Testing your DNA is one of the most important ways you can contribute to our family history. DNA testing reveals hitherto unknown branches of cousins. It also allows us to construct family trees stretching centuries or even millennia back in time, much farther back than paper records are available. Without DNA testing, we cannot know the deep history of our family.
As we near the holiday season, the major DNA testing companies are offering some great November discounts on their at-home testing kits. We put this list in order of most valuable tests first (in other words, if you can afford it, please consider doing the tests higher up on this list):
- FamilyTreeDNA – discounts only last until November 19, 2023
- Big-Y 700 test is $50 off, for a total price of $399 (usually $449) – this test is only for males who have the Schmidt surname, and it is the most valuable in tracing the deep history of our Schmidt family
- NOTE: If you decide to take this test, please take advantage of our instructions page
- Y-37 test is $20 off, for a total price of $99 (usually $119) – this test is also only for males who have the Schmidt surname; if you take the Y-37 test now, you can always upgrade to the Big-Y 700 test later when your budget permits
- NOTE: If you decide to take this test, please take advantage of our instructions page
- Big-Y 700 test is $50 off, for a total price of $399 (usually $449) – this test is only for males who have the Schmidt surname, and it is the most valuable in tracing the deep history of our Schmidt family
- AncestryDNA – discounts only last until November 22, 2023
- Regular DNA test is $40 off, for a total price of $59 (usually $99) – this test can be taken by anyone, male or female, and can connect you with relatives as distant as fourth or fifth cousins
- 23andMe – discounts only last until November 22, 2023
- Regular DNA test is $20 off, for a total price of $99 (usually $119) – this test can be taken by anyone, male or female, and can connect you with relatives as distant as fourth or fifth cousins
If you are looking for an excuse to splurge, these tests make great holiday gifts. The genetic information is a gift not just for the individual tester, but for the tester’s whole family, as well as descendants hundreds of years from now who will benefit from this information!