Now here’s a unique twist on a family holiday. Writer Wendy Donahue in the Chicago Tribune suggests integrating and incorporating annual traditions into a truly memorable and possibly life-changing event:
Happy faux-lidays
Extended families create their own reason to celebrate each otherBy Wendy Donahue, Tribune Newspapers
3:13 PM CST, March 6, 2012
AdvertisementEvery year, Marie Puskas and her extended family put all of their eggs in one basket — along with their Valentines, New Year’s noisemakers, Christmas gifts, Thanksgiving fixings and Halloween treats.
Naturally, they call this annual family gathering “New Valeastweengivingmas,” a contraction of several holidays, and it is celebrated in July or August at her parents’ house in Daytona Beach, Fla.
“We count down to midnight, give valentines in Easter eggs, dress up in Halloween costumes, have a Thanksgiving dinner and have a secret Santa/white elephant gift exchange,” said Puskas, who lives in Tampa.
Just over a dozen family members, along with some family friends, travel from across Florida for this off-peak holiday rush, which dates to 2003.
“We weren’t sure if we’d all be able to get together once we all had families,” Puskas said, “so this is one tradition we make sure stays intact.”
Modern family life has birthed a brood of custom holidays, often to preserve closeness while easing logistical and financial pressures on extended, blended and interfaith families separated by miles. Sometimes they honor sacred milestones (the date of a child’s adoption, often called “gotcha day”). Sometimes, they’re whimsical (the date a boat goes in the water after winter, christened “Cold Duck Day” by one family because the “really cheap” wine was all they had aboard to toast the launch the first year).
A venerable holiday twist for extended families involves shifting the celebration of Christmas to a few weeks before or a few days after Dec. 25 — which one family christened “Mockmas” — in part so that individual families can wake up on Christmas Day in their own homes. On the opposite end of the calendar is the old-fashioned family reunion in summertime when kids don’t have school and travel conditions are more hospitable.
Even somber events can spin off annual celebrations. The family of Melissa Byers of Myrtle Beach, S.C., marks the date of her father’s death.
“I know that sounds weird, but we go to his favorite restaurant, make his favorite dessert, etc.,” Byers said. “We’re on year three in March and the first two were festive, not sad. No balloons or anything, but time that we deliberately remember and enjoy the things he did. It’s nice.”
Birth of a complicated schedule
But, as Puskas said, it’s the birth of babies that most universally redefines holidays for families.
“It’s a time of complete reinvention in some ways,” said Linda Murray, editor in chief of babycenter.com. Its recent poll found that 23 percent of respondents stayed closer to home after having a baby, with 44 percent describing the traditional holiday season in their home as “a reasonably low-key event with just a few gatherings and a handful of relatives. Fourteen percent described theirs as a “quiet event at home with just our immediate family.”
Many new parents report that they initially travel more than they did before, introducing the baby to relatives. Once a child turns 2, constantly on the go and requiring a separate plane ticket, air travel declines, Murray said. Then the school years start, with new financial demands, hectic schedules and limited breaks.
But Murray cited a surprise in the babycenter.com poll: 92 percent of parents will pull their children out of school to travel with them “and not feel guilty about it.”
She speculates that might be feeding alternative-holiday momentum.
It’s a big world out there
“Parents tell us they have a real belief in life experience,” Murray said. “The opportunity to see another place or learn something new or bond together as a family, they really value those things on par with traditional education.”
That’s why some families have turned volunteerism vacations into annual holidays.
Through the Globe Aware (globeaware.org) organization, Mark Edwards and his family have assembled desks for a school in Ghana, painted a school in Laos and built stoves in Peru. That was their first trip when their youngest of three daughters was 9 and their unheated hostel meant sleeping in all of their clothes to stay warm.
“But our kids never complained,” said Edwards, who lives in Boston. “They loved it, we loved it, and we were hooked.”
Globe Aware, which is one of the partners on GoVoluntouring.com, reports that about 40 percent of families turn its trips into an annual rite, though families make up only 15 to 25 percent of its volunteers.
“We’ve seen many multigenerational families — kids, together with their parents and grandparents — all traveling with one another as a bonding experience in a truly unique and wonderful environment,” said Kimberly Haley-Coleman, executive director of Globe Aware.
Friendship matters
Other faux-lidays aren’t just centered on the traditional definition of family. Some surround friendship.
