Holiday Celebrations Provide an Excellent Opportunity to Explore Your Family Genealogy

Personal knowledge from family members or close family friends can form the bottom limbs of your family tree. These individuals are good sources fro family information, traditions, rituals and myths. Family holiday celebrations provide a golden opportunity to explore family history and genealogy in the presence of your family.

Before the holiday party, notify key family members that you are interested in family information, documents and photos. Fill out a pedigree chart with the information you already know. This will help you to determine what information you need. Bring along some old photographs or attic treasures to jog memories and stimulate interest.

Talk to the oldest members of the family first. They are an invaluable resource for family information, traditions, rituals and myths. Often they have family documents, bibles and photographs in their possession. Ask questions about basic family information:

o Names
o Names of children
o Relationships
o Genealogical events, such as date and place of birth, baptisms, christenings, marriages, deaths, burials and cemeteries.

o Places of residence
o Nationality
o Church affiliations

Inquire about the location of family archives and materials:

o Family bibles
o Church records
o Family documents (birth, marriage, and death certificates, divorce papers)
o Military records
o Diaries and journals
o Genealogies
o Scrapbooks
o Obituaries
o Samplers

Photographs are another good source of family data. Learn the location of family photos and view them. Ask family members to help you identify people pictured in them. Check the backs of photos for names, addresses and dates. The name and address of the photographer can often provide a good clue to the location. Identify the subject of photographs on the back using a felt tip pen and indelible ink.

Family traditions, rituals and myths provide good information about a family. Traditions and rituals reveal what a family stands for, confirms the family history, tell something about the family? character and traits. Myths are traditional stories which are passed from generation to generation. Myths provide good clues but should be treated with skepticism until they can be documented.

Most importantly, know when to stop. Too much can cause family members to loose interest. Arrange for future interviews with knowledgeable family members. Promise to keep the family informed regarding your research. When you get home, record your information on pedigree charts and family group sheets.