Keepsakes

Fun Facts About Keepsakes

• The tradition of keeping mementos after someone dies dates back at least 2,000 years to the Iron Age in Britain. Archaeologists found everyday items, like bone spoons, tucked away in homes as emotional reminders of lost loved ones.
• Queen Victoria popularized mourning keepsakes in the 19th century after Prince Albert died in 1861. Her grief led her to wear a black gemstone made of fossilized wood and hair lockets containing strands from deceased loved ones, influencing Victorian fashion for decades.
• The word "souvenir" comes from a French word meaning "to remember." After World War II travel overseas boomed and people wanted tangible pieces of their adventures. A consumer market for souvenirs developed soon after, with postcards leading the way.
• Keepsakes extend our sense of self. Psychological studies show the brain treats emotionally charged objects almost like self-extensions, so that parting with them can feel like losing a piece of your identity.
• The most common keepsakes from childhood include baby teeth, locks of hair, teddy bears, grade-school artwork, diplomas, and ticket stubs to the prom.
• The most common travel souvenirs include postcards, mugs, shot glasses, T-shirts, hats, photos, keychains, magnets and tourist maps.
• Surveys show a surprising number of people keep items out of guilt rather than pure sentiment. Roughly two-thirds say they feel like they'd be betraying a memory or person by throwing something away.
• Old family photographs top the list of many people as their most cherished keepsakes. Surveys show nearly half the people in the U.K. keep them to relive happy memories of people and times gone by.