brewed and there just may be some homemade treats to enjoy. If games and writing don’t appeal to you, come to walk the trails and enjoy the beauty and quiet of this time of year. (December 22 is Be a Lover of Silence Day!)

Our Wish for You
May the year’s end bring peace and joy and may the new one be filled with hope, love, and tolerance.