December 2012 Editor’s Note

The holiday season is kind of ironic—and no, I don’t mean the pair of size eleventy-billion, Velveeta-yellow pajamas that Aunt Betty insists on giving you and all your 5-foot-2-inch relatives every single year. (Where does she even find those things?)

 

Rather, it’s the time of year when we typically see the most of our extended families—yet it feels like there’s less time than ever for genealogy.

 

If the hustle and bustle of turkey roasting, football watching and holiday-deal chasing has interrupted your family tree research, don’t fret. You’ll find plenty of ideas in these pages to imbue your season with family history.

 

Maybe you need an activity to occupy you while you wait in line for the Black Friday deals. Whip out your tablet or smartphone and surf some of the 75 Best State Websites of 2012.

 

Have you been considering giving genetic genealogy a try? Holiday gatherings are an ideal time to invite relatives to participate in a DNA test (or gather samples). Flip to page 42 to get advice from a fellow first-timer on what to do, what to expect and how to get the most for your money.

 

And don’t forget pack a few copies of Family Tree Magazine to peruse during that flight (or car ride) to Aunt Betty’s.

 

In particular, be sure to read “What Good Old Days?”. Then you can regale your relatives with fascinating trivia about holidays of yore from our new humor book Good Old Days, My Ass—which makes an excellent gift, by the way, especially for family wisecrackers.

 

Hint: Take advantage of the coupon code on page 41 of the print magazine to save an extra 15 percent on this or any of our books, CDs, videos and other genealogy goodies at shopfamilytree.com. Heck, you might want to clip out that page to drop Aunt Betty a hint about what you’d really like under the tree this year—instead of those cheesy pajamas

 

Allison’s top three tips from this issue

 

1. Having a clear research purpose in mind will help you select the genealogy DNA test that’s right for you.

 

2. Donate a copy of your family history book to a genealogical library or society so others can benefit from your finds.

 

3. Use archival portals to locate unpublished letters, diaries and other manuscripts that may hold clues to your ancestry.

 

From the December 2012 issue of Family Tree Magazine