something of sentimental value
a reminder of past events
a reminder of a pleasant experience
a tangible reminder of an event or place, something we can hold in our hands to conjure happy memories of a particular time or place
A souvenir (from French, for memory) is an object that is treasured for the memories associated with it. This is analogous to the psychological exploitation of classical conditioning. For example, if a traveller buys a souvenir on a memorable vacation, the item chosen is likely to have an association with the holiday.