There’s always reminiscing at Christmas time, especially during family gatherings.  Why not start a more “formal” tradition and collect these stories to preserve your family’s history.

Here are some ideas:

  • Over dinner, have everyone share a story about their favorite past Christmas.
  • If you take turns opening presents, have each person share a story about a living family member before they begin opening their presents.
  • Gather in front of the fireplace, cup of hot chocolate in hand, and share memories of family members who have passed on.

Be sure to record these stories, either with a digital voice recorder (or a tape recorder), a video recorder, or simply write them in a notebook.  You could even make gifts out of the stories for the following Christmas…get creative!

And although this post was written specifically for the Christmas holiday, you could do this at other holidays, such as Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, Easter, and birthdays.  You could also do this at family reunions or a family BBQ in the summertime.

Make it an annual tradition, one that will stay in the family for generation to come!