How genealogy can bring your family closer

2-3 minute read

By The Findmypast Team | March 26, 2024

Not only is family history rewarding, it's collaborative, meaning everyone can pitch in and help to uncover the forgotten stories of your ancestors.

In this smartphone-swiping age of constant distraction, it's easy to take time spent with your family for granted. Whether you'd like to connect with your kids or a grandparent, sharing a fulfilling pastime is one of the most effective ways to strengthen familial relationships.

Genealogy isn't just a hobby - it's a vocation, through which we can connect with our ancestors and strengthen our existing family bonds.

Start your family tree

Your online family tree connects your past and present, helping you visualise and understand who and where you’ve come from, unlocking amazing stories along the way. As your tree grows, our clever hints do the hard work for you, unearthing clues to your past from our vast collection of trees, newspapers and records. You’ll soon have a flourishing family tree full of new ancestors and amazing discoveries.

With billions of records at their fingertips, you never know what your friends and family may discover.

Holidays are a perfect opportunity

For many families, Christmas, Easter or weddings are some of the only times of the year when everyone's in the same place. And as we all know, things can change a lot in a year. People pass away, move, or even fall out of touch.

While we hope that your family stays connected year to year, there's no time like the present to connect with your loved ones by preserving your family history.

Though we think of our family in immediate, present terms, family is also a thread that connects people through time. Your family is more than just those that you're around on special occasions. Past generations have contributed to who you are today, and that chain will continue indefinitely into the future.

Many families today struggle to find their identity because they just don't know where they came from. If you don't know where you came from, it's hard to figure out why you are where you are, and it's impossible to determine where you're going.

Sometimes it can be a struggle to find something in common with your relatives, but family history is one shared talking point that can open up that reserved uncle or a quiet aunt.

Get the conversations started

If you're a seasoned family history researcher, what better time than Christmas to show off your handy work to the people who matter most? And if you're new and are looking to get started, you absolutely must take advantage of so many relatives being together, all at once.

Prepare: 30 questions to ask your family

Not only will you impress family members, you'll kick-start conversations and stories that teach you tons about your own past. You'll come away with more information to build off of, and a better idea of who you really are.

Even if you've never looked into your family history before, come to your gatherings with something to show off. Your family will be touched that you made the effort and the stories it prompts them to share will help you keep your research going.

Use our getting started hub to introduce yourself to the fascinating world of family history and to help you take your first steps on your journey of discoveries. From building your tree to exploring British censuses, our in-house team of genealogy experts has compiled all the tips and tricks you need to get started.