The get-togethers of the holiday season are the perfect opportunity to interview your relatives about your family history. Rather than formally sitting the old folks down and drilling them with questions, set up a family activity and record it.

I speak from experience. My father’s attempt to interview his aging father was foiled by the stress of the microphone and the formality of the situation: all Grandpa talked about were the names of his favorite horses. On the other hand, my mom’s family was very musical and one year her dad recorded the annual family gathering. I rediscovered the recording many years later and it is one of my most treasured possessions. The sound of my grandparents, long since passed on, singing carols with the rest of the family transports me back to that childhood Christmas and brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it.

It has never been so convenient to make video or audio recordings. Enlist the aid of one of the younger set, or the family techie with a new gift they’re anxious to try out, to manage the technical aspects of the recording. Then simply let the games begin.

This is a fun way to preserve your family history. Whether the family is relaxing around the hearth, decorating ginger houses, or eating festive treats, someone is sure to begin reminiscing. Important memories of days gone by and new traditions in the making can all be captured and passed down to future generations. (And the recordings will make great presents next year!)

This article was originally printed in the Bergen News and is being reprinted with permission.