Have you been pondering your family history? Wondering just how far back you can trace your ancestors or even not sure who they might be?
Perhaps 2024 is the right time to finally build your family tree and discover your roots.
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We are in the digital age and with so many resources now online, including birth, marriage and death certificates, censuses, land records and even old photos, now is the perfect time to start your family tree journey.
- Building your family tree is essential because most importantly it can help you learn about your ancestors.
- You can also discover and connect with relatives you have never met.
- Finally it is a brilliant way to pass on your family history to your children and grandchildren, and gain a sense of purpose and belonging.
If you love the idea of discovering your family history, here are 7 reasons why building your family tree is a must do this year:
01Preserve Your Family History
Building a family tree allows you to preserve and document your family’s history for future generations.
It ensures that valuable information about your ancestors, their stories, and their contributions to your family’s heritage is preserved over time.
You can pass on your family history to future generations, and your family tree will become a valuable treasure that can be passed down to your children, grandchildren, and other future descendants.
It will help them learn about their family’s roots and create a sense of connection to their ancestors, where they lived and raised their family. This information can help them understand their own identity and place in the world.
Your family tree can also help them learn about the past and how it has shaped the present.
By understanding their family’s history, future generations can better understand the world around them, the challenges their ancestors faced and had to overcome, and the opportunities they grasped to improve their lives.
02Family Trees Reveal Cultural Heritage
A family tree helps you explore and understand your cultural heritage.
It provides insights into your family’s traditions, customs, and ethnic origins, allowing you to connect with your family’s birthplace and understand and embrace your identity.
Your cultural heritage is inherited from past generations however it is also has a link to both present and future. That is why it is very precious, and it can include many things, such as places and buildings, monuments, books, works of art, music, dance, languages, and more intangible things, such as ancient folklore and traditions.
For example, you may discover you have Celtic roots.
This can lead to a World of learning about some common folk laws and traditions, such as their belief in fairies and other supernatural beings like leprechauns, banshees, and selkies.
Or understand more about the importance of nature and why, to the Celts, oak and ash trees were sacred, and why Celts celebrated the changing seasons with a variety of feasts and festivals, such as Samhain (Halloween), Beltane (May Day), and Imbolc (February).
03A Great Way to Connect to Relatives
Building a family tree helps you connect with relatives you may not have known existed.
It can uncover distant cousins, extended family members, or even long-lost relatives, fostering new relationships and strengthening family bonds.
Your ancestral research may uncover a branch of your family tree living in another country. This could open up many new opportunities to meet and swap family histories while travelling to and exploring parts of the world you would never have considered visiting before.
04Discover Unknown Medical History
Family trees can provide valuable information about hereditary medical conditions and genetic predispositions within your family. Tracing your family’s health history allows you to identify potential risks, make informed decisions about your health, and share important medical information with healthcare professionals.
For example, having a parent who was a Dr. Barnardo’s child can make it difficult to know your family’s health history. Barnardo’s was a large organisation that cared for thousands of children over the years. As a result, their records are often incomplete or lost. This can make it difficult to know your biological grandparent’s health history.
However, it is easier today than ever before to access old fostering and adoption records while doing your family tree research, which can help uncover previously unknown family medical history.
05Uncover Family Stories and Secrets
Imagine the stories and perhaps secrets that can slowly reveal themselves.
You only have to watch the BBC series Who do you think you are? to see that researching the family tree can show up amazing discoveries.
For example, you could discover that you had a relative that was a crewman who sailed out of Bristol in the early 1700s with Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, who was a notorious English pirate who operated during the Golden Age of Piracy. What a fantastic family story to pass down to your grandchildren!
Perhaps some of your relatives were immigrants, rebels, war heroes, philanthropists, inventors, or even famous celebrities. You may also learn about their occupations, religious beliefs, social standing, and political views.
And perhaps there was a long lost love-child, given up for adoption, now leading to a new branch of cousins you never knew existed!
06Your Family Tree Shows Ancestral Origins
A family tree can help you trace your ancestral origins and explore your family’s geographic roots.
It allows you to understand where your family came from, their migration patterns, and the places they called home.
This knowledge can be both educational and inspiring.
Understanding your ancestral origins can help you connect with your cultural heritage and learn about the traditions, customs, and values important to your ancestors. This can help you feel more connected to your community and your larger extended family.
07Gain a Sense of Belonging and Identity
Knowing your family history and having a well-documented family tree can provide a strong sense of belonging and identity. It helps you understand your place within your family and the larger context of society. It can instil pride, resilience, and a deeper appreciation for your heritage.
We humans are social creatures.
We all have a natural need to feel like we belong.
A sense of belonging is essential for our mental and physical health and can help us cope with stress, anxiety, and depression. When we feel like we belong, we know that we have people who care about us and will be there for us when we need them. This can be a great source of comfort and strength.
Conclusion
Building your family tree is a rewarding hobby that people of all ages can enjoy. It is a great way to learn about your past, connect with your ancestors, and preserve your family history for future generations of your family.
Every family has unique life stories, memories, and anecdotes passed down through generations. No matter what you uncover, this information can help you understand your own values and beliefs, and it can also help you connect with your cultural heritage.
So what are you waiting for? Start building your family tree today!