In modern day America the holidays are a time of festive spirit where we see an uproar of hustle and bustle in the city of Bozeman for the abundant inhabitants to get all their shopping lists complete. With so much to do the city fails to acknowledge the elderly in our communities, such as those in retirement homes like the Springs. These old timers who truly bring the spirit of the holidays to new light by tying in old traditions in order “To keep those memories alive” as Resident Ambassador Sally Norris says.

To introduce the perspective of the Resident Ambassador Board at the Springs the only way to properly describe these people is lively. Just by talking with them it was obvious that each member was full of joy and spirit. With the new and old traditions brought to the homes from these residents it’s clear how the holidays affect the staff and residents. 

At first glance when observing the traditions in the Springs we see a wonderful Thanksgiving preparation in order to give the residents a proper Thanksgiving. The staff even holds two Thanksgivings for these residents, one the Third Thursday of November and the other occurring the day before Thanksgiving in order to ensure that the staff may have their own Thanksgiving with their family. A similar tradition in the home applies for Christmas but instead with only one celebration in the home. Another tradition would be the staff’s “Wonderful decorations” in the words of Rolly Rounds. The staff sets this up with help of elders in the home who desire to help as well for the event of a major holiday. It is important to take note of the effort decorating for Christmas where there are on average 8 to 10 trees set up around the home. To show their appreciation to the staff, residents of the Spring’s have their own traditions in place. Each year because the residents are not allowed to tip the staff, residents instead choose to compile money to be used as a holiday bonus for the staff, some residents even get the honor to hand out said bonuses.

But traditions change as time goes on, as Norris states “You integrate traditions but over the years you get married, you get a partner and these things change.” This is especially noticed by Chris Gandel who when married to a man that practiced the traditions of Hanukkah discovered how to incorporate both celebrations into the household. Speaking on the matter of Hanukkah, the board would like to see the tradition of Hanukkah become a bigger deal within the Springs illustrated by Rolly Rounds statement “I’d love to learn more.” In reference to the traditions of a Hanukkah celebration.

Just because new traditions are formed does not mean the death of old ones. As Harriet Mauitsen reflects, “ Dad would attach skis to the Volkswagen and we’d ‘ski’.” Or Phillyse Rounds’ tradition of sending advent calendars to the children of her family. Or the unanimous experience for the board of the Spring’s always getting a fresh Christmas tree, none of the members ever having the experience of the plastic tree seen around the nation nowadays.

It’s important to keep tradition in the environment of an elderly home as according to the National Library of Medicine 19% of residents at retirement homes face mental illness. While this number might seem small it is a national average. Mental health is an important issue in retirement homes that often is overlooked. While improvement has been made throughout the years in the matter of mental health issues in the home it is still a prominent issue today especially in the holiday season.

In conclusion we see old and new traditions upheld within this enriched community that Bozeman knows as the Springs Living. From marriage, memories, and old traditions it can be clearly known that these residents have all the tools necessary to make their holiday season a triumphant one. But that leaves one lingering question, what can the rest of our community do for these people? If you, dear reader, have a relative in the homes make certain you find time to visit them this season, as when asked what matters most during the holidays a unanimous verdict was reached that family was what truly mattered overall. So help keep yours and your family’s memories alive and stop by for a visit.