What's old is new

Having just visited Germany and Austria, I had an opportunity to sample the differences in which they celebrate the holidays. The traditions they have practiced for hundreds of years are not ones that are familiar to me as someone growing up in the United States. The music, the food, and the greetings were commonplace to those in the region. It was a chance for me to experience just a small taste of what the month of December is like there. I can reflect on the power of tradition and how it provides for stability and predictability in people's lives. It also establishes a sense of cohesiveness and community. We find it in our families, our neighborhoods, and our cultures as a way of maintaining our identity. For those outsiders who step inside its boundaries, they can see the world through new eyes if they allow themselves to do so. Visiting the area at this time of year was also one of my 101 Wishes, and so it can now move to my Wishes Fulfilled list. What experience have you had lately that permits you to view what is old through a new perspective?