“Names are an important clue to what a society values. Naming is recognized by anthropologists as ‘one of the main methods of imposing order on perception.'” ~ David S. Slawson
I hope everyone has enjoyed Celebrate Your Name Week (CYNW) during the week of March 3-9. It was an entire week of honoring anthroponomastics (the study of personal names), with each day celebrating a different aspect of names, from “Unique Names Day” to “Middle Name Pride Day.” I don’t know about you, but I was most excited for National Genealogy Daythe culmination of the festivities on March 9.
CYNW was first established in 1997 by Jerry Hill, an onomatologist (one who studies the origins of proper names). National Genealogy Day is the seventh and final day of CYNW and is best understood as a day that reminds us to investigate as well as appreciate our genealogy and family heritage. Once upon a time, ancestral roots were, in most cases, safeguarded by the “spinster” of the family or other members considered a bit eccentric. While some of these embedded genealogists traced the history of the family tree for posterity, others may have been motivated by a desire to gain status through association with their most successful ancestors and ancestors; the same is true today.
Genealogists may regard family genealogy as just a hobby given its own holiday, but tracing ancestry is a 365-day-a-year industry that continues to attract a significant number of people who are passionate about deciphering family puzzles from who fathered whom, including the what, when, where, how and possibly why of it all. The number of family genealogy researchers is increasing at an astonishing rate, and this is certainly cause for celebration.
Many family tree researchers, including Mormons, conduct ancestry searches as a fundamental part of their faith journey. Other ancestry-finding aficionados seek to trace their ancestry as a prerequisite for membership in one of many lineage organizations, including but not limited to the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), the Sons of the American Revolution ( SAR), the Mayflower Society or other organizations based on history. In addition, the recent focus on hereditary diseases and genetic predispositions has stimulated more people to consider genetic genealogy (that is to sayDNA testing) through professional genealogy services.
While we surely are more than we inherit, we ourselves add something to the mix by celebrating National Genealogy Day, which promises to deliver tidbits of personal information and a few prime-time family genealogy surprises. As you find your ancestors, you may discover you have a rogue or closet royal, a sinner or a saint. That’s part of the “good stuff” about ancestry searches, because eccentric ancestors make for entertaining conversation at parties and around the Thanksgiving table.
If you are lucky enough to have your parents, aunts and uncles, or grandparents still alive, consider observing National Genealogy Day by asking them to share their family genealogy histories and family history to help you in your effort to find your ancestors.
Some websites to help you get started writing your family genealogy include:
- 10 Steps to Writing Your Family History
- “Writing Your Family and Personal History” on the learn/wiki site at familysearch.org
- The armchair genealogist: “Research and write your family history”
- “How to Write Your Family Story” at mediacollege.com
Here are some other ideas for celebrating National Genealogy Day:
- Family stories are further fueled by making the dish Grandma (or another favorite family cook) was known for. Never underestimate the influence of aroma and flavor on memory.
- Don’t forget to collect and share family photos and letters, too.
- If convenient, use the day to visit a cemetery where an ancestor rests. The headstones include the date of birth and death, a maiden name, and the name of the spouse or parents, and sometimes a priceless piece of jewelry about those left behind.
- Public libraries often celebrate National Genealogy Day. Go learn the basics of family tree research for free.
- Thanks to various websites, such as Ancestry and RootsWeb, genealogists can conduct ancestor searches online for free. (Always check published information, which may have been transcribed incorrectly.)
- Consider contacting a genealogy ancestry service to help you start or continue productively on your genealogy journey to trace family history, even beyond personal memories and published genealogies. Genealogy services have professional genealogy researchers available to help you unravel those hard-to-crack family-search genealogy mysteries.
At its core, National Genealogy Day is about delving into family genealogy, allowing genealogists to discover where their ancestors lived, what lives they led, as well as joy, pain, and brokenness, and healing and happiness. grace, which they left behind. National Genealogy Day can help us connect as individuals, families, and communities. Don’t wait until March 9 to start celebrating. Celebrate Genealogy Day all year long. Consider contacting a genealogy ancestry service as a gift to yourself and your descendants.
