# Have you ever been to any large family reunions?



## RadishRose (Jun 1, 2019)

When I was a child, we always traveled to PA for July 4th where my mom and dad came from, to see family. They weren't huge reunions, but big enough.

It was so much fun at both sides of my family. I don't ever remember anyone arguing or any squabbles at all.

If you had or are still having family reunions, how much fun are they? What are they like?


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## C'est Moi (Jun 1, 2019)

I haven't been to a family reunion in years, RR.   The tradition seems to have died out with my parents' generation.


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## AnnieA (Jun 1, 2019)

They're still a lot of fun, but numbers are dwindling as older family members die.   Most of our Millennials aren't coming.  They're busy with college, full-time jobs and small children, I realize, but my parents never missed at that age.   

Most of ours are pot luck lunches with lots of afternoon visiting.  My mom's family of origin is the most fun.  We rent cabins, RV spots and tent sites at state park for the weekend.


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## AprilSun (Jun 1, 2019)

My family still has them but I don't go. Since my husband passed away and I have to go alone, I just don't enjoy them now. I've tried it but still, I didn't enjoy it.


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## Falcon (Jun 1, 2019)

Oh  yeah !   Lots  of fun.  met/talk to   many  I just  met  for the  1st  time.


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## Don M. (Jun 1, 2019)

Locally, our crew gets together 3 or 4 times a year...Thanksgiving, Christmas, and a couple of birthdays, etc.  There's about 16 of us within easy driving distance.  The last big out of state reunion we attended was for my last remaining Aunt on her 90th birthday.  We traveled to Denver, and there was at least 30 cousins, etc., that showed up....most of  which I hadn't seen in decades....it was really a fun event.


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## JustBonee (Jun 1, 2019)

AprilSun said:


> My family still has them but I don't go. Since my husband passed away and I have to go alone, I just don't enjoy them now. I've tried it but still, I didn't enjoy it.




Same here.  My extended family still has them every summer up North.  A reunion is not something I would travel across the country to attend  by myself since becoming a  widow.   Just doesn't interest me anymore.


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## AprilSun (Jun 1, 2019)

Bonnie said:


> Same here.  My extended family still has them every summer up North.  A reunion is not something I would travel across the country to attend  by myself since becoming a  widow.   Just doesn't interest me anymore.



I don't have to travel far but I still don't like that "alone" feeling when I get there so I don't go. Like you, it doesn't interest me. In fact, I enjoy staying home better!


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## Aunt Bea (Jun 1, 2019)

When I was growing up we always had a family reunion that drew over 100 people on the first Sunday in July.  

No notices were ever sent the next year's location was decided at the current year's reunion and the date never changed so people just showed up with a covered dish to pass.  

I remember that my mother used to fuss about how much food to take or how little others brought but everyone always got fed loaves and fishes style.layful:nthego:

It finally fizzled out, some folks tried to revive it a few years ago but the interest was just not there anymore


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## Sassycakes (Jun 10, 2019)

Growing up and even after I got married we always had a yearly family reunion on my Mom's side of the family and I really miss those days. Just a few years ago my husbands family started to have one. They were really nice, but we won't have anymore. After last years reunion one of my husbands nephews son passed away he was only 30yrs old and it just won't be the same without him.


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## Marie5656 (Jun 10, 2019)

*​My cousins on my father's side planned one about 20 years ago, locally.  It was rather fun, as I got to meet up with cousins I had not seen in years,  Never had another, but it was a fun experience.*


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## Gary O' (Jun 10, 2019)

Used to, when I was a kid

Now?

We all get together at funerals 

Those that don't come are fodder for conversation


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## Ruthanne (Jun 10, 2019)

My brother had a family reunion about 20 years ago I think..not sure on that but it was a real nice time.  It was good to see all the cousins, and everyone.


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## Capt Lightning (Jun 11, 2019)

NO!  I avoid these things like the plague.  I have no desire to travel  miles to meet strangers with whom I have only a tenuous genetic link.


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## hollydolly (Jun 11, 2019)

I don't go to any big family parties now...but until I was an adult there was regular family get togethers usually at my grandfathers house... Big family... small party would be 30 or 40 people. Lots of singing as the Scots and Irish always do... It's one of the very few things I miss from my childhood


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## Ronni (Jun 11, 2019)

I went to one, on my husband's side, years ago.  I didn't know anyone (the few folks I did know from his side of the family weren't there.)  I have a large family and we have get togethers all the time, and that often feels like a reunion lol! 

I have been thinking of organizing one. I have family in California, Texas, Alabama, Florida.  But when Ron and I get married we're going to invite EVERYONE and that may well end up being the reunion instead.


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## Pappy (Jun 11, 2019)

Just this last weekend, a surprise birthday party for my daughter In Poughkeepsie, NY. About 35 folks came.


