Every winter, the holiday DNA sales result in a slight bubble of matches trailing through the months of January and February, due to the weeks-long processing time at the labs for new DNA tests. I always look for those results to arrive, since by the end of the year, the one or two—maybe five, if I'm lucky—matches that had dribbled in before that point for each of my biweekly counts seemed rather lackluster. January brings the first results of a fresh collection of family history experimenters eager to discover more about their roots through genetic genealogy.
For my biweekly count in the first half of January, I actually received thirteen new matches—a big jump in possibilities for me. The second half of the month brought another eleven. Even December's earliest holiday sales matches (perhaps a jump on the action with a Thanksgiving gift?) provided enough new material that when I checked on the results last night, I discovered I was farther behind than usual in doing my due diligence on that aspect of incoming data. It was high time to get to work.
First step was to filter my DNA matches by checking the box labeled "New." Then, I scrolled through the list, looking for two details: size of the shared genetic material, measured in centiMorgans, and whether there were any familiar surnames in the list.
Almost right away this time, I spotted a familiar surname, did a little research and plugged that new match into my extended tree. Mind you, this "bushy" family tree, full of descendants of collateral lines, was built exactly for this purpose, and it has been a project I've been working on since first DNA testing family members in 2013.
Every two weeks, I track my progress on building out the family trees used for this DNA purpose. For instance, in the past two weeks, I've added 173 documented individuals to my mother's line, bringing the total count on my tree to 39,134 relatives. While I haven't worked much on my in-laws' tree lately, I did add twenty eight names there in the past two weeks, thanks to work on DNA matches. That tree now has 37,367 people. So with those data sets, it becomes easier to spot the right place to plug in a new DNA match.
Along with that work, I try to make a connection with the DNA match personally, either by sending a message or, in cases of closer relationships, connecting in more personal ways. I've gained a few more friends on social media, a couple via direct email exchanges, and a few more by actually connecting in person.
It won't be long and the holiday sales bubble will shrink back down to the typical one to two DNA matches I receive every two weeks. A rate that glacial doesn't yield exciting surprises or incredible research breakthroughs, but even a little increase can add up.
Considering what I've been finding in the last month, though, I can't help but say that I can't wait until Christmas again to see what the next holiday sale might bring.
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