May 18 – National Visit Your Relatives Day

National Visit Your Relatives Day is Today!

Download the 38 Hertz Celebration Book with 365 days of celebrations!

HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL VISIT YOUR RELATIVES DAY STEP-BY-STEP

Purchase family tree gifts for yourself or relatives.
Organize a family reunion with the Reunacy App.
Hold a progressive dinner party with your relatives.
Host a successful game night with family.
If you love the article image, purchase it on these fun products on Zazzle!

FEATURED ITEM ON NATIONAL VISIT YOUR RELATIVES DAY

Do You Really Know Your Family? A Fun Family Game Filled with Conversation Starters and Challenges - Great for Kids, Teens and Adults

$19.99

Buy Now

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

11/06/2024 11:57 am GMT

National Visit Your Relatives Day, celebrated annually on May 18, is a special day dedicated to reconnecting with family members and strengthening the bonds that often get neglected in the hustle and bustle of daily life. Whether it’s a simple phone call, a surprise visit, or a planned family gathering, this day encourages us to take the time to reach out to those we love. It’s the perfect opportunity to share stories, reminisce on old memories, and create new ones. In a world where everyone is constantly busy, National Visit Your Relatives Day reminds us of the importance of family connections and cherishing the moments we have together.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF NATIONAL VISIT YOUR RELATIVES DAY

National Visit Your Relatives Day, observed on May 18, is an unofficial holiday that encourages people to reconnect with family. While its exact origins are unclear, the day likely emerged from the broader cultural importance placed on family bonds and togetherness. In an age where busy schedules, long distances, and digital communication often replace in-person visits, this day serves as a reminder to prioritize face-to-face interaction with loved ones. By designating a specific day for visiting relatives, it encourages families to set aside time to nurture relationships and strengthen family ties, celebrating the importance of connection and shared memories.