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## moviequeen1 (Jun 11, 2019)

Our last big family reunion with cousins was in '98 at Genessee Country Museum which is  near Rochester,NY
We haven't had one since my mom's generation has passed away.Some of my cousins live in NYS,VT,California
The last time I saw my VT cousins was in '15,they came to Buffalo for a cousins memorial service


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## moviequeen1 (Jun 11, 2019)

Pappy said:


> Just this last weekend, a surprise birthday party for my daughter In Poughkeepsie, NY. About 35 folks came.
> 
> View attachment 66406
> 
> ...



Hi Pappy,thanks for sharing pictures,nice family Sue


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## hollydolly (Jun 11, 2019)

Great Family Pics Pappy....you're looking very well !!


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## Pappy (Jun 11, 2019)

hollydolly said:


> Great Family Pics Pappy....you're looking very well !!



Outside a few age spots and turkey neck, I’m going okay. Would you believe my daughters 60 years old. Love her dearly. :love_heart:


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## hollydolly (Jun 11, 2019)

You're joking..????.she looks half that age...  I can tell where she gets her young looks from


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## fuzzybuddy (Jun 12, 2019)

When I was a kid, my grandparents had six living children, so they and their families spent the holidays at my grandparents home. After my grandparents passed, the holidays were spent at one of my aunts'/uncles' homes. But most of my aunt's/uncles kids-my cousins began to drift away to other parts of the country. So now, instead of a house full of relatives, it's just mom/dad , one or two kids. It's kind of strange, when there was all kinds of siblings and cousins, each one might have been crazy as a bed bug, but they were accepted as "family". Today, the families are much smaller, but I'm not sure there is the same level of acceptance as in the old days of huge families.


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## Keesha (Jun 12, 2019)

For some reason I thought I’d posted in this thread but I was wrong. 
YES we have had a big family reunion and our last was at Christmas time. 
My sister in law planned the entire thing and we met at a Mandarin which is a fancy restaurant franchise that caters to many different cultures. It was a reservation for 19 or 20 and everyone showed up.
It was a really good time. We talked, exchanged pictures, stories, and some gifts, then took more pictures to save and share for another get together.

Generally speaking I usually dislike these types of social activities but last Christmas was extra special for us all. 
This was on my husbands side. 

Nice pictures Pappy


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## norman (Jun 12, 2019)

Went to them all untill divorse then I did not go anymore, guess I did not enjoy them or I would have gone.  Funerals replaced the family reunions as we all got together for a dinner after the services.  If you didn't show up for the funeral the standing joke was, ''He is probably in jail or dead.''   I think I was the only one ever in jail and I never told anyone and it was in another state. (Kentucky Derby)     Sometime if I find a post about Thanksgiving Dinner Family Fights I have a good one.


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## fuzzybuddy (Jun 13, 2019)

norman said, " Funerals replaced the family reunions". That's how it was in my family. We got together for funerals, which became our family reunions. I remember one topic of conversation that cropped up, at these "new' reunions, was a critique of the funeral homes-which had better service, etc. I guess when we ran out of relatives, there wasn't a reason to have a huge family reunion.


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## Sassycakes (Aug 21, 2019)

fuzzybuddy said:


> norman said, " Funerals replaced the family reunions". That's how it was in my family. We got together for funerals, which became our family reunions. I remember one topic of conversation that cropped up, at these "new' reunions, was a critique of the funeral homes-which had better service, etc. I guess when we ran out of relatives, there wasn't a reason to have a huge family reunion.



*That's what happened to our family reunions on my Mothers side of the family. Mom had 5 brother and 5 sisters. I had over 35 first cousins and many 2nd cousins. Sadly so many are gone now so we no longer have family reunions. I really miss those wonderful times.*


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## Judycat (Aug 21, 2019)

Since my husband has passed away, I don't go anymore either. It was his family and I was wife number three. I think they placed bets every year on us splitting up too. I saw money exchanging hands. Haha. They can go pound sand without me now. 
My family used to have summer picnics, but as life brought about change, we knew when to call it quits before it became some cult get together far out in the woods, down a dirt road, and off the beaten path.


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## Lc jones (Aug 21, 2019)

We would have summer camping trips when the children were younger it was my mother and father-in-law who organized them and as they are very elderly now they can no longer do that. To tell you the truth I didn’t like it very much as the campsite was very dirty and you had to use Porta potty’s yuck but the kids sure loved it and had a great time. I do miss seeing The cousins together happy and playing outside.


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## win231 (Aug 21, 2019)

Most of my parents relatives are from Europe.  I met them when I was 9.  I remember thinking, "I'm glad they're too far to visit....."


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## Keesha (Aug 21, 2019)

The family reunion I went to was on my husband’s side not mine.


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