Family Folklore Tradition - Essay Example

Instead, my father’s side of the family is expansive. He grew up with five brothers and two sisters, the collection of which is spread throughout the greater United States, in a variety of jobs and socioeconomic states. With some slight humor, our family reunions always occur at the home of my richest uncle – Pat. Our most recent family reunion occurred approximately two years ago. During this reunion all of my father’s sisters and brothers agreed to meet at my Uncle Pat’s home in Minnesota.

Uncle Pat’s home is the obvious choice as it is an expansive estate on the water. During our first family reunion when I was a child I was struck by the size and amenities the estate contained, as I had never seen or experienced a home so large. My Uncle Pat was a highly successful stockbroker and his home reflects this affluence. In addition to living on the water, one of Pat’s neighbors is rumored to be the musician Prince – although we have never seen him. During the last family reunion the families arrived in Minnesota on the same day.

Not unlike an episode from MTV’s Jersey Shore, or the Real World, the family that arrives first has the first choice of which room to take. As my Uncle’s home is fairly large, there are enough rooms for everyone to stay. Still, one of my uncles decided to stay at a hotel. Even as the families come together under the guise of friendship and shared background, there is always backstories and infighting that occurs among certain people. After the families have all arrived and settled into their rooms a wide variety of events take place.

On the first full day of the reunion a large barbeque occurred in the backyard of the house. In addition to the families that arrived for the reunion, generally outside friends and neighbors are invited for the festivities. During the day things such as hot dogs and hamburgers are served and a variety of classic American amenities. While some people are eating others are engaging in discussions, or the children are playing video games or swimming in the pool. After everyone has eaten there is traditionally a large-scale volleyball game that occurs.

This game is not very competitive, instead it functions to bring everyone together in a cooperative spirit, with children as young as five years old playing alongside forty year old men. The next day is generally reserved specifically for the family. While there is not a singular traditional event that occurs in this day, there are specific events that have been highly significant in my family tradition. For instance, during my last visit we visited the home that my father and his siblings grew up in.

While I was initially resistant to the excursion, I soon came to greatly appreciate the experience. The home had long since been bought by another family, but they were selling it and agreed to let out family tour the home. While I envisioned the experience being boring, upon touring the home my father and his siblings began relaying stories that had occurred during their youth. For instance, my father talked about getting stuck in the laundry chute. My uncle showed us all how he would sneak in and out of the house without his parents finding out.

While the experience was amusing, it also imbued me with great appreciation for the era and circumstances that my father and his family grew up in. This allowed me greater insight and perspective into his life. Towards the end of the week the family