What's one small tradition your family has that nobody outside the family would understand?

B Natural answer

A small tradition in my family is that we leave the television off during the first ten minutes of a holiday meal. We sit down, say a quick thank-you, and everyone has to share one good thing from the week. It is simple, but it feels special to us. Another thing is that my uncle always tells the same old story about his first job, even though we all know the ending. To people outside, it probably sounds boring, but for us it is a way to slow down and feel connected.

Key phrases in this answer

• playful bad singing — a joking way to say the singing is not good“We always do a very bad version of the song and laugh.”
• birthday first-slice rule — a family rule that gives the first slice to the youngest person“At my cousin's party, the youngest person gets the first piece of cake.”
• quiet-start ritual — to keep the TV off at the start of a special meal“We leave the television off during the first ten minutes of a holiday meal.”
• brief gratitude — to thank people in a short, simple way“Before we eat, we say a quick thank-you.”
• old-family anecdote — a familiar story that gets repeated often“My uncle told the same old story about his first job again.”
• wish-writing habit — to write a few small hopes on paper“On New Year's Eve, we write down three tiny wishes.”