Church Record Sunday – Where did your ancestors go?
My family celebrates the Christmas Season by getting together on Christmas day, sharing a meal, playing cards and just spending time together. New Years Day is a time for gathering around the television and watching football. Whatever holiday your family celebrates provides a chance to hear stories about your ancestors.
This is another post in a series to help get you thinking about some questions to ask your older relatives at the holiday gathering. Before the family get together this holiday season do some homework and prepare some questions to ask your older relatives. Check out our new category of blog posts called “Genealogy Interview Questions”.
This week focuses on preparing questions for learning about your ancestors religious life. Ask your mom, dad, grandparents or older relatives and friends to learn more about your ancestors religious life.
- Where did you go to church when you were younger?
- Did your parents and grandparents always attend the same church? If not, where did they go?
- How often did you and your parents go to church?
- What were some of the religious traditions that you practiced at home?
- How did your family celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or other religious event?
- Did you or your family participate in any religious plays at the church? If so, what was it like?
- Do you have any religious items which were passed down to you? If so, what are they? (Take a photo if you can)
- What traditions were practiced when someone was getting baptized or married?
Use these questions or prepare some of your own and you’ll be sure to hear some interesting stories. If you have any additional questions on the day’s topic be sure to reply to this post to let other readers know.
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You may be able to learn about holiday traditions happening in the community when and where your ancestors were. Read historic newspapers.
