Unwrapping Memories: How Christmas Letters Chronicle Our Family Legacies
While reading an annual Christmas letter from a family member, it occurred to me what an important tradition this was. I save Christmas letters over the years. These days many letters come via email but it still serves the same way. What a power packed page of information.
The Tradition of Christmas Letters
Annual letters emphasize those events and people that are the most important to us. These are the things we want to share with others. My father was a great letter writer. I especially loved reading the annual Christmas letter he began to write after he retired from a corporate NYC job. He mentioned the little things that had made their year interesting, fun and hard. I loved his descriptions of me and my brothers and our children. I often noticed my parents mentioning trips they had gone on that I knew nothing about. Had I forgotten? Or was I not paying attention to their lives as much as I thought I was.
Besides descriptive, annual letters mark time in a very short summary style. We can get a large amount of information, catch up with family and friends, in just a few paragraphs. We stay connected through such gestures as being included on someone’s letter list.
The Legacy in Letters
As a genealogist I encourage annual letters, or even occasional letters, made even more special when received bearing a stamp from the U S Postal Service. When collected overtime, the lives of our friends and loved ones are recorded for posterity. My journey into genealogy began with 5 letters written by my great great grandparents father and brother describing their new life in America to those back in England. I was able to get a sense of their personalities unlike the reading of any document could ever do. I felt as though I had watched a movie reading those 5 letters. How descriptive and full of details, emotion, and news they were. Properly archives in the University of Kansas City Library special Collections division, those every day letters are gems to us, their posterity.
Do you preserve annual Christmas letters or have a story to share? Connect with us in the comments or submit your story. Let’s keep the tradition alive and celebrate the stories that bind us through generations.
In the digital age, the art of letter writing may seem lost, but it’s not forgotten. This year, as you draft or read through Christmas letters, remember that you’re not just sharing updates – you’re documenting history.
Tags :
family history,genealogy,past seeker
