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

Our family gatherings have changed a lot over time. Every year we seem to have another new member. As there are 4 of us siblings living in different areas it is rare that we can all get together but when we do it is wonderful.
My mum usually does the cooking as her food is legendary, especially roast meals. Increasingly I help out now and everyone chips in bringing drinks, cakes etc
As the children are quite a spread of ages from 15 down to 4 the oldest does help with the little ones and really everyone looks after everyone else. The little ones keep us all entertained and we often end up sat around singing as we are quite a musical family!
My brothers usually do the washing up and clear the kitchen debris.
Our next gathering will be Boxing Day and I can't wait for it this year because not only do we have a new little one, my brothers 3 month old baby girl, for the first time I will be bringing my own little one- my first foster child. I know she'll just become part of it all and be surrounded by the love and happiness we share.

We have an old paper sack for the Christmas presents that we got many years ago - and all the family gather round and enjoy a drink and snacks and more importantly quality time while opening their presents

We have a family gathering every night as there is just dp myself and 2 dc. It is called dinner.

Food is definitely the biggest part of our a family get togethers. A really nice home cooked meal around the table with family all together. Then we all relax after and catch up.

Gatherings at my in laws are the greatest, No stress, great food, mil bustling around looking after everyone and the kids all having a laugh with each other and their aunties.

We always play a games of cards as a family after lunch on Sundays. We do not always get to eat together during the week as husband home late and kids off with friends, so we make Sunday lunch special and make it last a bit longer with a game of cards

For me i think its the best time getting together for dinner, i have a very big family and thats the joy and high light of it as we really enjoying cooking and taking turns and having a good chit chat with the family i remmeber when our festival EID is here everyone is trying to make a dish to impress and all the children are getting invold trying to peel the vegtable making desert it is really fun.

Some of my best childhood memories are Christmas at my grandparents house. My grandad built an addition to their table to make it a huge square table that we could all fit round. I loved being there with aunties, uncles, cousins and grandparents. There were never any dramas, just good fun, lots of laughter and delicious food.
I miss those Christmas traditions so much.

Some of my favourite memories from my Childhood are Sunday roast at my grandparents, normally roast beef and I would always hover around the kitchen when nan was carving the meat so that I could sneak some early.

We invite the whole extended family and get everyone to bring a dish to keep it stress free!

Has to be a roast for family gatherings, followed by a sumptuous dessert. Perfect way to catch up.

Everyone mucks in, usually without a plan so everyone gets in everyones way and the job takes twice as long, but, it is all done, without too much stress or hassle. No script or clever plan but usually plenty of mess. It all gets sorted in the end though

High tea on a Sunday afternoon with sandwiches cakes and sausage rolls, and of course jelly, the food does help!

We used to get together every Sunday for a big family lunch, with me cooking. but it got too much cooking for 14
Now everybody gets together at Christmas and special occasions. Christmas is the main Family gathering, we spend the whole day together

Our extended family gatherings can be stressful affairs with different characters and often a good bit of back biting but with my crystal ball I'm looking ahead to the days to come when all of my DCs have left home and have partners and/or families of their own. When that happens I can see amazing gatherings as we all get on famously well now as an immediate family group (they are all teenagers).

Everyone brings some food - obviously organised beforehand so you don't end up with 5 lots of sprouts.

Not at all stressful, I love the bustle & excitement. If it is a huge dinner, then we split tasks between everyone

A buffet when everyone brings things is great as you get to try new things out.

We have a great outdoor space so all the family come to us, yes it's a lot of work but it just works for everyone.All muck in with food/drink for a great family get together, so young and old can see each other

Family gathering as stressful as my MIL cannot cook to save her life, she over cooks salmon so it goes grey and when she did beef she thought it was too pink so she sliced it all up and put it back in the oven. All of her veg is always overcooked so we try not to go to theirs and we eat out. At my house my husband always says he's cooked dinner, but I do all the leg work peeling all the veg. We like a good family meal at our house as we get to eat what we like and how we like it cooked.

We don't all get together often but we always ensure we eat together for birthdays, Christmasses and special occasions. Even if we eat out or just have a picnic, we don't really mind what it is, but we all have a good chat which gets louder as the meal progresses

Our family gatherings have always been about the sea adventures of my brothers. I have never needed Fairy Tales for the little ones. They would start with the sea monsters to scare but how they battle to conquer the indomitable beasts.
That's the advantage to be from the Caribbean.

I think that family gatherings can produce life-long memories.
I remember being a small child and a family party at my nan's that xmas.
When crawling around on the floor, i discovered a real-life mouse under the sideboard. Much to the horror of my nan and the amusement of everyone else!
Years later this is someting that we still remember and talk about.

A big night time buffet sticks in my mind. All our favourite things to nibble on and lots of laughter make family the best.