100 WAYS TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL VISIT YOUR RELATIVES DAY

Host a family potluck: Invite relatives to bring their favorite dish to share for a casual and enjoyable meal together.
Plan a family game night: Gather everyone for board games, card games, or trivia for a night of laughter and friendly competition.
Take a walk down memory lane: Look through old family photo albums and reminisce about shared memories and moments.
Have a video call with distant relatives: Connect virtually with family members who live far away and catch up on life updates.
Organize a family picnic: Pack up food and head to a park or a scenic spot for a relaxing day outdoors with your relatives.
Interview older relatives: Record conversations with older family members to preserve their stories, wisdom, and family history.
Cook a family recipe together: Prepare a traditional family dish in the kitchen as a bonding activity, sharing stories as you cook.
Visit a family cemetery: Pay respects to deceased relatives by visiting their gravesites, leaving flowers, and sharing memories.
Create a family tree: Work on tracing your family history and create a family tree together, filling in generations of relatives.
Plan a movie night: Watch a classic family favorite or a movie that everyone can enjoy together.
Take a family hike: Enjoy nature while spending quality time together by taking a hike on a nearby trail.
Host a family storytelling night: Have relatives share funny or meaningful stories from their lives to build connections and entertain everyone.
Play a family talent show: Encourage each family member to showcase a hidden talent, whether it’s singing, dancing, or telling jokes.
Make a scrapbook: Collect photos, mementos, and clippings to create a family scrapbook full of memories and moments.
Plan a family BBQ: Grill out in the backyard or a park, inviting relatives for a casual and fun outdoor gathering.
Do a family volunteer activity: Volunteer together at a local charity or community event, bonding through giving back.
Take a family portrait: Hire a photographer or set up your own camera to capture a formal or candid family photo.
Organize a family reunion: Plan a larger gathering of extended family, organizing games, food, and entertainment for everyone.
Have a family karaoke session: Set up a karaoke machine or use a singing app to enjoy music and perform favorite songs.
Visit a family landmark: Explore places that hold significance to your family, like childhood homes, schools, or important locations.
Plan a family trivia game: Test each other’s knowledge about family history, traditions, and fun facts in a trivia competition.
Create a time capsule: Have each family member contribute a meaningful item or note to a family time capsule to be opened years later.
Work on a family puzzle: Complete a large jigsaw puzzle together while chatting and enjoying each other’s company.
Plan a family baking day: Bake cookies, cakes, or other treats together and enjoy them afterward with coffee or tea.
Do a craft project: Create something together, whether it’s painting, knitting, or making decorations for an upcoming family event.
Family trivia challenge: Test each other’s knowledge about family history, fun facts, and memorable moments.
Charades with family memories: Act out moments from family events or inside jokes while others try to guess the memory.
Name that relative: Describe a relative using clues about their personality, habits, or hobbies, and have others guess who it is.
Photo scavenger hunt: Hunt for specific photos from family albums based on clues, like “Find a photo of someone on vacation.”
Board game tournament: Set up a tournament with classic board games, like Monopoly or Scrabble, to crown the family game champion.
Who am I? (Family edition): Tape the name of a family member on someone’s forehead, and they must ask yes/no questions to figure out who they are.
Family bingo: Create bingo cards with family-related traits or experiences, such as “Has traveled to Europe” or “Loves to garden.”
Pictionary with family events: Draw family-related events or milestones while others guess what you’re illustrating.
Two truths and a lie (family version): Share two true and one false statement about family experiences, and others guess the lie.
Memory match with family photos: Use printed family photos as cards in a memory match game, flipping them over to find matching pairs.
Relay race with family items: Create a relay race that involves running and passing family heirlooms or items like old books or utensils.
Guess the relative from childhood photo: Display childhood photos of relatives, and players must guess who each person is.
Musical chairs with family songs: Play music that has significance to the family, stopping the music for a fun game of musical chairs.
Family talent show competition: Organize a friendly competition where family members perform talents like singing, dancing, or magic tricks.
Guess the family recipe: Taste different dishes or snacks and guess which relative’s recipe it comes from or what’s in the dish.
Telephone game with family sayings: Start with a family saying or inside joke, whisper it down the line, and see how it changes by the end.
Balloon pop trivia: Fill balloons with family trivia questions, then pop them to reveal and answer the questions.
Family feud (family edition): Create a custom version of Family Feud, with questions tailored to family experiences and quirks.
Hot potato with family stories: Pass around an object while music plays, and when the music stops, the person holding it shares a family story.
Family word association: Start with a family-related word, and each person must say the first word that comes to mind related to the family.
Pin the memory on the family tree: Create a large family tree poster, and blindfolded players try to pin memories or photos on the correct branch.
Trivia wheel of fortune: Spin a wheel with different categories, like family vacations or holidays, and answer trivia questions related to the topic.
Family storytelling round-robin: Each person contributes one sentence to a made-up story involving family members, creating a funny or surprising tale.
Guess the relative’s voice: Play audio clips of family members talking, and see if players can guess whose voice they’re hearing.
Puzzle race: Divide into teams and race to complete different family-themed puzzles, with each puzzle featuring a family photo or event.
