Are you hosting a family reunion in the next year? Do you want to make it a memorable event that people will talk about for years? If you haven't already considered it, here are some reasons to have a family history book written in time for the reunion:

Share anecdotes that would otherwise be lost: Does your aunt have a humorous tale about how she met your uncle? Do any of your relatives want to share stories of being in the armed forces? If this sort of information isn't written down, it could be lost to future generations. Having a family historian record these stories can help preserve them so that your children and their children will be able to enjoy them. A book printing company like Printing Industry Exchange, LLC will be able to put the writings and photographs into a more permanent format than simply printing them out on a home printer.

Record recent memories: When talking to a printing company about having your family history printed, make sure that they include a few blank pages at the end. Whether these pages are lined or entirely blank is up to you. At the family reunion, your family can write down events that may have been missed after the book was put together. For example, they might want to commemorate recent births that happened in the past year. If anyone has gotten married recently, that information can also be recorded on the blank pages.

Honor those who have passed: Whether you're remembering a recent loss or paying tribute to an ancestor, include the stories of those who are no longer around. Write down their life story, and include as many photos of them as possible. During the reunion, your relatives may enjoy looking at photos of your common ancestors to see the family resemblance you all share.

Remember who attended the reunion: If you've attended a family reunion before, you may have forgotten whether certain family members were able to attend the reunion. Having everyone pass around and sign the books that you have printed will be a good way to help remember who was there. Just like with a yearbook, they'll be able to write messages and sign their name on a page that has their story on it.

Share family recipes: Recipes are often as important to the heritage of a family as their stories are, but many neglect to try to save them for posterity until it is too late. If your uncle makes the best pot roast in town, have him write down his recipe so everyone in the family can be in on the secret. If your grandmother makes an ethnic dish from her home country, spend an afternoon with her, transcribing the ingredients and any memories she has of the food as a child.

Having a family history book printed can allow memories to be passed on to future generations, and give your family members a bigger appreciation of your heritage.