Every year on St. Patrick’s Day, my mother makes green milk by adding green food dye to the bovine beverage. Why? Because it is one of our treasured family traditions. My mother’s side of the family is part Irish, and we are proud of our heritage.

Traditions can be found everywhere: whether they exist in your family, with your friends, or even here at Henley High School, traditions help us establish our roots and give us a history. Even the month of March as a whole has the traditions of St. Patrick’s Day, such as the pinching of those who were unfortunate enough not to remember to wear green, or the clichéd leprechauns and four leaf clovers that flood the stores every March 17.

Family traditions range from the absurd, such as green milk on St. Patrick’s Day, to religious to cultural. Valentine’s day finds students trying desperately to find the perfect token of their affection to give to their loved ones, and most students associate pink bunnies and kaleidoscope eggs with Easter. Families with Dutch heritage will place shoes out on St. Nicholas Eve, 5 Dec., in hopes of receiving candy or small presents.

Our city has it’s traditions as well. Every December, in Klamath Falls, the Snowflake festival is held, with the subsequent parade. Despite questionable weather conditions, hundreds of residents from the Klamath Basin flock to this wintery gathering of floats created by local interest groups. This festival is Klamath Fall’s own unique tradition that sets us apart from other cities.

Traditions at school are more likely to be informal or be based on a specific heritage or culture. Friends at school may have a favorite table to sit at during lunch, or their tradition may be as simple as a favorite locker to congregate at during break or before school.

One of Henley’s favored traditions is to hold annual coin drives to support causes or organizations around the community, such as the United Way. Also, it is typical to see enemy mascots destroyed in effigy at our pep assemblies. In my years at Henley, I’ve seen many a Viking and Pelican brought down to size by the mighty and formidable Hornets.

However, some traditions are best shoved in the closet and hidden from the light of day. Segregation, for example, or voting rights for men only. Today, thankfully, our country is more enlightened than we once were, although we still have a long way to go.

There is still prejudice in our country, and there is still an amazing amount of intolerance. As students, we are slowly but surely challenging some of these ‘traditions,’ and it is becoming increasingly important that we do so. Without that challenge, we will never progress. Our society as human beings was built on challenging the traditional and the accepted. And personally, I’m glad we’re not stuck in the stone age hitting rocks together to make fire.

Traditions are wonderful, and they contribute to our personal and social histories. They add interest to a family, a culture, or a group of friends. We must, however, be open to change, and open to the possibility of new traditions.