If you are a family historian – whether you are a beginner or an expert – I have an assignment for you. Write or create something you could give as a gift for the holidays. It could be a scrapbook, or a journal, or a transcription of letters from an ancestor, or a page on how you remember Christmases past, or a special tradition, or special ornaments, or a special food tradition (seafood supper on Christmas Eve; making fruitcake; Christmas cookies, latkes – and include the menu or recipe).
Remind your family of a special year – perhaps when Bud got his first car or the family went ice skating together. Describe a special family tradition – perhaps carried over from the old country or maybe a new tradition like Kwanzaa.
Instead of the family letter touting accomplishments of the year, write a remembrance of a year past. How old were the children? What was their most wished-for toy? What were favorite foods prepared with love for the extended family? Did you travel over dangerous snowy roads or retreat to the beach near your home?
Use family photos to bring those memories to life. Describe the surroundings, the people, the mood, the events. Write about those memories of your grandmother or perhaps your first memorable holiday.
Titles might be “The Cabbage Patch Christmas,” or “Lighting Kwanzaa Candles.” You might write about “The Family Menorah,” or “The Year Without a Christmas.” Whatever topic speaks to you will be the perfect gift to share with family and friends.
I hope that sharing your family holiday memories will preserve them for you and spark new interest and understanding among younger members of your family.
Best wishes for a wonderful sharing experience.
~ Carol Cooke Darrow is a Denver-based Certified Genealogist who volunteers at Denver Public Library and the Denver branch of the National Archives. She also teaches beginning genealogy at DPL.