For many families, Christmas Day is not the only celebration of the season. For example, in my family for as long as I can remember, Christmas Eve is a big deal for my dad’s side of the family. All of the aunts, uncles, and cousins gather in one place (my aunt’s house) for an evening of Chinese food, delectable desserts, general rowdiness, and plenty of gift giving and getting including a Yankee Swap. I consider it to be a can’t – miss event, and last year was the first time that we did not make it to Massachusetts for … Continue reading →

People started sending Christmas cards to family and friends in 1843. This is a tradition that we still do today, and not all that much has changed about the content of a typical Christmas card. The newest innovation with Christmas cards comes in the form of eCards. Sending a Christmas card to a relative through email is a good way to keep in touch. There are two basic styles of Christmas eCards. One is the type that feels somewhat traditional. These are the ones that show nativity scenes, and images of snowmen and Santa Claus. The other style is absolutely … Continue reading →

The Ancestry.com Facebook page is filled with plenty of interesting things for genealogists to check out. They have a customizable holiday card that you can create and then send a digital copy of to your family. It has a vintage, retro, look to it, which contrasts nicely with the modern concept of an eCard. Earlier this week, there was an uproar on the Ancestry.com Facebook page. The popular genealogy website sent out email to its thousands of members that informed them about a contest that involved the “Warhorse” movie, and a trip to London. The problem was that when people … Continue reading →

It is getting towards the end of holiday shopping season, and despite your best efforts, you can not seem to find any good gift ideas for some of the people on your list. Before you give up, why not think about whether there are some special family photographs that each of those people would like to receive as gifts this year. Perhaps one of your relatives just had a baby. Chances are that he or she has been very busy taking care of the new bundle of joy and may not have had a chance to print out any of … Continue reading →