It’s Happened Before!
The importance of traditions
by Janice Ross
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To consider why traditions are important.
Preparation and materials
- You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (It's Happened Before!) and the means to display them.
- Have available the following YouTube videos and the means to show them during the assembly:
- ‘Champion piper Stuart Liddell playing “Braemar Gathering” outside Balmoral’, available at: https://youtu.be/g_ZBh6LOx_s (3.18 minutes long)
- ‘The Highland Games of Braemar’, available at: https://youtu.be/drl8u4HtkvU (show from 0.05 to 0.35 minutes)
Assembly
- Show the YouTube video ‘Champion piper Stuart Liddell playing “Braemar Gathering” outside Balmoral’. (3.18 minutes long)
- Ask the children what is happening in the video. Can they explain where this might be happening?
Listen to a range of responses. - Show Slide 1.
Explain that it was a tradition for the late Queen Elizabeth II to spend part of her summer holidays at Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands. She loved this area of the UK. It was a place where she could unwind and relax with her family and friends.
The Balmoral grounds stretch across roughly 50,000 acres of moorland, rivers and forests. It is a beautiful landscape, and the Queen used to love walking, riding horses and picnicking with her family there. - Show Slide 2.
There is a tradition that, for 15 minutes every morning, a piper walks up and down playing a selection of songs below the monarch’s bedroom window. This happens wherever the monarch is in residence at the time. - Ask the children what they think the word ‘tradition’ means.
Listen to a range of responses.
Explain that a tradition is the handing down of beliefs and customs from parents to children over many years. We could summarize it as doing the same thing at the same time in the same place. - Ask the children whether they can think of any traditions in their families.
Examples might include going to the same holiday destination every year, having the same kind of birthday tea every year, buying a Christmas tree from the same place every year and having a story read to them every night. - There is another tradition that the Royal Family enjoy: attending the Braemar Gathering, a day of Highland Games near Balmoral.
Show the YouTube video ‘The Highland Games of Braemar’ from 0.05 to 0.35 minutes.
Ask the children, ‘What do you see going on?’
Ask the children why they think the Royal Family enjoy this event.
Listen to a range of responses. - Keeping traditions can be very important in our lives. Doing the same thing at the same time in the same place can strengthen bonds in families, communities and society in general.
It can be something as simple as a particular meal that a family member makes on the same occasion each year, or as complex as some of the traditions that take place at big celebrations.
For example, the tradition of Thanksgiving, which is celebrated in the USA, Canada and elsewhere, helps these nations to remember how God led their ancestors safely to a new land, and blessed them with food and friendship.
Similarly, traditions such as Remembrance Day give us a sense of pride that people are willing to lay down their lives in war to fight for peace.
Ask the children to suggest other large traditional events.
Time for reflection
Explain that this year, the Queen will be sadly missed at the Braemar Gathering. However, her son, King Charles III, and other members of the Royal Family will carry on this summer tradition.
Show Slide 3.
Queen Elizabeth II will be fondly remembered in both Braemar and Balmoral.
Encourage the children to spend a few moments thinking about traditions that they enjoy. Encourage them to think about the people who are involved in making those traditions special.
Pause to allow time for thought.
Prayer
Dear God,
As we remember Queen Elizabeth and her life of service to our country, we thank you for her warmth, care and compassion, which made her such a loved figure in our lives.
We pray for King Charles III, that you will help him in his new role.
May he carry on the traditions of our country with the same dedication and faithfulness.
We thank you for traditions that are special to us.
Thank you for the people who spend time making things special for each of us.
Amen.
Song/music
‘Scottish bagpipes: Celtic music’, available at: https://youtu.be/NefgevS-kRM (42.46 minutes long)
