Family Matters: How to Make that Reunion a Little Less Awkward

It?s that time of the year again: Labor Day is almost upon us and family get togethers are being thrown left and right. If your family hasn?t seen each other for a while, these events can get awkward. You don?t necessarily know what to talk about or who to talk to. You probably spend most of it on your phone taking Buzzfeed quizzes. Well, worry no longer! This blog is here to get everyone talking and having a good time.

Don?t save the goody bags for leaving, open them at the beginning so everyone can interact with them

Every good party has a goody bag full of trinkets for guests to take home with them and remember the night. This is all well and good, but imagine if the bag was filled with things you could use at the event. This way, guests can talk to each other about the items as an easy conversation starter. What should you put in the bag? One of the easiest conversation starters is a cigar. Whether your family is full of aficionados or novices, everyone can comment on the experience of smoking a cigar. Custom Tobacco allows you to personalize every aspect of the cigar from band to filler to wrapper and more. Decorate your cigars with ?X Family Reunion 2017? or whatever else your heart desires. Even if your family doesn?t smoke, they?ll most likely partake in this stogie on the special occasion. Better yet, while you?re all smoking, you can discuss the flavor profile of the cigars. Luckily, Custom Tobacco offers variety packs so people can smoke something different and compare and contrast. For the younger ones, Custom Tobacco also offers chocolate cigars. This way no one feels left out of the festivities and everyone gets a cigar personalized to your family.

Get Around the Campfire

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It might be cliche, but campfires/bonfires make for a great group activity. Settle everyone around and sing songs or play games. This is a great way for the entire group to come together. This is also a great way to get the family history sorted. Members can tell stories about the ancestors or just their parents to give everyone a communal knowledge of the family. Another fun activity is to give out family superlative awards such as, ?most likely to pass out before the night is over.? These are fun, joking ways to get everyone involved and laughing. Points for giving the awards on paper plates or T-shirts (a great activity to keep the kids occupied).

Celebrate the One Thing Your Family Has in Common: Heritage

Whether it?s cooking traditional foods or playing traditional games, embracing your heritage for the night is a surefire way to get everyone connected. For example, my family always makes nissu, a Finnish braided bread, which we gorge on after dinner. As kids, my grandma would start by explaining the importance of the bread and each ingredient to our culture. ? Even if you don?t know much about your culture, there?s always a new tradition you could start. The French game, petanque, which closely resembles Bocce ball, is an easy game to learn and play. There are also traditional dance styles, such as Congolese, you can learn and get everyone involved in. This especially works if no one knows them because then everyone looks a little silly doing it

Cigars