Consistency doesn’t have to be boring: the habits and rituals of our grandparents might have seemed quirky to us in the past – but most of them have a reason. And could do our everyday life good again today.
Flexibility is undoubtedly a key skill these days to keep up with our society. The world of work is changing almost as fast as our media landscape, cultural and entertainment offerings change like fashion trends, and what is considered healthy eating or good parenting practice today was just yesterday the worst thing we could do.
We are used to adapting, to adapting from one moment to the next and to getting involved in a new situation. In fact, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing at all. After all, as human beings we basically have the ability to act spontaneously and to improvise, and there is nothing wrong with using this ability. But where it is possible, we could try to establish habits, routines and consistency in our lives, because they give us security, make decisions for us, let us find peace, breathe deeply, recover and recharge our batteries – and that can help us to balance to all the variety and fast pace of our time very, very well.
Many of our grandparents are or were real experts in everyday rituals. According to the rituals of our grandparents, we could sometimes set our clock and rely on it more than any weather forecast. Perhaps some of their habits may or may not seem special and quirky to us at first glance, but on closer inspection they can sometimes prove to be real treasures and lifelines. And so we are only too happy to be inspired by it.
10 everyday rituals of our grandparents that we would like to revive
afternoon nap
In the sunshine on the terrace or the balcony, otherwise in the TV chair or in bed: for grandma and grandpa the nap was scheduled at lunchtime. It might be unimaginable for many younger people right now to be able to find the quiet time to do it in the middle of the day and hit the brakes – but perhaps that’s why it wouldn’t be the worst habit for some.
Pocket Candy
Caramel, eucalyptus or peppermint, the flavors may vary, but grandparents typically don’t leave the house without a candy or two in their pockets. What’s the point, one or the other may ask. But if we think about it for just a minute, everything suddenly becomes clear: After all, life can always bring us into a situation where we need a candy – even if it is to offer it to the person sitting across from us .
Newscast in the evening
For decades, numerous grandmothers and grandfathers turned on the television at 8 p.m. and watched the news – a ritual that is becoming more and more out of fashion in view of push notifications, streaming services and news feeds. But wouldn’t it be nice to get an overview and get information once a day at a fixed time instead of being updated 24/7 and being bombarded with news? It might be worth a try.
Can
We can get anything anytime. Our grandparents, on the other hand, learned that berries were only available in summer, apples only in autumn, and turnips in winter. Some years more, others less. So they made cans in good years and rich seasons, and drank from them in scarcer times. Will we ever need that again? Doesn’t matter. After all, it can be a lot of fun to preserve something yourself and enjoy it later. We don’t always have to act out of necessity.
special water
Some grandparents swore by a dash of vinegar, others preferred lemon in their water – but quite a few of our grandmas and grandpas consistently went through with drinking a glass of water with a special ingredient every day. Will that do anything? Who knows. But it certainly won’t hurt.
Sunday riddle
In the weekend edition of many daily newspapers you can always find a crossword puzzle. So grandma and grandpa sat down on Sundays and solved it. A nice ritual to stay mentally fit, to learn new things and just to have fun with something. Such a puzzle day could definitely come back into fashion.
Morning coffee with newspaper
Before even considering becoming active in any way, many grandparents sat down at the breakfast table, drank their coffee and read the newspaper. This habit may no longer be conceivable or practicable for many people today. But it would probably do us good to carve out half an hour in the morning to gather ourselves – or to distract ourselves – before we jump on our to-do list.
Friday is fish
Fish on Fridays, meat on Sundays, leftovers on Mondays and always seasonal anyway. Many of our grandparents had and still have very fixed habits when it comes to their diet. Younger people, on the other hand, often say: “What could I cook today?” And then there’s frozen pizza. Absolutely understandable. After all, it’s damn exhausting to first have to make a decision and then also have to put in some effort. Maybe the effort will work out better if we follow the example of grandma and grandpa and save ourselves the decision for at least a few days a week in the future.
afternoon cover
At 3 or 4 p.m. many grandparents had coffee and cake. And not to go and as a snack on the go, but comfortably at the kitchen table. Who does such a ritual still fit into their daily schedule? On the other hand: why can’t we adapt our daily schedule to beautiful rituals?
Recycle
Newspapers, wrapping paper, plastic packaging and boxes – grandmas and grandpas hardly throw anything away immediately. Almost everything that we dispose of without thinking, they keep and use it again or just misappropriated for other things. It may seem cumbersome at first glance, after all we can buy everything and have it delivered with just one click. But our grandparents’ approach is certainly good for the environment – and for our wallets as well.