Meaningful Tradition

I was thinking yesterday about traditions we keep or observe but don’t bother to understand. Holiday celebrations are ripe with such instances. How many of us can really explain why we put out stockings at Christmas, carve pumpkins at Halloween, send cards on Valentine’s, or eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day (if you are southern)? Other holidays have completely lost their original significance. For most people St. Patrick’s Day or Cinco de Mayo are just excuses to get drunk and party.

I was amused to discover the story behind Boxing Day recently. As an American who has always been low-church, Boxing Day has always been just an odd notation on the calendar for me. I had no idea that it is so named because December 26 is the Feast of Stephen. As one of the first deacons in the church, Stephen took food and aid to the poor widows as mentioned in Acts. On his feast day, the day after Christmas, families are to box up leftover food and gifts to take to the poor. Hence Boxing Day. I like knowing that context. (Although from what I’ve heard, it is now more a day of shopping and sports than charity.)

I’m not one to be a strict traditionalist and insist on things never changing. I don’t want to harp on and on about getting back to the “real meaning” of something or other. But I do think that understanding the story behind a tradition is a good thing. On the subject of deacons, I’ve seen churches get all wrapped up in the trappings of having deacons (who can be a deacon, how much authority/power do they have, was their election a popularity contest…) and forget the reason why deacons were needed to begin with. The tradition has usurped the intent.

I like traditions and I follow many in my life and faith. But more and more I am becoming aware of the need for mindful tradition. Like my toddler, I am not satisfied with “that’s just the way we do things around here” answers. I want to understand why. I want my participation to be purposeful, or at least be a remembrance of something purposeful. Things don’t need to be practical or logical, just connected meaningfully in some way.