Raising him as a single parent set us off from the usual pattern of family gatherings. As a result, the two of us had no traditions of our own to share during those times when others were celebrating holidays with their families. It was only during my son's teenage years that I realized the need to establish our own traditions to pour the foundation of meaningful events that would crystallize into shared experience. Started so late, this process is still evolving, and will need years of committed attention before it solidifies into substantive tradition. Tradition need not be a repetition of past rituals, nor does it need to be shared only with our family of origin.
Tradition can be as varied as life experience is.
What seems to be most important in creating and continuing tradition is that the elements are meaningful and shared. As in my own experience, tradition is easily abandoned when it loses meaning for the participants. And though many rituals can be enjoyed in solitude, tradition celebrates the sharing of ritual and meaning with others. In the next few months, the house across the street will be completed, the foundation neatly covered and obscured from view. Little thought will be given to its base once the house is finished.