LINKING PAST HOLIDAYS TO THE PRESENT

by Myra Vanderpool Gormley, C.G.

While you are enjoying the holidays and visiting with relatives, take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about your family's history. You can discover a surprising amount of genealogy simply by asking the right questions.

For example, how were holidays celebrated by your families in the old days? Did everyone go to the grandparents'? How did your parents decide which relatives to spend which holiday with? Did you ever think to ask them? What are some of the favorite childhood memories of your relatives' holidays? Their all-time favorite gift?

After asking some general questions to get memories stirred, insert some genealogical queries relating to dates, places, and names of other family members (where lived, born, died, married; who served in the military -- in which war, and what branch of service). What do your family members recall about World War II?

By asking questions of your relatives you may determine who inherited the genealogical treasures -- the family Bible, old photographs, passports, diaries, etc. You can follow up, after the holidays, to obtain copies of these documents and photographs.

We genealogists often focus on our older relatives and overlook the memories and history of our own parents. The childhood holidays of my parents differed greatly from mine -- and, of course, in turn, their parents had different traditions and situations. Each married couple usually tries to incorporate and blend some customs, including holiday recipes, from each side of the family.

If you are fortunate enough to still have one or both of your parents, make some time soon to do an oral and/or video camera interview of them and get them to tell you about their childhood holidays and memories.

Where are those old family videos your parents took of holiday celebrations back in the fifties, sixties, and seventies? Wouldn't a selection of them make a great gift next year? Dig them out, select the best segments and, if necessary, have them converted to VHS.

Think about putting together some special photo albums for gifts next year -- for your children, grandchildren, siblings, nieces, and nephews. Instead of just a random collection of photographs, you might concentrate on a theme, such as "holidays through the years," or "places we lived."

One of my cousins put together a humorous booklet called, "Feeding Habits of Our Family," which shows family members, young and old, stuffing our faces at various holiday feasts through the years. Along with the photos, she included the recipes for many of our favorite dishes.

Today many of us have fragmented families -- and many of us are separated from our relatives by thousands of miles. Unfortunately, too many families have lost connections with the traditions of their roots. The holidays can be the time to learn about what once was important to your families. Many families are tradition-bound; others less so. Discover what traditions have been observed in your families for generations, which ones have changed -- and why.

The holidays are also a wonderful time to make family history. Be sure to take lots of pictures and make good memories of these times for your children and grandchildren to pass along. These are the things they will cherish and the things that will last.

(c) 1997, Los Angeles Times Syndicate