Whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, Yule or Kwanza, sing in the Solstice or feel more like a Festivus kind of person, chances are that there is some kind annual holiday, event, or observation that you participate in at this time of year. Even those of us who don’t, because our major seasonal celebrations (think Diwali or Ramadan) were earlier in the calendar, probably have personal traditions or rituals that they observe, even if it’s something as small as lighting a candle and soaking in a bathtub full of bubbles once a week. It is in honor of all of these things, large and small, spiritual and secular, that the theme for December is Tradition and Ritual.

As part of this, I’m also inaugurating our first Picture That image that isn’t from a stock site. Please thank Carmi Levy of Written, Inc. for the use of his image.

For guidelines, please see The Rules. Remember that you should comment on this post with your links, including the title of the piece that you wrote. Also, I would encourage everyone to visit the blogs of CW participants – most of our Regulars have amazing writing on their sites throughout the month.

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Option One: Pick Three
Pick at least three of the following eight words, and write a paragraph, scene, flash-fic, essay, blog entry or poem using them. It’s fine to change tenses, or pluralize if you have to, but please bold the words you choose.

kindle, memory, spark, shattered, effulgent, joyful, softly, glistening

Option Two: Can You Picture That?
Use the following photo to inspire an entry in any form – fiction, essay, poetry. Please copy the photo to your own server if you want to include it in your post, but please credit Carmi Levy of Written, Inc. if you use it. (You might want to visit his blog and drop a line as well.)

Option Three: Poetry

We seek to find peace of mind in the word, the formula, the ritual. The hope is illusion. — Benjamin Cardozo

Using the quotation above as your inspiration, write a poem (any form is fine) about peace, hope, and ritual.

Option Four: Fiction

It seemed to be a necessary ritual that he should prepare himself for sleep by meditating under the solemnity of the night sky… a mysterious transaction between the infinity of the soul and the infinity of the universe. — Victor Hugo

Write a short story, scene, or piece of flash-fiction that somehow involves a “necessary ritual.”

Option Five: Timed Writing

Tradition is a guide and not a jailer. — William Somerset Maugham

Take nine minutes (you have to use all nine, you can’t go over), write about Tradition. Any format (fiction, essay, verse) is acceptable; and it’s expected that your writing will be raw, so don’t stress about editing.

Option Six: Seven Things
In improvisation, one of our exercises is a game called “Seven Things,” in which we go around in a circle giving each other the challenge, “Give me seven things that [whatever].” We are not going to go around in a circle here, but if you’re drawn to lists, this prompt is for you.

List seven traditions – big or small – that you and your family observe. You don’t have to explain them, but it’s more fun for readers if you do.

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Don’t forget to comment on this post with the direct link and title of each piece you create. Happy Writing!