I put this on a Xmas thread, but EmmaB reminded me that it fits here as well:

A little tale apropos of nothing:
When I was young, I noticed that everything we did on Christmas became part of a tradition; if we did something one year, we had to do it every year forever after. Playing table shuffleboard on Xmas Eve or reassembling the old toy train....
Naturally Christmas became ever more complex as we tried to fit in all the traditions.

One year my (then about 6-yr old) sister ran downstairs to look at her presents, and the excitment overwhelmed her. She stared for a second, then ran to the kitchen sink and vomited violently!

My father watched grimly. "Oh God, now we have to add this as well!"