Immediately following our family Christmas meal, our family sings an out-of-tune rendition of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” We have done so for over two decades now. It was my grandfather’s favorite Christmas song. He never sang it well either, but he did always sing it loudly. That song is a small way he can still be with us even after all these years.

The song is followed by an advent service organized by my mother. She always puts a great deal of effort preparing it, and we appreciate that effort even if we don’t always show it contemporaneously. Then we follow with pieces of strawberry cake (strawberry because I don’t eat chocolate) for dessert. It is one of the only times during the year when I eat cake at all actually. And then we unwrap presents, a much more staid time than it must have been when my brother and I were children. Nothing quite matches the excitement of children when it is time to open presents. I won’t get to witness that this year, but maybe I’ll be able to see some of my favorite little ones shortly thereafter depending on how the weather plays out.

I’m sure each of you who celebrate Christmas has similar traditions of your own. You may even be able to form new traditions this year if life has brought you changes in the past twelve months. As you celebrate, take a moment to appreciate those little traditions. They help keep continuity in life even in the face of incessant change.