Our Motto

family reunions are more than just a picnic.

We believe reunions have the power to nourish and strengthen families of all races and ethnicities. Reunions can encourage healthy extended family relationships, provide a sense of belonging, restore family pride, nurture and respect all generations, and impart wisdom, knowledge and a shared purpose. Our goal is to strengthen, inspire and support family reunion planning; share useful information and resources; and advocate for the teaching of family and reunion history, values and experiences.

PLANNING A FAMILY REUNION? NEED TIPS? Click below for tips on:

NEED HELP WITH STICKY FAMILY REUNION SITUATIONS? CLICK HERE.

The Family Reunion Institute's Question of the Month is our way of finding out first-hand what family reunion planners are doing, thinking, planning, experiencing and accomplishing with their reunions and reunion planning. In return for sharing your responses with us, we'll share the results with you, and you'll get to see how your reunion planning compares with other families and possibly get insight and inspiration for your own planning. We thank you in advance for submitting your response.

This month's question is about intoxicated family members.

CLICK HERE TO RESPOND.

DECEMBER 2022

For many of us, December is when all our hard work regarding family, reunions and enjoying life come together. There are trees to be trimmed, lights to be hung, cakes to be baked, food to be cooked and carols to be sung. Gifts to be chosen for family and friends, stories to be read, children to be nestled and put into bed. Toys to assemble, gifts to wrap, holiday movies to watch, concerts to attend. Parties to plan, celebrations to enjoy, activities to engage and explore. Calls to be made, familiar faces to see, plenty of catching up for you and for me. The celebration of culture and pride, the counting down of Father Time, and the singing of Auld Lang Syne. Through it all we savor great holiday time, meals and memories with those we know and love the best.

December is a great time for spending time with family and honoring our heritage. And while the pandemic, flu and RSV keep us figuring out safe and comfortable ways to celebrate the holiday season together, let’s count our blessings on Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and National Roots Day. Let’s celebrate, eat, drink and enjoy Write to a Friend Month, Go Caroling Day, Make a Gift Day, shopping, cooking, baking, Rosa Parks Day, U.S. National Guard Birthday, Bake Cookies Day, Comfort Food Day, Gingerbread House Day, Egg Nog Month, Peppermint Latte Day, Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, New Year’s Eve, and setting goals for the coming year and your next family reunion.

This December let’s have meaningful FAMILY TIME, celebrate family roots with the REUNION TIP OF THE MONTH, salute tradition with words WORTH REPEATING and a Christmas POEM full of Year Round Joy. And, let’s not forget the real reason for the season by providing as much love, peace, hope and joy to as many people as we can.

This December, let’s enjoy all that the 2022 holiday has to offer. Celebrate responsibly with family and friends. And above all be safe. Don’t Drink and Drive. Don’t Drug and Drive. Don’t Text and Drive. Don’t Zoom and Drive. And don’t let your friends. Wear a Mask. Get vaxxed and boosted. Stay Safely Distanced. Wash Your Hands. And don’t do anything that may risk your health or others.

This holiday season we wish you and your family love, peace, hope and joy. And may 2023 produce your best, happiest, and most fruitful year—and reunion—yet.

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NEW NOW:

- Question of the Month

- Reunion Tip of the Month

- Family Time

- Worth Repeating

- A Poem for Christmas

NEW LATER:

- Sticky Reunion Situation

- Practical Family Reunion Planning

- ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)

reUNION TIP OF THE MONTH

Our best tip for any December is to take advantage of being around family members and the fact that National Roots Day is celebrated this month. Put the two of them together and dig deeper into your family history. National Roots Dayis observed annually on December 23 to encourage us to look into our family history, heritage and ancestry. Collecting information is easier when family members are gathered together during the holiday season and at reunions. Families can use this time of year to talk, share and “gift” what they know about their history to one another. It’s suggested that you use an online audio or web conferencing platform to meet with family members to discuss holiday traditions, stories and recipes. If you get enough recipes, consider putting together a family cookbook, and use the sale of the cookbook as a reunion fundraiser.

family time

reUNION TIP OF THE MONTH

December is a great time for spending time with family, counting our blessings and honoring heritage with Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and National Roots Day. And, there’s lots to do, celebrate, eat, drink and enjoy including: Write to a Friend Month, Go Caroling Day, Make a Gift Day, shopping, cooking, baking, Rosa Parks Day, U.S. National Guard Birthday, Bake Cookies Day, Comfort Food Day, Gingerbread House Day, French Fried Shrimp Day, Egg Nog Month, Peppermint Latte Day, Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, New Year’s Eve, and setting goals for the coming year and your next family reunion.

