1 . Genealogy (the study of family history) is a popular hobby in the US and around the world. Finding out about your close relatives as well as your ancestors can help you learn more about your cultural background.     1     Here’s how you can get started.

Make a family tree.

One fun way to begin is by making a family tree.     2     On a large piece of paper, write the names of the people in your immediate family (your parents and siblings) across the bottom. With help from a parent or other relative, fill in additional family members and draw lines to show how they connected, including grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins.     3    

Plan a family reunion.

    4     Consider asking a parent or grandparent if they could help you plan a family reunion. Discuss a convenient location for everyone, whether it’s at someone’s home, a hotel or restaurant, or a local park. If it’s not possible to have a reunion in person, you could plan a time for your relatives to join a video call. This could be a great opportunity to ask people to show photos, add to your family tree, or share their favorite traditions.

    5    

Last names, also called surnames, are one way families maybe linked across generations. When you look at your family tree, you may see a few common last names. These surnames can give you clues about your family’s history. Some last names are related to jobs people may have held (for example, the name Smith was originally used by blacksmiths), while others might be related to where a family lived. You can find out more about surnames on lots of websites.

3 . Have you heard of the BBC series Who Do You Think You Are? In one programme in the series, model Jodie Kidd learns that she is the great-granddaughter of the newspaper owner Lord Beaverbrook, who was a politician during both world wars. Jodie also discovers that her great-grandfather on her mother’s side of the family built ships during World War I and received letters from the King of England and Winston Churchill. And on the subject of kings, Olympic athlete Matthew Pinsent finds that he is related to Edward I, one of the most famous kings in British history.

Davina McCall, presenter of Big Brother, knows her mother’s side of the family is from France. She goes to Paris and finds out that her great-grandfather, Celestin Hennion, was famous throughout France as head of the French police. He once received a medal from King George V for organising security for the king’s trip to France in 1914.

However, Jerry Springer learns that his parents escaped from Nazi Germany three days before the start of World War II but other family members died in the war. And actress Kim Cattrall discovers that her grandfather, from Liverpool, the UK, left his family including three young daughters. He didn’t go far. Forty miles down the road in Manchester, he started another family.

Finally, Nigella Lawson, a famous cook whose father was a British politician, discovers that her grandfather was a thief from the Netherlands. After being sentenced to prison, he escaped to England, which is how the Lawsons ended up in London.