Share with Aunt Bessie’s why family gatherings are the best - chance to win £300 NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

We all know family gatherings can sometimes be a bit stressful but that in the main they are a great way to catch up with loved ones. The team at Aunt Bessie’s would love to hear how you make your family get togethers work for everyone - from the youngest member to the oldest. What role does food play in your gatherings - who does the prep (and who washes up)? What about location, do you like to visit your MILs or do you like hosting yourselves? How often do you get a family gathering on the go - once a year at Christmas or every week?

What’s the best thing which has happened in your family gathering and what memories do you have of gatherings when you were a child? Do you have any traditions you have stuck with or new habits you have come to enjoy?

Aunt Bessie’s say “a proper family gathering is about more than just food – it’s the shared experiences and the bringing together of loved ones that turn a simple meal into something truly special. So we’d love to hear your stories and traditions!”

Add your story for great family gatherings below and you will be entered into a prize draw where one person will win a £300 Love2Shop voucher.

Thanks and good luck

MNHQ
Standard Insight T and Cs apply

They are getting infrequently rare and yet it's a lovely, leisurely opportunity to bond over a meal (as long as too much wine isn't consumed!).

We love getting together with both sides of the family. DH has a much bigger family so those occasions are much more planned and more fun - more kids and catch ups. We usually meet for a Christmas lunch out (far too many people to cater for) and then back to someone's house for mince pies and coffee. Lovely.

Every Sunday, Christmas day, New year's day and either Christmas eve or boxing day, we all pile round to my DPs.
DM does all the cooking and refuses any offers of help. She's very territorial over her kitchen!
At Christmas and New year we will usually bring something with us e.g wine, cheese, crackers, desserts.
And we all try to pitch in by helping set the table and clearing up afterwards.

because we always support each other and have a laugh together.

We still have the big family get together on Boxing day where we always enjoy a few games. We always do the 'what's on the tray' game even thought they all groan when it comes out, it's amazing how competitive they all become lol. The day usually starts with lunch after we've all arrived, then opening of presents and a few games, then drinks and a light buffet later on. This is my favourite day of the whole year, I love it!

We share tasks so family gatherings are relaxing time for most of us... we enjoy when different generations come together and we usually have a great feast - my sister-in-law could make the best ever roast chicken I ever tasted!

Love seeing my family at Christmas, always get plenty of food in and play a game together

We always used to pour round to mums for Christmas day and night, there were never enough chairs, and the plates and dishes didn't match but they were the best Christmases ever

As my eldest son is posted overseas Christmas family gatherings are even more special and a time we cherish together. I still leave stocking out for the children with tangerines 50p piece a small toy etc inside its something growing up in the 70s I have always found a special memory and passed it on to my own children

Our family get togethers are mainly Sunday lunch at the in laws mother in law cooks and kids clean plates and the table and myself and husband stack the dishwasher - it's the only day we can all get together

Some good food and a chance to stop. Both are key.

I love family gatherings! We sometimes have a 'bring a plate' buffet or we cook for everyone. The mess stresses me out a bit..lol... but I don't mind the cooking.

When I was a child family gatherings were all about a dining room so full of people there were always at least two of us sat on improvised chairs and a table so laden down with food it looked like it would collapse. Some of those faces aren’t with us now, and the rest have got a little older but some things haven’t changed. Now it’s my dining table that’s packed with old family, and new, tucking into a roast with aunt Bessie Yorkshire puddings, whether it’s beef or not! We’re family, so no one minds the mess, or the dogs by our feet waiting for scraps, or the demanding toddler at the head of the table. It’s the best meal of the week. Especially as daddy does the washing up. Well, Mummy’s been working hard steaming up the kitchen. And grandpa’s got a railway track to build.

From the ages of 9 months, to about 89, we all love a good get-together and we have a massive dining table we all sit round, we have a nice roast, plenty of roasties, stuffing, veg and gravy that is always made in my Great-Grandmothers saucepan and we always use her gravy-boat, plates and glasses, we love to talk about all our loved ones who are no longer here, and we always have a real laugh re-telling all the funny stories to the younger members of the family. It is fantastic to have big get-togethers like this!

We always try to get together whenever we can
It's not about the food, drink, presents, etc

Its about making memories and spending time with each other

We spend one Christmas at my house then hubby's every year. I enjoy both because everyone mucks in and lovely to see family

The best thing about family get togethers for us is that we all travel home from around the world as a forces family (x2) - it gives us chance to catchup and see how little ones have grown!

We love family gatherings. As well as great food, we also enjoy table games and after dinner board games to bring us all together with laughs and usually a bit of mayhem!

We only get together at Christmas at my sisters house, we have a dinner and play games that all of us can play. from the youngest to the oldest. Even though the dinner is at my sisters house my mam usually preps the food, and we all help to cook it, and put it out, my sister just puts all the dishes in the dishwasher, If we ever get together any other time, its usually a birthday, and we eat out.

My grandsons lost both of their parents so when big events come around I try and make sure there are lots of family around , especially people who remember them . So Christmas is full of uncles aunts nieces and nephews and other extended family . It tends to be a rolling programme where some come for dinner and others for tea but its always a celebration with food at its heart .

We love family gatherings, its a bit of a tradition for us to have a big meal then play board games together whilst the food goes down!

This year for the first time in a long time I will be having Christmas Day at home, so plan to do all the prep on Christmas Eve. However, the rest of my big but mad family will come to visit on Boxing Day. This includes my 5 nephews & Neices. My house becomes loud and manic when opening the pressies but it’s so lovely to see everyone as the last time I saw them was in the summer!

My mum was brilliant at doing Sunday roast dinners and my grandparents came and anyone else was welcome to join the family - that was almost part of the fun not knowing quite who was going to turn up but there always seemed to be enough food to go round and even second helpings.
I am not quite as good but still love a traditional family roast dinner however I do rely on Aunt Bessie to help me out with the Yorkshire puddings! And yes they even make an appearance on Christmas Day - when the roast dinner is still one of the favourite parts of the day.

Our family gatherings are usually quite chaotic! Our family is ever-growing, so there are lots of little people around the table. Usually one or two high chairs too. It is great fun and lovely to see them all together, but you usually struggle to have normal conversation over all the rabble! I wouldn't have it any other way though :) x

We always play charades after Christmas dinner when we are all together. It works and is fun for all ages.