Family history: Before it’s too late!
Today I read a moving article in The Guardian - “Top five regrets of the dying." It made me wonder about my own life. The first thing that came to mind was my family history project.
The article is based on Australian nurse Bronnie Ware, who spent several years working in hospice care with patients in the last few months of their lives. She included the patients' comments in a blog, Inspiration and Chai and authored a book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying.
Among the common regrets:
- I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected.
- I wish I had not worked so hard. Continue reading "Family history: Before it’s too late!" »
Valentine’s Day: Share your love stories
Valentine's Day is 14 days away and millions of couples around the world prepare for the most romantic day in the year.
People also recall how it was celebrated generations ago. They may remember incredible and moving love stories of their own or of their ancestors.
We have all heard the love stories of our grandparents, great-grandparents or other ancestors. These may include a love that was separated or difficult due to distance, historical events, family disagreements or other reasons.
Even though times were much harder, somehow those impossible loves won out, the couple married and their love story lasted until contemporary times.
When I was younger, it was quite an opportunity to listen to some cringe-worthy love stories from my parents. The experience was more of a learning opportunity (as in a whistle-stop tour of how not to let a lady know about your affections).
Continue reading "Valentine’s Day: Share your love stories" »
Poll: Have you discovered an ancestral home?
Census records are a fantastic tool.
However, the details in the records leave much to the imagination. That is - of course - until you investigate the address listed on the census entry.
It's the part of the puzzle that brings context to the lives of our ancestors. The type of house, the bedroom-to-inhabitant ratio, the local area and surrounding industry - these are all fascinating elements that help us visualise our ancestors' lives.
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit a not-too-distant home that was shared among a few generations on my maternal side. Lavish, it wasn't; however, the insight into their lifestyle was a humbling experience.
Let us know in the poll below if you've visited any ancestral homes. Alternatively, please leave a comment below.
Continue reading "Poll: Have you discovered an ancestral home?" »
Family destiny or coincidence?
Is it coincidence or are some families destined to have similar unlucky events happen to them across generations?
Earlier this week a cruise ship, the Costa Concordia, ran aground and sank off the coast of Italy.
While a tragic event for all involved, reports have started coming in about one passenger, Valentina Capuano, and the bad luck she now shares with an ancestor.
In a strange twist of fate, Capuano’s grandmother was a passenger on The Titanic, which hit an iceberg 100 years ago on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York.
Continue reading "Family destiny or coincidence?" »
What’s your best piece of genealogy advice?
Have a think about your best genealogy advice...
We all remember our first forays into the world of family research.
"Where do I look?", "How do I physically record the information?" and "What on earth is a GEDCOM file?" are just a few of the many questions that went through my mind when starting out.
Now, if somebody who had "been there and done that" could have provided some advice about the importance of citing sources or, indeed, the art of deciphering census handwriting, my research would have been significantly more efficient!
Over the next three days, we're going to be asking our learned community to share advice for budding or even experienced genealogists. Continue reading "What’s your best piece of genealogy advice?" »
Lucky Foods: Good fortune for the family
Here at MyHeritage HQ, we’ve always been big fans of the way that food brings families together.
We’ve written about it once or twice on our blog. And every family site on MyHeritage.com also includes a recipe page so families can share their traditions. (CLICK HERE to learn how to access your recipe page)
However, we’ve never really looked into what families and cultures believe to be “lucky foods,” those that bring luck or fortune to those who eat them.
A few weeks ago, the ABC in the US published a great post showing some lucky foods consumed on New Year’s Day by various cultures around the world to make sure the year ahead is a good one.
The foods include Black-Eyed Peas in the American south, which either look like coins or “grow” when cooked like your fortune will (depending on which tradition you believe); Long Noodles, thought to bring long life in many Asian countries; and Cooked Greens, which resemble money and are thought to bring good fortune in Germany.
Continue reading "Lucky Foods: Good fortune for the family" »
Happy holidays competition: See the winners!
The rules were simple: Send us a short video incorporating the MyHeritage logo and letting us know where you are.
For more on the contest announcement, see the blog post here. Congratulations to our four winners for your great videos.
We received videos showing lots of happy MyHeritage multigenerational families - and even a family pet! The team thanks to everyone that participating, for their time and creativity. We enjoyed viewing your entries and hope you had fun making the videos.
View the other three winning entries below.
Continue reading "Happy holidays competition: See the winners!" »
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" »
Resolutions: Yes or No?
It’s almost New Year's Eve 2012. Do you know where your resolutions are?
Will it help us - as family historians and genealogists - if we make these lists?
The answer is yes, according to a Wake Forest University study, in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,by Assistant Professor E.J. Masicampo, who found that committing to a plan to accomplish a goal makes it more likely to be achieved, and allows you to think about other things.
Continue reading "Resolutions: Yes or No?" »
Genealogy News: North America, 27 December 2011
For the last-of-2011 edition of the North American Genealogy News, here are some interesting items.
Included are the US Securities Exchange Commission’s definition of a family member (who would have thought the SEC was interested in family history?), the 2011 list of the 100 most popular boys’ and girls’ names, a Canadian “living” village, changes to the Social Security Death Index and more.
Defining the family
For those who think that governments are not interested in genealogy, note that the US Securities Exchange Commission has now defined family members, in connection with a new rule requiring hedge funds to register with the SEC if they manage other people’s money.
Read the definition here:
Continue reading "Genealogy News: North America, 27 December 2011" »
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