“Family History is Cool, Pass it on” is the theme for this year’s Family History Month in New Zealand, and I think it is a great theme. I’ve been in the genealogy industry long enough to remember when family history was something that was shunned at by society – but now everyone knows someone who is doing it in their family, and it has become COOL! But as genealogists we knew that anyway … we do just need to help educate everyone else! And that is what Family History Month is about.

It is held right through August 2012, with events on at various locations around New Zealand, and it is aimed to promote family history to a wider audience. The idea is to encourage people to pass on their family history, stories, photos etc., as well as giving advice on reserarching along the way.

Organised by the New Zealand Society of Genealogists, you can find activities listed on the Family History Month page.

So come on, go ahead, and do your bit to “pass it on”, and encourage someone to either start researching their family history, or even just to write down their own memoirs. It all helps.