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National Visit Your Relatives Day

Make time for family and go visit your relatives, whether that means heading across town to visit your aunt, or making a trip across the country.

Family Life & Living People & Relationships45

Marketing angleinferred

Drive bookings and travel purchases by positioning May as the ideal month for family reunions, road trips, and multi-generational getaways.

Relevance 45medium intent

Plan the perfect family road trip: car rental deals + travel snack bundles
Family reunion packages: hotel group rates + event space for May gatherings
Gift ideas for relatives: curated boxes to bring when visiting family
Budget-friendly ways to reconnect: gas savings, meal planning, accommodation deals

History

Across the world today, and throughout history, there isn’t a culture or religion that doesn’t have traditions or values surrounding family. Now that it is common for people to build their lives all over the world, staying in touch is a way to maintain those close ties with your history and culture.

In times gone by, huge importance was placed on the family. Your family was instrumental in determining what kind of job you would get, who you would marry and other opportunities available to you. Luckily today, that’s no longer the case the most people succeed on their own merits. But the advantages of the love and support we get from our families remains unchanged.

Digital technology has made it easier than ever to stay in touch with those we love. We can use FaceTime, WhatsApp, email or any number of other ways to share every moment of our lives with them.

While a phone call or an email are great ways to keep in touch, digital communication can’t fully replace that special, face to face time with those that we love.

Close contact with relatives can even help them through illnesses and extend their life spans. Social contact can reduce depression and even strengthen our immune systems. Quality time spent with older relatives, engaging with them and ensuring they are well and happy will help ensure that they are with us for years to come.

As the family grows, it is important that they spend time together, to keep the family bonds strong and giving the next generation some great memories on which to build, too.

How to celebrate

Stop By

National Visit Your Relatives Day is as simple as it sounds – go ahead and visit your relatives. If you are lucky enough to live close to your family, then there really is no excuse not to make it happen. We can often get wrapped up in our own lives and not take the time to do the important things that really benefit ourselves and our families. Some families don’t live near each other with parents, brothers, sisters, and cousins are spread across the country or even the world.

Take a Road Trip

Though it will take a bit more planning, you can incorporate a trip to see relatives with your own road trip or family holiday. Not only will you get to see your family, but you’ll be exploring the world too, making new memories along the way.

Plan a Family Reunion

If your family is separated by a great distance, why not agree to meet up in a different place each year? One person or family could agree to host or you could all agree on a destination and turn it into a fun trip.

FAQ

How does regularly spending time with relatives affect physical and mental health?

Research links strong, frequent contact with close family to better health outcomes. People with supportive social ties, including relatives, tend to have lower rates of depression and anxiety, stronger immune function, and reduced risk of chronic conditions and early death compared with socially isolated people. For older adults, regular visits from family are associated with slower cognitive decline, better mobility, and higher overall life satisfaction.

How does regularly spending time with relatives affect physical and mental health?

Is video calling a good substitute for visiting relatives in person?

Digital contact, such as video calls, can meaningfully reduce loneliness and help people feel emotionally supported, especially when distance makes in‑person visits rare. Studies in older adults show that video calls are more effective than emails or text messages at preventing depressive symptoms. However, researchers also note that face-to-face contact remains especially powerful for building trust, reading body language, and providing hands-on help, so many families benefit from combining both in-person and digital contact. [1]

What are some healthy boundaries to keep in mind when visiting relatives?

Experts on family dynamics recommend agreeing on basic boundaries before and during visits, such as how long a stay will last, which topics are off‑limits, and how household routines will be handled. The Cleveland Clinic and similar organizations advise adults to use “I” statements, stay calm during disagreements, and take breaks when conversations become heated. It is also considered healthy to decline certain activities, limit overnight visits, or leave early if a situation becomes emotionally unsafe, even when visiting close kin.

How can families keep relationships strong when they live far apart?

Family researchers suggest establishing predictable routines so contact does not depend on last‑minute effort. Examples include a weekly video call, shared online photo albums, group chats, or virtual game nights. Adult children living away from parents often coordinate short but frequent check‑ins, and many families schedule annual in‑person gatherings planned well in advance. Consistency and responsiveness to one another’s news appear more important for closeness than the sheer length of any single visit.

What are effective ways to connect with older relatives during visits?

Gerontology specialists recommend engaging older relatives in meaningful conversation about their memories, daily routines, and preferences rather than focusing only on practical tasks. Activities that stimulate cognition and movement, such as walking together, looking through photos, or cooking a familiar recipe, can support brain health and mood. §It is also helpful to quietly observe for signs of unmet needs, such as difficulty managing medications, fall risks at home, or changes in behavior that might signal depression or cognitive decline.

How do different cultures view the obligation to visit or support relatives?

Cross‑cultural research finds that many collectivist cultures, including in East Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and parts of Africa, place strong expectations on adult children to maintain close contact with and provide hands‑on support to parents and extended kin. Filial piety norms can include regular visits, financial help, and multigenerational living. In many Western countries, family ties are often more individualistic and negotiated, yet surveys still show that most adults feel a moral responsibility to assist aging parents and stay connected with close relatives, even if they live separately.

What can someone do if visiting relatives tends to be stressful or conflict‑ridden?

Family therapists suggest preparing in advance by identifying potential triggers and planning neutral topics or structured activities, such as board games or shared projects, to reduce idle time that can lead to arguments. Limiting the length of visits, arranging separate accommodations, and having transportation available can help preserve a sense of control. Professionals also recommend focusing on specific, realistic goals for a visit, such as checking on an older relative’s well-being or introducing children to extended kin, rather than expecting long‑standing conflicts to be resolved in a single trip.