New Year: Traditions around the world
In most cultures, the New Year is traditionally the time for hope. We look forward to a New Year which will be prosperous, that we will enjoy health, peace and other positive attributes.
And, of course, there are countries where the New Year is not celebrated on January 1, but in spring or fall.
Regardless of where or when, let’s look at some customs surrounding the New Year.
Auld Lang Syne – written by Scottish poet Robert Burns - is the New Year’s Eve song In English-speaking countries. Read the history of the song here.
Continue reading "New Year: Traditions around the world" »
Nick Barratt’s Family History Show Launches
MyHeritage is delighted to see the launch of the Family History Show, masterminded and presented by family historian extraordinaire, Nick Barratt.
Nick Barratt - author, broadcaster, historian and genealogist - is best known for his work on the "Who Do You Think You Are?" series. Renowned throughout the genealogy industry, Nick is always looking for new ways to engage the community and his new Show provides free and open advice, interviews and interesting news stories.
The first two episodes of the Show are available free of charge at www.familyhistoryshow.net where you will see Nick discuss - with Laura Berry, editor at Your Family History Magazine - the latest happenings in the UK genealogy community, including record releases, helpful genealogy courses, new online resources and more. Continue reading "Nick Barratt’s Family History Show Launches" »
Santa Claus: How does he do it?
Ever wonder how Santa Claus (or Kris Kringle or St. Nicholas) manages to deliver all those gifts to children around the world in just one night?
Well, a new science and technology research study from North Carolina State University provides some hints.
Mechanical and aerospace engineering professor Dr. Larry Silverberg explains the principles that allow that red-suited white-bearded fellow to manage this amazing feat every year.
Where did Silverberg learn these secrets?
He was team leader on the first-of-its kind visiting scholars program at Santa’s Workshop/North Pole Labs (NPL) last year:
Children shouldn’t put too much credence in the opinions of those who say it’s not possible to deliver presents all over the world in one night,” Silverberg says.
Continue reading "Santa Claus: How does he do it?" »
Genealogy: Why family research?
What are your reasons for pursuing your ancestors across time and space? What motivates you to gather information and preserve it for the future?
Nearly 1,400 individuals responded to a study of genealogists and family historians as a sociology professor undertook a survey of the membership of the Ontario (Canada) Genealogy Society.
Although Professor Ronald D. Lambert - of the University of Waterloo - undertook this study in 1994, its results, I believe, are just as relevant today as they were then.
In addition to questions on age, sex, national origins, marital status, employment, income, religious affiliation and other details, he asked two questions about researchers’ reasons for doing genealogy and what value they found in that pursuit.
One question sought to rank 25 reasons we pursue genealogy. Respondents marked the statements as important, fairly important or personally irrelevant.
The three reasons considered most important by respondents:
Continue reading "Genealogy: Why family research?" »
Social Networks: Our ancestors had them
This is a guest post by Caroline M. Pointer*
He had done it again.
Joseph Marshall WWI
My grandfather had managed to shock me again. Had it not been enough that he had three wives before my grandmother? Had it not been enough that my grandmother had been his mistress before she became his wife? Had it not been enough that he had been estranged, if not formally excommunicated, from the Catholic Church? Had it not been enough that he had successfully sued his sister? Had it not been enough that he had been estranged from his family for nearly his whole adult life? Had it not been enough that he changed our surname from Marschall to Marshall, unlike the rest of his family?
Apparently not.
The irony of this whole situation with my grandfather, a.k.a., Joseph Marshall and Big Paw Paw, has not escaped me. He had many relationships that left paper trails, but he wasn't very good at maintaining those relationships. In retrospect, Big Paw Paw had had a social network, and I have been able to uncover bits of his story through it.
Since Big Paw Paw’s story was the first I had tried to uncover six years ago, I did everything in a roundabout way with plenty of backtracking. And I wish I had had a clue about looking at ancestors’ networks. It makes sense now. I mean, I don’t live in a bubble. Do you?
Continue reading "Social Networks: Our ancestors had them" »
Spanish Naming Conventions Part 2: The Etymology of Spanish ‘ez’ Last Names
NB: This is a follow on to Spanish Naming Conventions Part 1: The Basics
Many of you will instantly recognize the most popular Spanish surnames as those ending in ‘ez.
Examples are Martinez, Rodriguez, Hernandez etc.
This is not something unique to Spain alone. The trend has continued into the Spanish speaking world of Central and South America.
The reason for the popularity of these surnames is because they are “patronymic”.
For those unfamiliar with the term, it refers to surnames that are based on the first name of a male ancestor.
In this case, the names are formed by using the father’s name and appending ‘ez to the end to represent “Son of”
Continue reading "Spanish Naming Conventions Part 2: The Etymology of Spanish ‘ez’ Last Names" »
MyHeritage.com and Family Tree Magazine contest…win a free family reunion!
Participate in the contest and win a free family reunion! We're very excited to launch a joint contest with Family Tree Magazine, the leading family history magazine in the USA, to celebrate long-lost relative discoveries! Lots of amazing prizes to be won! Read on…
Ever discovered a long-lost relative through your family history research?
Share your “long-lost relative discovery” with us and enter a contest to win a free, expenses-paid reunion with them, a year-long VIP subscription membership with Family Tree Magazine and a three-year Premium-Plus subscription with leading family history site MyHeritage.com (among other prizes - a digital subscription to Family Tree Magazine and a 3-year Premium-plus subscription on MyHeritage.com for the two runners-up!).
Continue reading "MyHeritage.com and Family Tree Magazine contest…win a free family reunion!" »
MyHeritage News: Family Tree Builder 5.1 released
This week we’re pleased to announce an updated version of the most popular free genealogy software program, Family Tree Builder.
Family Tree Builder 5.1 includes all the great new features introduced in version 5.0: enhanced, better-looking family tree charts; built-in poster printing for charts, tree consistency checks, and much more. For more details about the features of Family Tree Builder 5.0, click here.
If you're one of our many loyal users who are already enjoying Family Tree Builder (version 3.0, 4.0 or 5.0), download the new version 5.1 and install it on top of your existing version. Updating to version 5.1 will not affect your family tree data and is safe, recommended and free. The new version also incorporates many bug fixes so it is a recommended update for all users. Continue reading "MyHeritage News: Family Tree Builder 5.1 released" »
Fun & Celebrations at MyHeritage
We recently celebrated the annual Purim Party for MyHeritage workers and their families - and couldn't wait to share with you what a fun night it was!
Purim is a festive holiday similar to Halloween. The employees began preparing some very impressive costumes, many of which were hand-made, several weeks in advance of the party.
The night was full of surprises, games and dancing - and the judging panel had a hard time deciding which was the best costume. Which costume would you choose as your favorite? Share with us your pick, leave a comment!
Welcome to your family: MyHeritage.com in 100 seconds
We're excited to unveil the all-new MyHeritage.com in 100 seconds video, a glimpse into the many features we provide for families to connect, build their family tree, and preserve special moments.
To learn more about the new features, please take a look at the recent guides for creating beautiful charts, adding source citations and profile enhancements, playing the family memory game, collaborative Smart Matching, and the December post on new releases.
We hope you enjoy the video and share it with your friends and family!
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