How to Embrace Your Family’s Culture

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Have you ever wanted to connect more with your family’s culture? Ever felt like maybe there was something more you could do to show your interest in understanding your family members and your family history? This may not be the tell-all or the “ultimate guide” on how to embrace your family structure, however, we felt these three nuggets might be most useful for our readers who are looking to identify more with their family’s culture and heritage.

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Ask questions

One of the quickest routes to the answers of life is always going to be found in the asking of a question. “How was your day?” “Do you like our new beverage?” “What’s the weather like outside?” The same principle applies when it comes to getting to know your family.

Asking questions is an important step in learning how to embrace your family’s culture because it provides the foundation for understanding to be built. These questions can range in depth and severity depending on who you are speaking with and what your objectives are. Remember to always exercise patience and gratitude when asking questions about a family member or a family story – as close as you may be in each others hearts, you never know what triggers you may be tripping in your discussions with the ones you love.

Here is a short list of some questions you might ask to better understand your family’s culture, heritage or traditions:

• What country are you from?

• What is your native language?

• What was your relationship with your mother like while growing up?

• What was a normal day for you during your primary school years?

• What was home life like for you and your family growing up?

• What are some of your favourite family traditions and why?

• Did you have any dreams about your future when you were little?

• How did your family respond to or support your dreams as a child?

• What are your favourite memories of your family?

• Were there any special family traditions?

• Do you have any special family dishes I should know about?

• What’s one difficult situation you faced with your family, and how did you handle it?

• What is one difficult family memory you have, and how do you navigate those feelings?

Participate in family traditions

If the first step to embracing your family’s culture is to ask questions and build understanding, then the next step that would make the most sense is to get involved and be an active participant in family activities. It’s time to participate in your family’s traditions.

Now, depending on your family’s background and the current interests of the leading members of your family, your traditions might look a little different than others… or a lot. It all depends.

Maybe it’s Sunday night football, Taco Tuesday or Wednesday night Bible study. Maybe it’s digital distancing on Fridays and Saturdays, or dinner at Auntie’s on Thursday nights. Maybe it’s celebrating the High Holy Days, going to church or fashion week. Whatever your family’s traditions are, participating in one or more will help you in embracing your family’s culture, and may actually bring your family closer together.

Here is a short list of some common family traditions:

• Sitting down for a meal together

• Saying a prayer together regularly

• Singing, dancing or performing together

• Reading together as a family

• Family story time

• Family movie night

• Family game night

• Annual family vacation

• Weekly family mental health check in

• Family group hugs and handshakes

• Family hiking, fishing, or other outdoors adventure

Attend family gatherings

Whether the gathering itself be common or uncommon, take the time to be present with your family when the opportunity arises. This is the most organic way to build closeness, to understand and embrace the culture of your family, and to even help perpetuate it.

If you’re in your hometown, perhaps coordinate with family members to have a dinner or a special family outing. Visit someone’s house, or go support a loved one at something special they have going on. Take the time to get to know your loved ones – after all, culture is really driven by who we are.

So there you have it. If you have been wanting to build more closeness and understanding with your family, such that you might be able to effectively embrace or identify with their culture, consider these steps and see where they take you. 

Why sink when you can SWIM?

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