Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, family gatherings, and reflecting on the past. As genealogists—whether seasoned researchers or just beginning our journey—we have a unique opportunity to use this holiday to honor our ancestors and express gratitude for the lives they led. Their struggles, sacrifices, and triumphs shaped who we are today.
This Thanksgiving, take a moment to connect with your heritage, preserve family traditions, and deepen your family history research. In this post, we’ll explore ways to incorporate genealogy into your Thanksgiving celebration, including storytelling, preserving family recipes, creating family history crafts, and engaging relatives in discovering shared ancestry.
1. Reflecting on Gratitude for Our Ancestors
Thanksgiving is the perfect occasion to pause and appreciate those who came before us. Our ancestors built families, overcame hardships, and paved the way for future generations. Whether they immigrated to a new country, served in the military, or worked tirelessly to provide for their children, their stories deserve to be remembered.
Ways to Express Gratitude for Your Ancestors:
✅ Share family stories at the dinner table – Reflect on the journeys and experiences of past generations.
✅ Honor a specific ancestor – Take time to research and share details about one notable family member.
✅ Write a letter of gratitude – Address it to an ancestor, thanking them for their contributions.
✅ Visit an ancestral gravesite – Bring flowers, clean the marker, and spend time in remembrance.
✅ Donate to a heritage organization – Support genealogy groups that help preserve historical records.
👉 Tip: Ask family members to name an ancestor they are thankful for and share why.
2. Telling Family Stories at Thanksgiving Dinner
Storytelling is one of the most meaningful ways to keep family history alive. Thanksgiving gatherings bring relatives together, making it the perfect time to swap memories, share research discoveries, and collect new information.
Ideas for Thanksgiving Storytelling:
📜 Create a “Who’s That Ancestor?” game – Display old family photos and ask guests to guess who they are.
🗣️ Record elder relatives’ memories – Use your phone or a recorder to capture their voices.
📖 Pass around an heirloom – If your family has a special artifact (a quilt, a Bible, a pocket watch), tell the story behind it.
🧩 Build a family timeline together – Use a whiteboard or poster to map out generations.
📌 Tools for Preserving Oral Histories:
- StoryCorps App (www.storycorps.org) – Record family members’ voices and preserve them for future generations.
- FamilySearch Memories (http://www.familysearch.org/memories) – Store audio files, photos, and written stories.
- The Library of Congress Veterans History Project (http://www.loc.gov/vets) – If you have a veteran in the family, consider submitting their story.
👉 Tip: Use storytelling prompts like, “What is your favorite childhood Thanksgiving memory?” or “What was Thanksgiving like when you were growing up?”
3. Cooking & Preserving Family Recipes
Food is a powerful connection to our past. Many of the dishes we enjoy at Thanksgiving may have been passed down for generations. Preserving and sharing these recipes ensures that our ancestors’ culinary traditions live on.
Ways to Honor Ancestors Through Food:
🥧 Make a dish from an old family recipe – Ask older relatives about their parents’ or grandparents’ cooking traditions.
📖 Create a family cookbook – Gather favorite recipes and write down their origins.
📸 Digitize handwritten recipe cards – Scan them and share copies with family.
🎥 Record a cooking session – Film a relative making a special dish and capture their technique.
📌 Resources for Preserving Family Recipes:
- Feeding America: Historic American Cookbooks (http://www.digital.lib.msu.edu) – Explore vintage recipes.
- The Family Cookbook Project (www.familycookbookproject.com) – Create a printed or digital cookbook.
- Ancestry’s Heritage Recipe Collection (www.ancestry.com) – Discover historical family recipes.
👉 Tip: If your family has lost traditional recipes, research historical dishes from your ancestral homeland and try making one for Thanksgiving!
4. Creating a Thanksgiving Family History Craft
Involving kids and relatives in a hands-on genealogy project can make family history fun and engaging.
Craft Ideas for Thanksgiving:
🌳 Family Tree Table Runner – Use craft paper to make a family tree that runs across the dining table. Each guest can write their name and an ancestor’s name on a leaf.
🖼️ Ancestor Photo Wall – Frame old photos and create a display in the dining room.
🍁 Thankful for Our Ancestors Cards – Have guests write down a reason they’re thankful for a specific ancestor.
📜 Time Capsule for Future Generations – Place letters, photos, and family memories into a box to be opened at a future Thanksgiving.
📌 Resources for DIY Genealogy Crafts:
- Canva (www.canva.com) – Create digital family tree designs.
- Heritage Makers (www.heritagemakers.com) – Print family history books and gifts.
- Etsy (www.etsy.com) – Find printable genealogy-themed crafts.
👉 Tip: Incorporate ancestral symbols, family crests, or national flags into your crafts.
5. Using DNA & Genealogy Research to Connect with Family
Thanksgiving is a great time to share DNA test results, explore ethnic roots, and discuss family heritage.
Ideas for Using DNA in Family History Research:
🧬 Share DNA test results – Discuss ethnic backgrounds and migration patterns.
🌍 Research holiday traditions from ancestral countries – Try incorporating a British, Irish, German, or Italian Thanksgiving dish.
🔍 Look for new DNA matches – The holidays often inspire more people to take DNA tests.
📌 Best DNA Testing Companies for Genealogy:
- AncestryDNA (http://www.ancestry.com/dna) – Best for ethnicity estimates and cousin matching.
- 23andMe (www.23andme.com) – Includes health and ancestry insights.
- MyHeritage DNA (http://www.myheritage.com/dna) – Strong European database.
- FamilyTreeDNA (www.familytreedna.com) – Ideal for Y-DNA and mtDNA testing.
👉 Tip: If relatives are interested in DNA testing, consider gifting a test kit as a holiday present!
Final Thoughts: Make Thanksgiving a Time for Family History
Thanksgiving is more than just a meal—it’s a time to reflect on the people who came before us and the traditions they passed down. Whether through storytelling, cooking, crafting, or genealogy research, there are countless ways to honor and celebrate your ancestors.
Ways to Get Started This Thanksgiving:
✅ Ask family members to share a memory of an ancestor.
✅ Preserve a family recipe and its story.
✅ Start a genealogy craft with younger relatives.
✅ Record an oral history interview with an elder.
✅ Look up an ancestor’s immigration or military records.
How does your family honor its history at Thanksgiving? Share your traditions and family discoveries in the comments!
Additional Genealogy & Thanksgiving Resources:
📜 Genealogy Research: FamilySearch | Ancestry
🍂 Thanksgiving History & Traditions: History.com
🖼️ Family Memory Preservation: StoryCorps | Canva
Make this Thanksgiving one to remember—celebrate your family’s past, present, and future!
Jackie's Genealogy 
Leave a comment