Genealogy Friday: Why Family Reunions Are Dying Out

posted in: Family Reunion, Genealogy | 0

Recently, I had someone ask when we were going to have the next family reunion.  I honestly answered “I don’t know.”

With over 500+ descendants living, we are lucky to have the same faithful group of about thirty to attend each year.  We’ve noticed that there just is not a large interest in getting together.

That same weekend, I saw a large family group that had gathered for an extended holiday weekend.  This family of 80+ individuals had gathered from not only all over the country, but some members even came from other parts of the world.  On top of that, they all attended church together.

It is important to gather and celebrate being a family and our ancestors
It is important to gather and celebrate being a family and our ancestors

I wondered, why they had such a wonderful turn out when other family reunions are dying out.

So why are family reunions dying out?

  1. The younger generation has no interest in getting together. Often they do not even know who the reunion is for or how they are related to this family group.
  2. The older generations are dying out and have not shared stories and memories of their family. On several lines of my family, as well as numerous other family’s I’ve talked with, this is a common reason that family reunion has not continued.
  3. No one has an interest in stepping up and taking over the planning of the family reunion.
  4. There are too many other obligations, distractions and commitments to be met. This is especially true with families that have children involved in sports and/or the arts.
  5. Illness can often affect families so that individuals are unable to attend.
  6. Finances can affect individuals, depending on the distance of travel and other financial obligations for the reunion.
  7. No interest in family history. Sadly, this is still very common, especially with the younger generations.  They have no interest in their roots or where they came from.

What are some reasons you’ve discovered family reunions are dying out?

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