While some families actively follow traditions, other families have traditions foisted upon them as the experience of one mother from Bristol recently proved.
29-year-old Kate Wilshire, who made her grand entrance into the world by the side of the road in 1986, welcomed her youngest child, Hetty, in the same manner in recent weeks.
The mum-of-three, who went into labour in the early hours of October 21st, was on her way to St. Michael's Hospital in Bristol when she realised her youngest child had no intention of waiting.
Recalling the emotional event, the overwhelmed mum remembered her and her husband's reactions, saying: "When her head appeared Aaron and I looked at each other in disbelief."
Kate and Aaron contacted midwives and explained the situation before being guided by professionals as they continued their journey to the maternity unit.
"We then rang the midwives straight back, saying that the baby really was being born in the car and that the head was out. We connected the phone to the car's wifi so they could hear everything and they were talking us through it all."
Kate, who is also mum to daughters Bonnie and Heidi, said she expected her third child's delivery to be quicker than previous ones, but wasn't expecting the dramatic delivery she experienced.
"We just made it to the ambulance bay of the hospital and the midwives were outside waiting for us. I was expecting a fast birth, but not that quick. We were just stunned," she recalled.
Commenting on the new family tradition, Kate admits that she'd be happy if Hetty was the last member of the family to arrive in such circumstances.
"Many people have joked that we've started a family tradition, but we rather hope that any grandchildren we may have in the future arrive in a rather less eventful fashion."
While Hetty, who weighed in at a healthy 7lb 8 oz, may have stunned her parents, her grandmother was far from shocked, with Kate revealing: "I told her Hetty was born in the car and she said she wasn't surprised. She could empathise with what I had been through."
Congratulations to the entire family!
