31 Family History Interview Questions To Bring Out Their Memories
*This post may have affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). All opinions remain my own.
Updated July 14, 2022
Whether during the holidays, or any time of year, it’s a great time to ask your relatives family history questions about their life and memories.
Talk to your grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, and any other older relatives and get those stories while you can.
Here are 31 family history interview questions, with some holiday-themed questions, to get you started!
Where were you born? Where did you live as a child?
What’s your earliest memory?
What was your childhood like?
What did you eat when you were a child?
What did your first house look like?
What was your neighborhood like? Was it mostly the same ethnicity or religion or people from the same place?
Did you have a pet?
Who was your best friend? What were they like?
What were your favorite hobbies growing up?
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Did you meet your grandparents? If so, what do you remember about them?
What did your grandparents look like?
Where were they born and where did they live?
What did they do for work?
Did you visit your extended family often? Did they live near you?
What did your parents do for work?
How many places did you live in?
Who were your family friends?
What did your family do in your free time? Did you go on family vacations?
How did you meet your spouse?
How were birthdays celebrated in your family?
What holidays did your family observe?
What was your favorite holiday growing up?
How did your family celebrate Thanksgiving? What foods did you have?
What are your memories of Thanksgiving?
How did you celebrate Christmas/Hanukkah/Christmas/Hanukkah/another holiday? Did your family have any traditions?
What are your memories of Christmas/Hanukkah/Christmas/Hanukkah/another holiday?
What holiday traditions do you still practice?
Share a family story or myth and ask for more info about it
Ask the story behind a family heirloom or photograph
Ask if they have any family pictures or papers that you can see (and ask questions about them!)
Tips for asking family history interview questions:
Ask follow-up questions based on what they say and remember. Ask why something was their favorite, etc.
Bring pictures or family trees to help jog memories
Try to get them to talk about emotions, not only facts. What did they love, dislike, etc.
Ask the interviewee if it’s okay to record them, so you don’t miss anything