Observed annually on the second Saturday in March, National Genealogy Day is a day that is dedicated to this field of study. Genealogy is the study of family history and dedicates itself to the tracing of family lineages. This is done through historical records, newspaper articles, oral interviews, and sometimes, genetic analysis.

It’s something that’s been done for thousands of years, but it’s only recently that it has earned its own holiday.  A holiday that encourages people to trace their own family lineages to learn more about their families, and ultimately, themselves.

The History Of National Genealogy Day

National Genealogy Day was first created in 2013 by the Christ Church in Limerick, Ireland. They created the holiday to celebrate the church’s 200th anniversary and to allow members of the church to trace their family histories through church records. It’s been observed every year ever since, not only in Limerick but also by people around the world who are interested in their family’s histories.

Some Fun Facts About Genealogy

Okay, now that we learned about National Genealogy Day, let’s turn our attention to some of the facts that we learned about genealogy. We uncovered the following points of information while doing our own research and decided to share it with everyone else who is interested in this holiday.

• Surnames weren’t used on a widespread basis until the 11th century in Europe.
• Surnames are usually based on occupation, place name, names based on appearance, of based upon the father’s name.
• Headstones have historically used symbols that have a specific meaning. For example, a rosebud is used for children under 12 who have died.
• Other headstone symbols include a full bloom rose which means a person died in the 20s or a joined rosebuds which means a mother and her child died during childbirth.
• Even full siblings can have differing amounts of certain ethnicities. This is because certain genes may be shared by siblings and some may not.
• Ellis Island didn’t change the names of immigrants. If names were changed, they were often done by the immigrants themselves.

Observing National Genealogy Day

This is the perfect day for people to trace their roots. They can start by talking to their parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and anyone else in the family who can provide clues that they can then pursue.

They can also search through family albums as well. Once all of that is done, they can then begin their search on genealogical sites and through church and public records. To spread the word about this holiday, the hashtag #NationalGenealogyDay can be used on social media.