As far as I am aware, we have never had any family reunions on either side of my family. We get together primarily for wedding and funerals (sad, but true - it is the same for many other families). Below is a picture of the most recent family gathering on my dad's side, my cousin's wedding. In the photo are his wife, sons, mom, sisters, and nieces and nephews, but it also includes his aunts, uncles, and cousins from both sides of his family. Ever the genealogist, I made sure to get one that was just the first cousins, too. 😇
While there have never been any official reunions, for many years a friend of my mom's side of the family hosted an annual Glögg party. Glögg is a type of mulled wine that originated in the Nordic countries around 3000 years ago. It eventually became associated with Christmas, but it was also a popular drink for any kind of social gathering. Chuck and Ozzie (Arlene) Walley were friends with my grandmother, Marilyn (Swanson) Pearson. Consequently, their parties were attended by Pearsons and Swansons alike. These holiday parties continued well into my late teens, and I remember the annual argument about how long the drink should burn. (Traditional glögg is set on fire in order to completely dissolve the sugar granules, but you don't want to burn off all the alcohol!) Chuck and Ozzie threw a heck of a party, and I have many memories of the warmth and scent of them. Maybe some of the attendees weren't blood relatives, but they were family anyway.
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