“Names are an important clue to what a society values. Anthropologists acknowledge that naming is ‘one of the main methods of imposing order on perception.'” ~ David S. Slawson

I hope you all 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 naming, from “Unique Names Day” to “Middle Name Pride Day.” I don’t know about you, but I was more excited about 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 research as well as appreciate our genealogy and family heritage. Once upon a time, the ancestral roots were, in most cases, safeguarded by the “old maid” of the family or other members considered a bit eccentric. While some of these embedded genealogists traced family tree history for posterity, others may have been motivated by a desire to gain status through association with their ancestors and more successful ancestors; the same is true today.

Genealogists may consider family genealogy just a hobby that has been given its own holiday, but ancestry tracing is a 365-day-a-year industry that continues to attract a significant number of people passionate about solving family puzzles. who spawned whom, including the what, when, where, how and possibly why of everything. 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 ancestor searches as a critical part of their faith journey. Other ancestor-finding buffs seek to trace their ancestry as a prerequisite for membership in one of the 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 the story. Additionally, the recent focus on inherited diseases and genetic predispositions has stimulated more people to consider genetic genealogy (namelyDNA testing) through professional genealogy services.

While we are surely more than what we inherit, we ourselves add something to the mix by celebrating National Genealogy Day, which promises to deliver tidbits of personal information and some family genealogy surprises in prime time. As you find your ancestors, you may discover you have a closet rogue or royal, a sinner or a saint. That’s part of the “good stuff” about ancestor searches, because eccentric ancestors spark entertaining conversations at parties and around the Thanksgiving table.

If you are lucky enough to have your parents, aunts and uncles, or grandparents still living, consider celebrating National Genealogy Day by asking them to share their family genealogy stories and family history to help you in your effort to find your ancestors.

Some websites to help you start 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 History” at mediacollege.com

Here are some other ideas to celebrate National Genealogy Day:

• Family stories are further fueled by making the dish Grandma (or another family favorite 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. Headstones include the date of birth and death, a maiden name and the name of the spouse or parents, and sometimes a priceless jewel upon those left behind.
• Public libraries often celebrate National Genealogy Day. Go and 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 productively continue on your genealogical journey to trace family history, even beyond personal memories and published genealogies. Genealogy Services has professional genealogy researchers available to help you unravel those hard-to-crack family-search genealogy mysteries.

At its core, National Genealogy Day is about digging deeper into family genealogy, allowing genealogists to discover where their ancestors lived, what lives they led, as well as the joy, pain and brokenness, healing and grace that 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.