Passing the torch . . . it's a family affair

Our English word, tradition, comes from the Latin word traditio, the noun from the verb traderere or tradere which means to transmit, to hand over, to give for safe keeping. I can't remember where I found this in my travels through google, but I really liked this:

"There seem to be many definitions of traditions but the unifying one refers to beliefs, objects or customs performed or believed in the past, originating in it, transmitted through time by being taught by one generation to the next, and are performed or believed in the present."

The tradition I want to share with you is one that comes from my husband's side of the family and is one that literally involves the passing of a torch even if it does come from the barbeque pit.

. . . and an opening ceremony involving the walking of the American flag, the family Lithuanian flag and the State flags of all attending family members around the block.

To say it is/was an undertaking would be an absolute understatement requiring the following committee's; housing, t-shirt and headband, food, website, ceremonies, awards and finance. And maybe the most important committee being the events, which included but definitely not limited to:

{ Fencing, aka roshambo, aka rock-paper-scissors }

{Bobsled, aka pass the sponge over and under to see who can transfer the most water from front to back}

{ Synchronized Swimming, aka boggle in the pool with 5 pre-chosen letters, who can make the most words. I was team leader on this one, and yes, we took GOLD!  }

Of course in between all the events, one needs to have little sustenance . . .

{ One of the most important events of the day . . . meal time }

{ 4 X 1 relay, aka keep two balloons in the air for a determined amount of time, then get an oreo cookie from your forehead into your mouth, catch a gummy worm in your mouth while it dangles from a string on a stick, and throw the hula hoop over a cup }

{Clockwise; Decathlon aka match pictures to respective cities this event has previously been held, Beach Volleyball aka who can gather the most gumballs in the sand with your toes (hands if you are a small child), Marathon aka once around the block, Biathlon aka 2 person relay around the block and Discus aka precision Frisbee throwing. }

I'm sure you've guessed by now that the tradition I'm talking about is the Olympics, and as you can see quite creatively planned to include participation of all ages. During a recent visit from my in-laws I was able to ask them some questions about just how this tradition was started.

My father-in-law told me that while visiting his mom's house one day, he and his brothers were reminiscing about how they would challenge their father when they were were in high school/college, with foot races around the block. That's when they came up with the idea to have an impromptu planned Olympic games that weekend, which has now become a tradition combined with a family reunion. We just held the fifth one last summer, with 65 people coming from all over the country to Illinois from as far away as Arizona, California and Texas. All five brothers and their families, some including 4 generations all in one place at one time with planning that started almost one year before. What started out as 22 people has grown to 65 and the half-dozen events to over 20. And their competitive nature, friendly of course, drives the desire for each consecutive generation to continue the tradition.

And of course, last but not least, the family Olympic games would not be complete without the medals, all 65 of them handcrafted by my talented father-in-law the glass artist and distributed at the closing ceremonies. It was a busy two days, filled with fun, food and family, fueled by some friendly competition and lots of love. Oh yeah, and I was on the winning Gold team . . . go green!! XO

Don't forget to add photos of your traditions or tell us about it on our flickr page!

Happy Tuesday!