Family History at Christmas: A Season of Connection and Discovery
Christmas is a time for snowball fights, pajama parties, family gatherings, food traditions, and silly memories, making it the perfect opportunity to explore and celebrate your family history. The festive season naturally brings loved ones together, offering moments to share never told before stories, uncover hidden connections with cousins and friends, and deepen the sense of Christ and kindness that makes the holiday special.
One way to start is with recipes. Finding them in dusty cookbooks or in faded handwriting is a treasure hunt in its own right. Perhaps a traditional tamale recipe or a pie crust making method can be the centerpiece of Christmas dinner. Christmas cookies alone can cover several days with experimentation and remembering how Grandma used to bake them "back in the good old days." Preparing and enjoying these dishes together allows family members to honor and connect with those they remember and those they never knew, while creating new memories. Encourage everyone to share stories about where these recipes came from and the unique people who first brought them to the table.
Storytelling is another rich avenue for family history involvement. Gather around the sparkly tree or popping fireplace and invite older relatives to share their memories of Christmases past. What was Christmas parties like during the disco era or even ten years ago? When did ugly Christmas sweaters start? Why is there an obsession with peppermint candy? These moments can reveal surprising anecdotes about your individual family’s journey, despite different cultures or regions.
Last, but not least is an interesting one: nativities. Many families have harbored and protected these timeless decorations of Christ's birth--passing them down, collecting, or simply giving them as gifts. Whether made of wood, stone, clay, or other materials, these remind families of the true meaning of Christmas and bring together the generations of those who have set out nativities and those who will continue to do so. Comparing and discussing family nativity sets is a surprisingly great way to discuss relatives, former traditions, and enrich the present Christmas spirit.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Song of the Month
Accessing Zoom Classes
Some of our classes at the center are being offered via Zoom. This includes the Basic Spanish class by Cameron and Wednesday morning classes by Tammy. To verify the Zoom class, go to the blog at burleyfamilyhistorycenter.blogspot.com and click on the Calendar option. When clicking on the class name, a pop up window will give more information, including the Zoom link.
To access the Zoom link directly, click "more details" to open the calendar in another tab. Click on the name of the class and this time the pop up window will have the direct zoom link shown as a clickable link. The passcode is also listed, in case it is needed. This is also the way to access the handouts from the classes.
You can also select "click here to open the calendar in a new window" from the first page and get the zoom links and handouts from there.
Calendar
Check the calendar for classes and other opportunities!
Important Dates
- TBD
Closed Dates
- December 22-January 2
- Christmas
- New Year's
LINKS TO THE BURLEY FAMILY HISTORY CENTER'S MEDIA PAGES
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