Watch the celebrities research their family history on Who Do You Think You Are, Thursdays at 8pm and learn how to trace your ancestors - we show you how in simple steps. You can start today! 

Have you been thinking about tracing your ancestors and doing your family tree?

Now's the perfect time to begin, as TV's favourite genealogy show, Who Do You Think You Are, returns for a new series. We can't wait to hear the celebs' family history tales; and it's not just celebrities who have fascinating family stories to explore. Once you start looking into your family's past you'll soon realise your own family history is even more intriguing.

GET INVOLVED! Every Thursday after the show (9-10pm) we'll be on hand, live on Facebook, to help you with your family history. So, if you have a query, just post your question on our wall, so we can share the tips with everyone.

Family Tree is Britain's oldest family history magazine and we've been helping people trace their ancestors since 1984. Now in our fourth decade, we're more passionate about family history than ever... and have a wealth of advice to help you on your genealogy journey.

We know you're going to love it!
But the all-important question is - where do you start? 

NEED A HAND TO GET STARTED?

Our website's packed with free guides and printouts to help you from your very first steps of tracing your ancestors' lives. We'll show you how to get to grips with the key records and learn ways to unearth clues to build your family tree. And the perfect place to start is with yourself...

THREE EASY STEPS TO BEGIN YOUR FAMILY TREE

1. Write down your name and birth date and then your parents' birth and marriage dates - if you know names and dates for your grandparents, even better, jot those down too. You're now on the road to creating your family tree.

2. Once you've written down everything you know, it's time to chat to your relatives to ask if they know more or have any records (birthday books, newspaper clippings etc).

3. Your next step is to start exploring online. Have a look at our free guides, which include how-tos and free websites to explore.

HOW TO DO YOUR FAMILY TREE

• With our Christmas issue, in the shops now, we have a beautiful family tree chart - a free gift for every reader - for you to start to fill in.
• You can fill in your name, birthdate and place of birth and do the same for your parents and grandparents, etc. Once your research gets going, there's enough space to take your family tree back to your great-great-great-grandparents!
• Use abbreviations such as b for date of birth, m for marriage date, etc. 

So, don't miss this great family tree gift in the shops from now until 20 December. If you're meeting up with family over Christmas, take the opportunity to chat to relatives about the family's past, see if they have any old photos, and listen to those favourite family anecdotes - you never know, there may be a family history clue lurking in there! 

JOIN THE CONVERSATION - FREE FAMILY HISTORY HELP ONLINE

We'd love to hear how you're getting on. There are lots of ways you can get in touch: Facebook, Twitter, or sign up to our free e-newsletter.  

Plus, every Thursday after the show (9-10pm) we'll be on hand, live on Facebook, to help you with your family history. So, if you have a query, just post your question on our wall, so we can share the tips with everyone. We can't wait to get started and hear from you about your family history discoveries!