Unique Family Traditions Celebrated by Alan's Family

ALANS FAMILY TRADITIONS

1. ORTHODOX EASTER EGG DYEING Every year on Easter, my family will dye Easter eggs red using beets. This is for the celebration of Orthodox Easter. My family carried on this tradition from their families and shared it with me. I don t have much of a care for this tradition, it s fun but I don t think I would continue it.

2. CELEBRATING THE END OF WWII Victory in Europe Day, generally known as V-E Day, VE Day or simply V Day, is celebrated on May 8, 1945 to mark the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces. My family celebrates it by having a picnic with a lot of other Russian families in the same place, usually at Minikahda

3. VACATION IN MEXICO My family, whenever they have a vacation, goes to Mexico. It was a new family tradition that my parents started because they were the first generation in my family to live in Canada. Usually we take a vacation every other year. I might continue this tradition but with it being to other places too.

4. CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS Even though my family does not do anything religious, they consider themselves Christians. Every year on December 25thmy family will celebrate Christmas and we will give gifts to each other under a Christmas tree. I will definitely continue this tradition for my kids, it made my childhood really magical.

5. CELEBRATION HALLOWEEN Every year on the last day of October my family will celebrate Halloween. We would dress up our house in cobwebs and we would also carve a pumpkin or 2. We also always have roasted pumpkin seeds from the pumpkins we carved. So far I have gone trick or treating every single year since I was 3 but I think this is the year I get too old. I ll have my kids trick or treating too. My family started this in Canada only, not in Russia.

6. CELEBRATING THANKSGIVING Every year for thanksgiving my family will meet up with lots of other Russian family friends to have a turkey dinner together. Even though we go to other peoples homes to have it, we also cook our own turkey at home to have with mashed potatoes and gravy on the side. I want to do this forever.

7. GO CAMPING We try to go camping every year but sometimes it s only the next year. My family will go camping, usually to the Okanagan, every year to a camping ground. When we camp we will spend lots of time barbequing, swimming, and visiting wineries (although I never get to have the wine ) My family only started camping in Canada. I would like to go camping with my kids too.

8. VIDEO GAMING This is not a tradition my family has, YET. I want my future family to be a gaming family where we can share moments and bond together over video games, either as a casual thing or a planned thing (example: every Friday is videogame night)

9. DRAWING Although my family draws a little (doodles), I would love to have a very artistic family where we could draw all together as a tradition and help each other improve and even wow each other. To teach my kids to draw really amazingly would be amazing and a tradition I want to make for my future family.

10. KOMPOT MAKING Kompot is a non-alcoholic sweet beverage of Slavic origin, that may be served hot or cold, depending on tradition and season. My family makes this whenever they feel like, it is a drink that their families have taught them and now sometimes I help make Kompot with my family. I would like to teach my family how to make it too.