Nostalgic describes the bittersweet feeling you get when remembering happy times from the past. When you feel nostalgic, you're thinking fondly about earlier days, even though you know you can't return to them. You might feel nostalgic looking through old photos from a family vacation, or remembering your first day of kindergarten, or thinking about a friend who moved away.

The feeling mixes happiness and sadness together. You're glad those good times happened, but you also miss them. Your grandmother might feel nostalgic when she hears a song from her teenage years. You might feel nostalgic about summers at your grandfather's house, or about being small enough that your dad could carry you on his shoulders.

People often feel nostalgic during holidays, looking at old decorations or traditional foods that remind them of earlier celebrations. Sometimes even smells trigger nostalgia: the scent of crayons might make you nostalgic for your first school classroom.

The noun form is nostalgia. While too much nostalgia can keep someone focused on the past, a little bit connects people to meaningful memories and reminds them of the people and experiences that shaped who they are.