The holidays are a time for family members to get together and catch up. This holiday season, you can use the time together to get to know about your loved one’s history and maybe even learn something new about them. Seniors are a plethora of information about the past and most people love to share stories about their past experiences and the way things used to be.
It can be difficult to know what to ask to start conversation, so we have compiled a list of holiday themed questions that are sure to open up your family’s dinner time dialogue.
Holiday Conversation Starters for Seniors
- What is your favorite holiday memory?
- How did you celebrate Christmas in your family? Who hosted the Christmas gatherings?
- Which of your family’s holiday traditions have you passed down to your own children?
- Did you believe in Santa as a kid? When did you stop, and why?
- What was your favorite holiday dish as a child?
- What is your favorite Christmas scent?
- What was the most meaningful Christmas gift you’ve ever received?
- Which event or aspect of the holiday season do you look forward to most of all?
- What is your favorite Christmas movie?
- What is the first Christmas you can remember? What do you remember about it?
These are just the conversation starters, remember to follow up with more questions to go deeper into the subject. You don’t want your relatives to feel like they’re being interrogated, so don’t make it all about asking questions. Be a good listener so that you know
Filming or recording your relative’s answers could be an interesting ideas to keep their memories alive forever. You can also create a keepsake book to share their memories with the whole family by typing out their answers and compiling them with old photos.