May: Family Reunion Month

Abstract

Family reunions are a tradition almost as old as the human species. They may be as small as the reunion of members of an immediate family, or as large as the gathering of an extended family. The family reunion renews old bonds, reclaims lost ties, and recognizes new branches of the family tree. Keeping track of all the branches of the family is the central purpose of a family reunion. Accordingly, attempts at genealogical research may begin or end at a family reunion. A person's interest in investigating her family's history might be aroused when she hears old family stories; a researcher might obtain at a reunion the information he has been seeking in libraries. Completed research is often discussed at the reunions of families whose members have been studying the families' histories over a period of years. Many such families join into family associations or organizations of some kind, occasionally even becoming incorporated.

Citation

Thomas, W.J. (1986), "May: Family Reunion Month", Reference Services Review, Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 64-67. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb048948