Family photo collage: Gather printed family photos and arrange them in a collage on a large board or frame for a beautiful keepsake.
Handmade family tree: Create a family tree using craft paper, markers, and photos of relatives to trace your family lineage visually.
Memory jar: Decorate a jar and fill it with written memories or notes about family experiences to share with everyone during future gatherings.
DIY family recipe book: Compile favorite family recipes into a homemade recipe book, complete with personal notes or stories behind each dish.
Personalized family coasters: Use decoupage techniques to attach family photos to ceramic or wooden coasters for a functional and sentimental craft.
Scrapbook of family events: Create a scrapbook highlighting key family moments, using photos, tickets, and mementos from past gatherings.
DIY family calendar: Design a calendar with family photos and birthdays or important family dates marked on each month.
Decorative family name sign: Craft a wooden or canvas sign with your family name, adding painted details and embellishments that reflect your family’s style.
Family handprint art: Have each family member contribute a painted handprint to a canvas, forming a piece of collaborative art to display.
Decorated picture frames: Create custom picture frames with paint, beads, or ribbons to display favorite family photos.
DIY family magnets: Print family photos or write special memories, then attach them to magnetic sheets to create custom fridge magnets.
Family quilt squares: Each relative designs a quilt square with fabric markers, which can later be sewn together to form a family quilt.
Painted ceramic mugs: Use ceramic paint to decorate mugs with family members’ names, symbols, or shared inside jokes.
Memory box: Craft a personalized memory box where family members can store cherished items, photos, or letters.
Photo bookmarks: Make bookmarks using family photos laminated onto cardstock, perfect for book-loving relatives.
DIY family storybook: Write and illustrate a simple storybook about a favorite family memory or tradition to read together.
Decorative mason jar lanterns: Paint mason jars with family-themed designs and add LED lights inside for a glowing display.
Custom embroidered family initials: Embroider family members’ initials onto fabric or small handkerchiefs as a personal keepsake.
DIY family crest: Design a family crest or emblem together, using symbols that represent your family’s history and values.
Family memory tree: Craft a tree with paper or fabric leaves, where each leaf represents a special memory or characteristic of a family member.
Personalized aprons: Decorate aprons with fabric paint or markers, adding family names or favorite dishes to wear during family cooking sessions.
Painted rocks with family names: Paint rocks with each family member’s name and arrange them in a decorative bowl or garden.
Family photo puzzle: Print a favorite family photo and turn it into a puzzle by cutting it into pieces, or order a custom photo puzzle.
Personalized table runner: Sew or paint a table runner with family members’ names or handprints, perfect for using at future family meals.
DIY family time capsule: Decorate a box or container to serve as a time capsule, with each family member contributing items to be opened in the future.
Family-favorite lasagna: Make a hearty lasagna filled with layers of pasta, cheese, and sauce, just like your family’s traditional recipe.
Grandma’s apple pie: Bake a classic apple pie using your grandmother’s cherished recipe, bringing comfort and nostalgia to the table.
Homemade pot roast: Prepare a slow-cooked pot roast with tender meat, potatoes, and carrots for a comforting family meal.
Aunt’s famous mac and cheese: Recreate your aunt’s creamy and cheesy mac and cheese recipe, a family favorite.
Heritage meatballs: Cook a batch of meatballs based on a recipe that reflects your family’s cultural heritage, whether it’s Italian, Swedish, or another style.
Generational chili: Whip up a pot of your family’s signature chili, passed down from one generation to the next.
Traditional family stew: Make a hearty stew using ingredients and techniques that have been in the family for years.
Custom pizza night: Set up a DIY pizza station where each family member can create their own personal pizza using their favorite toppings.
Mom’s chicken pot pie: Bake a comforting chicken pot pie with flaky crust and a creamy filling, just like mom used to make.
Family-style BBQ ribs: Grill up a rack of ribs slathered in your family’s secret BBQ sauce recipe for a finger-licking meal.
Cousin’s taco bar: Set up a taco bar with all the fixings, letting each family member customize their tacos just the way they like.
Family-inspired charcuterie board: Create a charcuterie board featuring meats, cheeses, and snacks that reflect your family’s favorite nibbles.
Dad’s famous burgers: Grill juicy burgers with dad’s special seasoning blend, topped with everyone’s preferred condiments.
Homemade cinnamon rolls: Bake warm, gooey cinnamon rolls using a family recipe that’s been a breakfast tradition for years.
Sister’s chocolate chip cookies: Bake a batch of your sister’s melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookies to share with the family.
Family-inspired fruit salad: Prepare a fruit salad using your family’s favorite fruits, adding a homemade citrus dressing for extra flavor.
Uncle’s stuffed peppers: Make flavorful stuffed peppers filled with rice, ground meat, and spices, just like your uncle used to make.
Heritage pierogies: Make homemade pierogies filled with potatoes, cheese, or meats, honoring your family’s cultural roots.
Family-style baked ziti: Cook up a big tray of baked ziti, loaded with cheese and tomato sauce, perfect for feeding a crowd.
Classic Sunday roast chicken: Roast a whole chicken with herbs and vegetables for a traditional family Sunday meal.
Nana’s shortbread cookies: Bake buttery shortbread cookies using your nana’s old-fashioned recipe, a sweet treat everyone will love.
Homemade gnocchi: Make soft, pillowy gnocchi from scratch, topped with a homemade sauce inspired by your family’s traditions.
Family potluck salad: Create a large salad featuring ingredients each family member loves, making it a shared and customized dish.
Personalized cupcakes: Bake a batch of cupcakes and let everyone decorate their own with frosting and toppings, representing their personal style.
Family-style jambalaya: Cook a pot of jambalaya with rice, sausage, chicken, and shrimp, inspired by your family’s favorite Southern dishes.