The Book of New Family Traditions: How to Create Great Rituals for Holidays & Everydays (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Family traditions are wonderful, and it is a special joy to celebrate a holiday or carry on a bedtime ritual just as our parents and..." (more)
Key Phrases: Happy Birthday, May Day, Native American (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Overcoat Day. Welcome Summer Party. Monthly Pizza Blast. Bus Stop Party. These are just some of the enjoyable and inventive new traditions you 'll find in The Book of New Family Traditions. Life isn't like it used to be, and we need to invent new traditions for today's families. Meg Cox guides you through the simple steps that help families fully cherish all of those special moments and milestones, help heal the wounds of trauma and loss, and strengthen that indomitable spirit of identity within a family. With The Book of New Family Traditions, your family can create the kind of celebrations that lead to everlasting happy memories. When author Meg Cox became a mother in 1994, she started a personal quest to find inspiring, contemporary family rituals. She sought rituals that were simple but profound, practical and yet lots of fun. Using her skills as a journalist, she spent more than three years interviewing diverse families all over the country and compiling a collection of inventive new traditions. In this book you'll find fresh ways of commemorating established holidays like Thanksgiving and July 4, Passover and Easter, Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. You will also find original observances for birthdays, bedtime and dinnertime, not to mention a whole compendium of unexpected traditions: sports rituals, pet rituals, homework rituals, vacation rituals and family meetings, among others. The Book of New Family Traditions provides a wealth of fun, easy and creative new celebrations for your family for every occasion.

About the Author

Meg Cox is a journalist, author and expert in family traditions. A former reporter for the Wall Street Journal, she has interviewed everyone from Rupert Murdoch to Queen Latifah. Cox is the author of The Heart of a Family: Searching America for New Traditions that Fulfill Us (Random House, 1998). She writes for a wide range of magazines including Family Fun, Good Housekeeping, Parents, Cooking Light and Worth, and her corporate clients have included Pillsbury, Hallmark, and Merck & Co. Cox lectures frequently and writes a monthly newsletter on family rituals. She currently lives in Princeton, New Jersey, with her husband and son.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Running Press (April 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762414421
• ISBN-13: 978-0762414420
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #31,632 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Something for every family, May 7, 2003

By A Customer

I love this book! I found it at the library, and now I have to buy my own copy. It's got a variety of ideas for everyone- for example, for Winter Holidays- traditions for a Solstice Celebration, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa. And ideas for all ages from toddler/preschool age to graduation. And, most importantly, it explains why rituals are important in building a strong family- what the elements of a successful family tradtion are, and how you can create your own.

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a joyfull and insightful reading experience!, May 15, 2003

By	Tracy H. Smith (Noblesville, IN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book of new family traditions is so reader-friendly and so comfortable to pick up and browse that I can hardly get my copy out of the hands of my co-workers...The presentation and style are perfect for the topic and the information presented is easy to digest and creative enough to encourage our own ideas on the topic. This book is ideal for new parents but even us older parents of teenagers. This should be on the bookshelf of every one who cares about family or has one and wants to celebrate that special and loving relationship!

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended!, June 5, 2003

By	A Mom (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This book is filled with so many wonderful ideas it's actually uplifting to read. And as you do, you get the feeling that no matter how busy your life is, there's a family ritual that's just right for you. If you want to discover simple, practical things you can do to enhance the texture of your relationships with your children, this is the book to buy. Meg Cox's creativity, vision, and committment to families ring through on every page.