“Two of my good friends have birthdays three days apart from each other,” said Jenny Des Jarlais, who lives in northern California. “They’re the same age for just those three days out of the year. They consider it a three-day period of celebration .”
Celebrations of half-birthdays have become commonplace for kids whose birthdays are lost in the December or summer shuffle, as with Murray’s daughter, who was born on New Year’s Eve. Murray points out a related post on babycenter.com:
“My sister’s and my birthdays fell at inconvenient times (hers is Dec. 21, mine Jan. 4), so rather than let them get overlooked or run together with Christmas, my family would throw us a joint ‘unbirthday party’ some time when everybody could come. And we’d usually watch ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ where the Mad Hatter explains that everybody gets 364 unbirthdays a year.”
A new holiday dawning
Thinking about proposing a new holiday for your extended family? For 64 years, relatives of Jessica Hebenstreit have gathered for the Benz Family Reunion at Rathbun Lake in Iowa. Here are five ways they started and sustained the tradition.
Agree on a day that remains clear year after year, such as “the second Sunday of July.” Once there’s reasonable consensus, stick to it to avoid confusion.
Make the official celebration a single-day event, then individual families can tailor their trip to their liking. Hebenstreit’s relatives start trickling in as much as a week in advance.
Pick a destination with some affordable recreational options. They don’t have to be highfalutin. “People go boating on the lake, spend time in town; generally, the adults find their way to the local pool hall,” Hebenstreit says.
Schedule some events, but not too many. A little bit of “corny” is OK too — it’s family. “On Saturday we have a weenie roast at the campgrounds,” Hebenstreit says. “Sunday entails a potluck, a family report given by a member of each of the families on the past year, prayer, singing of songs, games for the children.”
Tend to business for the next year while everyone is there. On Sunday, Hebenstreit says her family passes a hat to raise money to reserve the shelters for the next year as well as to make a donation to the cemetery where their forebears, Charles and Anna Benz, are buried. They also elect a president and vice president who are responsible for booking the shelters and ensuring the reunion takes place the next year.
Copyright © 2012, Chicago Tribune
Elizabeth Brady, writing for AOL Travel, examined the many misconceptions that swirl around Cuba, travel and the volunteer vacation opportunity offered by Globe Aware:
It is a persistent misconception that Cuba’s rigid socialist government already provides a solid amount of social aid to its citizens, and travel to the island is challenging for those with U.S. passports. There are ways to travel legally to Cuba as a US citizen, and volunteers from the states can attest that voluntourism to Cuba is increasingly popular.
Programs are expanding, help is always welcome, and an important takeaway for participants is an in-depth understanding of Cuban culture and history. Volunteering is a rewarding way to see a country that is on the brink of massive change.
Catherine Greenberg, Vice President of Volunteer Communications at Globe Aware, which runs voluntourism programs in Cuba, says that the social and educational value of a trip to the island nation is greater for volunteers than beach bums.
“Most travelers go and stay at a resort, which doesn’t give you any real insight to the true beauty and challenges of the culture and the people,” she says.
Vacationers from the United States tend to write off Cuba as a non-option for Caribbean travel thanks to sanctions imposed by the U.S. But, Fidel Castro’s diminishing presence, and a potential loosening of sanctions (through initiatives such as The Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act) means we’re likely now seeing the final window of opportunity to visit socialist Cuba.
Take a look through the gallery below to learn more about Cuba’s prime landmarks, popular cities, and destinations where travelers are encouraged to volunteer their time.
Globe Aware was featured in a June article written by Lisa M. Dietlin, CEO of Lisa M. Dietlin and Associates, Inc., philanthropic advisor, author, for the Huffington Post.
Enjoy:
Making A Difference: The World of Giving — Voluntour and Do-Good Vacations
Posted: 06/ 7/11 01:12 PM ET
It’s summertime and many of us are thinking about our vacation plans. With gas prices still rising and travel becoming even more challenging, I recommend considering a Voluntour Vacation or a Do-Good Vacation.
Voluntour vacations or do-good vacations are fast becoming a popular way to plan your excursions and volunteer. Though Americans volunteer in large numbers annually, using a vacation into a volunteer opportunity is a new phenomenon that, surprising to many, is are often tax-deductible.
Here are some reasons to consider voluntouring on your next vacation:
Voluntouring is rapidly gaining popularity. Some studies indicate that as many as half of the people living in the United States intend to take a volunteer vacation at some point in the future.
