How to Start Preserving Family Stories This Holiday Season
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When families get together for the holidays, stories start flowing. Some funny, some tender, some you’ve never heard before. Maybe someone remembers how your great-aunt always burned the rolls, or how your grandpa once made it through a snowstorm just in time to deliver presents.
Whatever the story is, these are the little moments that bring your family history to life.
Hi, I’m Jessica. I’m a genealogist, researcher, and your guide here at Heritage Discovered, with a passion for helping everyday family historians preserve the stories that matter most. If you’ve been thinking about preserving family stories but haven’t known where to begin (or keep putting it off), this is the perfect time to start.
Let’s walk through how to how to preserve family memories! Simply, lovingly, and in a way that fits your style.
Holidays Are the Perfect Time to Start Recording Stories, Even If You’ve Been Putting It Off
We tend to picture “family history” as something we’ll get around to someday. Once we’ve scanned every photo, once we’ve figured out how to record audio, or once we’ve retired and have nothing but free time. Unfortunately, that day doesn’t just magically show up.
Holiday gatherings are one of the best opportunities to begin preserving family stories.
You don’t need a formal plan to capture family stories. You don’t need to gather everyone around in a circle like you’re hosting a documentary shoot. And you definitely don’t need to ask Great Uncle Bob to recount his entire life from start to finish.
All you need is one genuine conversation, or even one casual memory that gets written down or saved in some way. Some of my favorite family history nuggets have come from passing comments at holiday get togethers, like the restaurant my grandmother worked at in Keene, New Hampshire or the ship my dad served on in the Vietnam War.
Because stories don’t wait. People age. Memories fade. And those quiet little gems (like your grandma’s favorite childhood food or the way your dad remembers his first job) might never get shared if no one asks.
The good news? You’re here. You’re thinking about it. That’s step one.
Just getting started? This guide walks you through simple, beginner-friendly steps so you can begin capturing memories without feeling overwhelmed.
Keep It Simple: Choose Just One Way to Capture Stories
There are a million ways to preserve family stories. But trying to do them all at once can leave you scattered and spinning your wheels.
Instead, pick just one method to focus on this season.
Here are a few simple options to record your family stories that work beautifully during the holidays:
Write down stories you hear in a notebook or the Notes app on your phone. I do this as soon as the person is done sharing so I don’t forget anything.
Record short voice memos during casual conversations (with permission, of course)
Ask one relative a light question and jot down their answer
You don’t have to “interview” anyone. In fact, that can sometimes make people freeze up. Keep it natural. Think about what would make you feel comfortable if someone asked about your childhood or a favorite holiday memory.
Even a simple question like “What was your mom like when you were little?” can open the door to something beautiful. Open-ended questions like this are great for drawing out genuine memories and letting people go wherever the reminiscing takes them.
Tired of scattered notes? A custom genealogy tracker can help you stay organized, spot patterns, and make faster progress in preserving your family stories. Learn how to make your own here!
Don’t Wait for the “Perfect” Story or the “Right” Time
I used to think the stories worth recording had to be dramatic or deeply emotional. But preserving family memories doesn’t mean waiting for a jaw-dropping revelation. It’s just as meaningful to note the everyday moments, too.
The story about how your aunt learned to drive in a stick-shift on Vermont backroads? That’s gold. Your cousin’s memory of visiting Grandma’s house and sneaking cookies before dinner? Save it.
My favorite family stories are often the simplest ones. When I met my dad's cousins, one reminisced about my dad’s grandmother's homemade doughnuts, and I watched his face light up as he remembered exactly how they tasted.
And my own grandmother's pantry, lined with jars of preserves and pickled vegetables she'd put up each summer. Another cousin used to love just standing in that pantry, looking at all the jars.
These are the threads that weave our family narratives together.
And you don’t need a quiet, ideal setting to do it either. Real life is messy and loud and imperfect, and that’s exactly what makes these family tree stories so worth saving.
DNA tests can reveal so much more than ethnicity estimates. Learn how to use your results to make real progress in preserving family stories and building your tree. Read more here!
Involve the Whole Family (Without Making It Weird)
Here’s the thing. Most people don’t love being put on the spot. So the trick is to make recording memories feel like part of the fun and not like a homework assignment.
A few ideas to make a little family history game out of it::
Bring out a photo and ask if anyone remembers the moment it was taken
Start a “remember when…” conversation at dinner or in the car
Leave out slips of paper with simple prompts and let people write their memories privately
Set up a “story station” with index cards and pens or invite people to record a voice memo if they feel comfortable
Keep it light. Keep it voluntary. You’re not creating a museum exhibit, you’re giving people a chance to share memories of family in their own way.
And if they don’t bite this year? That’s okay. Just by showing curiosity and care, you’re planting the seed for capturing stories in the future.
What To Do With the Stories You Collect
Once you’ve collected a few stories, what’s next?
This is where many people get stuck. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. You just need a place to store and organize your recorded memories so you can keep building from there.
My favorite tool for this is the Complete Family Story Organizer. It’s my digital workbook for organizing names, dates, details, and yes — stories. It’s not only a place to save those snippets, but also a way to spot gaps, timelines, and patterns.
Whether you’re just starting out or have a decade’s worth of notes floating around, this tool brings it all together in one tidy (and searchable) space.
You can also use it to:
Track which ancestors still need more research
Add family photos and notes
Create timelines to help you see the big picture
It’s one of the simplest ways I know to stay organized and actually enjoy your research process.
Your Family Stories Are Worth Saving, Make This the Year You Start
We all tell ourselves we’ll ask more questions next time. That we’ll write things down later. That we’ll get around to it when life calms down. We take it for granted that there will be more opportunities to record stories.
But these stories are part of your family’s legacy. Once they’re gone, we can’t get them back.
That’s why I created tools like the Mother Memory Journal to help people gently record memories about the ones they love, even after they’re gone. It’s a guided journal you can use to honor your mom’s life in your words.
And if you’re sitting on a pile of clippings, names, or scattered research and feel unsure how to pull it all together or where to go next, that’s exactly what my Done For You Research services are for.
Whether you want five hours of focused help or a deeper ten-hour project, I’ll take the stress off your plate so you can focus on the parts of the journey you do enjoy. Like story-gathering. Or uncovering those surprising connections.
Not sure what you need yet? You can always book a free 20-minute consultation with me. We’ll talk through your goals and next steps. No pressure, just guidance.
You’re Already Closer Than You Think
If you’ve ever written down something your grandfather said, saved a family recipe or remembered a story just because it made you smile, you’ve already taken the first step in preserving family stories.
Now’s your chance to build on that.
This holiday season, start small. Choose one way to gather a memory, one story to record, or one conversation to gently guide. You don’t need a perfect plan. You just need to begin.
Need help recording family memories, making sense of what you’ve collected or want someone to dig into the deeper research for you? I’d love to support you. You can explore my Done For You research services or book a free 20-minute consultation to talk about your next steps.
Because your family’s stories matter, and there’s no better time than now to start saving them.