With so much to celebrate in December there’s no wonder it’s also National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. So let’s all be safe. Don’t Drink and Drive. Don’t Drug and Drive. Don’t Text and Drive. And don’t let your friends do it either. .

click here for december FAMILYTIME observances

worth repeating

a poem for Christmas

Blessed is the season which engages

the whole world

in a conspiracy of love.

– Hamilton Wright Mabie

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree:

the presence of a happy family.

- Burton Hillis

One of the most glorious messes in the world

is the mess created in the living room

on Christmas day.

Don't clean it up too quickly.

- Andy Rooney

We look forward to the time when the power of love

will replace the love of power.

- William Gladstone

a poem for Christmas

YEAR ROUND JOY

by Joanna Fuchs

Christmas is full of shiny things,

That sparkle, gleam and glow,

These holiday pleasures dazzle us,

And yet, deep down we know...

That Christmas has its special gifts,

But our year-round joy depends,

On the cherished people in our lives,

Our family and our friends.

STICKY REUNION SITUATION

HOMESTEAD REUNION LOCATIONS ONLY!

We’ve been holding our family reunion for a couple years now. And while

other families we know change the reunion location from place to place,

my family only wants to have the reunion at the family homestead.

And while the location is significant in many ways, there’s a portion

of the family who would like it to be somewhere else from time to time.

I was going to ask who’s right and who’s wrong, but I think everyone is

entitled to their opinions. But how do we successfully change-up the

location every once in a while without separating the family?

THE FIX

The position of family reunion planner is definitely not for the faint at heart. It’s a vast undertaking requiring lots of time, effort and a number of skills including psychology; planning; negotiation; people management; ability to delegate, encourage, inspire, communicate; honesty, confidence, commitment and creativity—just to name a few.

Nothing is more satisfying to a family reunion planner than the first and last day of the reunion. Seeing all of your hard work come to fruition, and that feeling of satisfaction when reunion attendees have started their journey back home is blissful. So when all is said and done, and the reunion has come to an end, take time out to unwind and recharge your batteries—before you begin planning the next reunion. Gather the planning team to release, regroup, relax and refuel. Celebrate the accomplishment with a meal together. Take a couple weeks to a month to chill before jumping back into the planning. Recap the reunion from the planners perspective. Brainstorm new ideas, And start the next planning cycle reenergized, refreshed and renewed.

CINCINNATI OHIO's BLACK FAMILY REUNION

In August, Cincinnati’s Black Family Reunion Parade celebrated 33 years, as part of a 4-day annual celebration, connecting the community with culture. The annual Midwest Black Family Reunion kicks off with a parade to showcase the tradition, culture, various Cincinnati communities, and partners. The parade is a highlight for the entire city, so it is a must see event. The celebration of the historic strengths and values of the Black Family draws around 10,000 patrons.

The Black Family Reunion, one of Cincinnati’s largest family-focused celebrations, was inaugurated in 1989. It is held on the third weekend of August. Conceived by Dr. Dorothy I. Height, President Emerita of the National Council of Negro Women, the Black Family Reunion Celebration is a cultural event that ensures the historic morals of the Black family are showcased.

CLICK HERE for a news clip from this year's event.

Our Motto

family reunions are more than just a picnic.

For info on Reunions Magazine's NEW Reunion Planners Notebook - Click Here!

FRI QUESTION OF THE MONTH

reUNION TIP OF THE MONTH

reUNION TIP OF THE MONTH

reUNION TIP OF THE MONTH

family time

reUNION TIP OF THE MONTH

reUNION TIP OF THE MONTH

worth repeating

a poem for Christmas

a poem for Christmas

a poem for Christmas

a poem for Christmas

a poem for Christmas

STICKY REUNION SITUATION

PRACTICAL FAMILY REUNION PLANNING

ICYMI

(In case you missed it)