Voluntouring is thought of as a “mini-stint” in the Peace Corps — you will be working with a community and its residents side by side. It is a unique way to give back.
A voluntour vacation is about helping and learning both in terms of aid, and cultural experiences. Most voluntours are taking place in Third World and developing countries such as Peru, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Morocco, Romania, Russia, Nepal, South Africa, Thailand, or Vietnam.
Remember it is very important, if you plan on doing this, to consider ways to respect and connect with the communities and people you are trying to help.
Your experience can last from 1 to 12 weeks.
Alternatively, Do-Good Vacations are money raising adventures combined with European vacations to Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Scotland and Spain and include nights in historic castles and visits to lesser-known areas. Do-Good Vacations are about traveling to a distant land, working with a nonprofit outfitter to raise money for a cause — unlike voluntouring you will not be working with the local community and its residents.
You can start by finding a reputable organization that works in the area in which you want to explore. Here are a few for a voluntour vacation:
- Cross-Cultural Solutions was founded in 1995 and has an outstanding reputation. Their tag states:
- “Volunteer Abroad – work side-by-side with local people and experience another culture like never before. It’s the experience of a lifetime.”
- They work with over 4000 volunteers annually, have a staff of more than 300, and work in 12 countries.
Globe Aware, which started volunteer missions in 2000 but has been working in this area since 1993, provides short term weeklong adventures in service, focused on cultural awareness and sustainability. Their tag line is:
“Have Fun. Help People.”
Their website states:
- All costs including air fare are tax deductible
- You need no special skills nor do you need to speak a foreign language.
- People can go solo or with families such as multi generational trips.
- Enjoy befriending people in new and interesting countries and experience the reward of helping them on meaningful community projects.
- Promote cultural awareness and promote sustainability; cultural awareness means recognizing the beauty and challenges of a culture, but not changing it; sustainability is the idea of helping others to stand on their own two feet; teaching skills rather than reliance.
According to USA Today, Global Volunteers is the:
“granddaddy of the volunteer vacation movement”.
Their tag line is:
“travel that feeds the soul”
Founded in 1984 and facilitated more than 22,000 volunteers on six continents.
You can teach conversational English, care for at risk children, paint, build and repair buildings, provide health care services, work with young children including infants and toddlers as well as teens, adults and elders.
Families, students, solo travelers, Baby Boomers and groups are the types of people that participate.
You can have an experience in Europe, North America, South America, Central America, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific.
For Do-Good Vacations, consider these:
- For a Cause’s mission is to energize and inspire people to make a difference in the lives of those affected by HIV/AIDS and Breast Cancer so that no one faces these battles alone.
- The World Bank runs a program called Stay Another Day that directs tourists via a website and booklets to pre-evaluated activities that benefit the local community. For instance, vacationers can tour an orphanage in Cambodia, playing with the children and, if they wish, purchase goods such as the silk products the locals have made. The visit is free, but tourists are asked to make a donation.
Here are five recommendations and tips on easy ways to Make A Difference (M.A.D.):
- Find the best organization that matches your passion and has a long standing commitment to that area.
- Select a trip that suits your abilities and interests.
- Speak with volunteers who have been on the excursion before.
- If traveling to a non-English speaking country, try to learn the language or at least some phrases; even though it is not required, it is a great way to begin getting prepared.
- Research local customs and mores, but recognize that reality can be different from what you read in a book or online.
Bonus Tips: Expect none of the comforts of home. In other words, you will be “roughing it” so go with an open mind and see how your heart is transformed. It can be the vacation of a lifetime!
By taking a voluntour or do-good vacation, here are some benefits to you:
- You know you will be making a difference through your efforts.
- Studies show that volunteering adds years and health to your life.
- You will be traveling to places with unique cultures and in some instances, especially with voluntouring, you become immersed in the culture and community.
- Your trip could be tax deductible.
- You will make lifelong friends!
Doing something for someone else always adds value to our life! Consider adding a voluntour or do-good component to your next vacation! You just be might surprised at how vacationing can lead to making a difference! Are you M.A.D. today?
Spend Less TV put together a great video on Globe Aware‘s colunteer vacation program. The producer shows how you can travel for less than what it might otherwise cost you while also volunteer to help out in villages & towns all over the world. Some qualifying students may even travel for free.
Enjoy!