Ancestor Appreciation Day

September 27 is Ancestor Appreciation Day, this day is to remind all of us to appreciate those who have come before us in our families. Our families make up our identity and are why we are here today. Going back generations we can trace our roots to different cultures, countries, and traditions that bring us a unique perspective on the world around us.

This is an excellent week for us to spend time with older generations in our families and ask questions about our lineage. Learning about who we are and where we come from helps us better understand ourselves. As older members of our families, we can share our stories with our children, grandchildren, or even great grandchildren. Stories that may seem simple to us about our way of life in our teens and youth may be very inspiring to younger generations who have never experienced life the way we did.

Many families share stories of immigration to the United States where they came to build their lives and traveled far across the ocean leaving what they knew behind. Some families share stories of their indigenous ancestries living on the land here and the traditions they pass down still today through their cultural ceremonies and heritage. Others may have a complicated history with where they came from or how they came to live where they do today but by learning about these histories we can better understand who the people where who came before us and how what they went through shape us today.

We should look at this holiday as a wonderful time to celebrate who we are and where we came from. Today is a day to be proud of our cultural heritage and family diversity. As we age we become the orators of our family history and we bring our traditions and knowledge with us, passing down these stories, memories, and people to the next generation is a wonderful thing.