Tag Archives: tradition

The History of Traditions

The next few blogs are not likely to win me any popularity contests. Tradition is something that is very near and dear to most people and my hope here is in no way to offend or bring condemnation on anyone. Traditions you choose to hold in your family are truly between you and God. The next few blogs I will be sharing a bit about the origins of some of our Christian “holy” days. I pray that everything will be received with the right heart as I go into the roots of paganism in many of our holiday traditions. I … Continue reading →

Daughter of the Eagle — Don Coldsmith

Eagle Woman is a warrior sister of the People. While the other girls her age are already married and having families of their own, she is single, devoted to her calling as a fighter for her tribe. Long Walker, a young brave who has often been her rival in different challenges of strength, admires her skill and determination, but as she decides to take an unheard-of step and apply to become a full-fledged warrior, he doesn’t know whether he should applaud her or be ashamed. Eagle Woman knows she is different. Why does she want to be a warrior when … Continue reading →

The Wishing Jar — Penelope J. Stokes

It was just a white ceramic jar with a phoenix painted on the side, but the old peddler woman told Gracie Quinn that it was a magic jar, a wishing jar. All she had to do was lift the lid and make a wish, and it would come true. Gracie didn’t believe the fable, but bought the jar anyway. There was something about that beautiful bird that called to her. As Gracie grew older, she passed that jar down to her daughter, who in turn passed it on. Along with the jar came the legend of the phoenix, a mighty … Continue reading →

Your Home—Shoes On… Or Shoes Off?

I grew up in Hawaii where it is customary to remove your shoes before entering a home. Many people in Hawaii don’t even wear shoes outside, so it really doesn’t stand to reason that they would inside, but that’s not the reason the tradition stands. Rather, the custom stems from the Japanese tradition of removing ones shoes before entering a person’s home. (Hawaii has a large Asian population.) In Japan, the genkan – or the entranceway just inside the front door where shoes are removed – is slightly lower than the hallway and the rooms of the house. To prevent … Continue reading →

The First Day of School

Does your family have a tradition for the first day of school? We do. Since our kids regularly ride the bus, we always drive them to school the first day. It’s a family affair and we all walk the kids to class, starting with the youngest. Well, it’s changed a little now. With one currently in middle school and one in high school, we basically get to walk them to the front door of the building and say goodbye. Oh, how I remember holding their hands and taking them to their classes. It doesn’t seem so long ago. I was … Continue reading →

Fa’a Keriso vs. Fa’a Samoa

The Way of Christ versus Cultural and Family Traditions. Years ago I was privileged to hear actor, Al Harrington (Hawaii 5-0, White Fang and numerous t.v. shows) speak to a group of youth. His main focus was Fa’a Keriso, his main message, “Strip away all that cannot coexist within the Culture of Christ.” As of late, my husband and I have discussed this quite frequently. We belong to an ethnic (Samoan) ward – we were hijacked really, from our conventional ward into the brand-new Samoan ward formed in our city. My husband’s greatest concerns were that the offices of chief … Continue reading →

Spring Cleaning Safety

Why do we clean everything when spring is ready to bloom? Some people just do it because they think their home could use a good, thorough cleaning at least once a year. The real reason for this spring cleaning tradition is to prevent your home from becoming infested with little pests that also bloom in the spring! The slightest crumb of food or leftover juice spill hidden away somewhere could be detected by ants, flies, and other insects from pretty far away. Their sense of smell is far higher than humans, and when they need food they can find it … Continue reading →