52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Luck of the Irish



52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Luck of the Irish.  Find more genealogy blogs at FamilyTree.com.Need some inspiration for your genealogy or family history blog? You might find it at “No Story Too Small”. They are in the midst of a list of helpful prompts for genealogy bloggers. Every week, there is a new theme for you to try. Pick a different ancestor for each theme, and you will end up covering 52 ancestors this year.

The themes for March have been released. One of them is “Luck of the Irish”. It is intended to be written about during the week of March 12 – 18. However, the rules are flexible. If you don’t happen to like a particular theme, you can substitute your own.

The other really great thing about the themes that “No Story Too Small” has come up with is that they can be used in a variety of ways. Use your creativity and craft the “Luck of the Irish” topic to fit into your blog or your family history.

One obvious choice is to focus on the word “Luck”. Did you have an ancestor who won the lottery? Is there a family story about an ancestor who just happened to be in the right place at the right time? If you wanted to stretch the theme a little, you could write about a beloved family pet who was given the name “Lucky”. There must be a story behind a name like that!

Often, what looks like luck at first glance is really the result of a whole lot of effort. Pick a relative who had a successful business and write about the work they did. Maybe they got lucky with the location or due to circumstances beyond their control. How did they turn that luck into success?

Sometimes, a person is declared to be “lucky” simply for having survived an event that could have killed them. Did you have an ancestor who survived a flood, tornado, childhood illness or automobile accident? How did that experience change that person’s life? Would they describe their survival as due to luck, or to something else?

Genealogists who have Irish heritage could focus on an ancestor who immigrated from Ireland to the United States. How old was that ancestor at the time? Which family members traveled with them? You might have some luck searching through online passenger lists. One might have your ancestor’s name on it.

The “Luck of the Irish” week could be an opportunity to share family recipes that came from Irish relatives. What foods did that person like to cook? Do you have an exact recipe, or was it passed along by word of mouth? Write about the ancestor that taught you about Irish food. Or, start with a discussion or recipe for a specific Irish food, and then write about the ancestor it reminds you of.

Image by John on Flickr.

Related Blogs at FamilyTree.com:

* 52 Weeks of Ancestors

* 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Love

* Irish vs American-English Words/Phrases

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