Buddhist Family Holidays - revised edition

[Shujin]

Hi friends,

I'm pleased to announce the revised edition of our Buddhist Family Holidays project is here: https://www.treeleaf.org/2025/12/bud...in-the-family/ I've summarized our goals in a short video, but if reading is more to your liking there's a paragraph below. I look forward to reading and listening to your experiences!

Welcome to our Buddhist Family Holidays project! Most of our sangha live in parts of the world that are primarily non-Buddhist. This presents a challenge, but also an opportunity, to celebrate our practice amidst other religious and cultural traditions. We have three goals with this project:

• To learn and observe Soto Zen Buddhist holidays for ourselves
• To learn and observe comparable holidays in other traditions, when possible, with those who are dear to us
• To offer our customs and traditions to our children in a more accessible format

Holidays are a chance to slow the pace of our lives, reflect, and practice gratitude for all things. They can also be stressful, however, especially if our beliefs conflict with those of those around us. Yet at heart, all holidays of peace, goodwill, family and gathering share many of the same values. We can honor and join our loved ones’ customs, and find a shared spirit with our own. In my own life, this has been a process of learning that the symbols we use in different traditions are not as vital as I thought. At times, we can keep our ways in our own hearts, being gentle and patient with others, even when those people may be less patient with our ways. At other times, we can celebrate all ways together!

Gassho,
Shujin

[Bion]

Thank you for putting this together, Shu! I hope it offers some inspiration to each of us to look for more opportunities to celebrate, reflect, and express gratitude.

Gassho
sat lah

[Kanshin]

Dear Shujin,

Thank you very much for this beautiful initiative.

As someone with a family, this really resonates with me. I have been feeling the wish to gently introduce Buddhist practice and celebration into our daily life, in a way that is natural and accessible for everyone.

What you shared speaks deeply to this — especially the idea that we can honor both our own traditions and those of the people we love, without conflict, but with understanding and care.

It is encouraging to see a way to bring practice into family life, not as something separate, but as something lived together.

Thank you again for your effort and generosity in creating this.

Gassho,
Kanshin
sat/lah

[Jundo]

Lovely!

We celebrate all these holidays of love, family, friendship, peace and goodwill.

Gassho, Jundo
stlah

[Shujin]

Dear Shujin,

Thank you very much for this beautiful initiative.

As someone with a family, this really resonates with me. I have been feeling the wish to gently introduce Buddhist practice and celebration into our daily life, in a way that is natural and accessible for everyone.

What you shared speaks deeply to this — especially the idea that we can honor both our own traditions and those of the people we love, without conflict, but with understanding and care.

It is encouraging to see a way to bring practice into family life, not as something separate, but as something lived together.

Thank you again for your effort and generosity in creating this.

Gassho,
Kanshin
sat/lah

Thank you for your kind words, Kanshin. I hope that the resources are helpful for your family. I'm curious to hear about your experience celebrating these holidays - feel free to share here, or you're always welcome to send me a private message.

Gassho,
Shujin