For as long as I can remember, my family and I have watched movies together every weekend. There was never a spoken rule or agreement, but every Saturday and Sunday, without fail, we grab our food and gather in the living room. 

On Friday nights, my sister comes home from school with a mission. No matter what obstacles stand in her way, she has her mind set on convincing my parents to order dinner from the establishment of her choice. We usually end up with a choice that satisfies everyone, but it is a conversation that I can count on to happen every Friday.   

It is small, unspoken traditions such as these making my family unique. 

Every year, as the holidays roll around, we put up a tree, decorate our house and buy presents for each other. However, my family does not celebrate the traditional Christmas or Thanksgiving. Because of this, I have always felt a sense of guilt for participating in traditions that I have no religious connection to. 

My friends don’t participate in Diwali customs every year, so why am I taking part in Christmas traditions?

I wanted to fit in and experience the same things as my friends, but I felt like an impostor, forcing myself into their traditions. 

In reality, I was not forcing myself into anything. Rather, I was finding my place in a tradition that was a large part of the culture around me. 

I have come to realize that buying presents for my family or decorating our house with lights does not necessarily have to relate to a specific holiday. It is merely our way of appreciating each other at the end of the year. 

Every Thanksgiving, my cousins and I cook for our parents. Whether it be an array of Tex-Mex food or experimenting with Italian cuisine, we give our parents the day off. 

My family watches the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day parade every year. With a mug of hot chocolate in hand, my sister looks forward to seeing all of her favorite characters float through the streets of New York City. 

Even though many of these activities are considered “traditional,” I would not enjoy doing these things annually if not for the people that I am with.  

I have never watched a single parade without my dad’s commentary in the background. His “clever” remarks are the things that I remember more than the parade itself. 

My sister attempts to help in the kitchen every year when my cousins and I are cooking, but of course, we do not let her because she is the youngest. Without these little fights, we would not have stories to laugh about. 

With every movie that we watch and every dish that we burn, we make memories that will last for a lifetime. 

No tradition is owned by a person or group. Without our own traditions and customs, we lose the things that make us, us. 

Follow Sukirtha (@suki_muthiah) and @CHSCampusNews on X.