Make a Family Treasure Book
One of the best ways to save family memories and create new traditions is to make a family treasure book. It can be small and quaint or large like a scrapbook that is made to hold fond memories and unique family traditions. Collecting these items and including them in a book is the safest way to keep them from being forgotten over time.
Include Cultural Traditions
Most families attempt to embrace their culture. Many have cultural traditions that are associated with each holiday. Write them down. Take pictures and share stories about how the traditions have changed over the years. Your culture is a link to where your family came from. It is important to pass the traditions down to future generations, so they understand history and how it has affected the family.
Add Drawings and Handwritten Poems or Prose
Allow each child or family member to add something of themselves. Let them draw a picture, write a poem or tell a short story. It will give future generations an idea of what each family member was like, long after they have passed away. Each year, get the book out and let each person add a new thought or small drawing. It will allow people to see how everyone has changed as the years pass.
Include Favorite Family Recipes
Everyone loves food! All families have recipes that have been handed down through the generations. Investigate where the recipe came from and include a short history. This way, the recipes will be safe and available to shared with many generations to come. Every year, pick a new recipe or two to include in the book. Ask other family members to contribute theirs as well.
Add Photos of the Family Members
Include photos of all of the family members present at reunions and other holiday gatherings. Make sure to have a sign-in list so that you know who was in an attendance and find out who each person is in past photographs. A family treasure book would be lacking the most valuable pieces if photos of the members of the family were not included.
A family treasure book can include anything that is important. Some families may embrace farm living, while others travel for their holiday celebrations. Each book will be completely unique, but that is what makes it so special. Follow your family tree. Retrace the roots and find out where you came from, but most importantly show the present and include future hopes and dreams.