Importance of Family Reunions

Kathryn Walsh, Leaf Group Updated May 07, 2018

No one loves you more – or drives you crazier – than family. A family reunion is a celebration of that love and connection. These gatherings give everyone a chance to take a break from work and school, spend some quality time together and remember what's uniquely wonderful about being part of the same family. And, for the organizer at least, having a family reunion can be the perfect opportunity to flex those travel planning muscles.

Why a Family Reunion Matters

A reunion serves a unique purpose in each family. In one family, it might be a yearly event designed to allow young cousins to bond despite living far apart. In another, reunions might be sporadically and spontaneously planned whenever an older relative is sick and wants to see everyone for the last time. Other families hold reunions to coincide with specific events, like the major wedding anniversaries or birthdays of the matriarch and patriarch.

Ultimately, a family reunion should be a chance for far-flung relatives to reconnect and to meet new family members, like babies and new spouses. It might serve other purposes too; if relatives have issues about shared property or inheritances to deal with, or want to settle some longstanding dispute, organizing a reunion is a sensible way to get everyone together for both business and pleasure.

Family Reunion Planning

It's useful for at least one family member to step up and act as point person, coordinating the travel planning with all branches of the family. Figure out two details first: dates and location. It's chaotic to have dozens of people chiming in with suggestions, so the point person may want to come up with a short list of locations and dates that might work and get the rest of the family to vote for their preferences.

The location is a no-brainer in some families. If, for example, everyone grew up together in Chicago and some of the parents and grandparents still live there, congregating in Chicago makes sense. If older relatives can't easily travel, everyone might agree to hold the reunion in the town where those older relatives live. But if the options are unlimited, it's often easiest to focus on a type of location before finalizing plans. The point person might offer up a theme park, national park, major city or beach resort as options. If the majority of family members vote for a beach resort, the organizer can start researching spots in places like Florida, California and the Bahamas and then take another vote to pick the final location.

Traveling to a Family Reunion

Most family reunion guests have to do some traveling to get to the event. If many relatives from the same geographical area plan to fly to the reunion, look into group ticket options. Airlines commonly work with groups of 10 or more people who are traveling together, providing competitive rates and more customer service than solo travelers usually get. Look into train options, too, especially if multiple family members live near a train route that leads to the destination city. Book seats on the same train and greet those familiar faces as they board the train along the way. Start the reuniting even before reaching the end of the line.

Keep in mind that cranky kids don't make a great first impression on relatives they haven't seen lately. Pack plenty of snacks and give kids the promise of something to look forward to when they arrive, like a new toy or a special treat. Pack photo albums and DVDs of family movies – or transfer them to a tablet or laptop – and look through them together during the trip. It's both a refresher course on family history and a fun way to pass the time.




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