TV is such a great distraction it’s the thing that we all want to do when we get home from a busy day at work, with your feet up on the couch and immersing on your favorite movie, TV series or even the news. It ’s such a good feeling when you can do this without having to think about what is going to keep you warm specially if it’s a snowy or rainy day. You might add a thin blanket to cozy you up but we both know that who really is responsible for your warmness and your comfort is your home is that wonderful heater. Add a couple of pillows to minimize your back pain and your set.

What would it be like if you lived like your ancestors just one hundred years ago? When things like gas, electricity or gas furnaces did not exist and all they had was lamps and if you were lucky enough a fireplace where you had to stay up all night to keep throwing wood in there?

Really let’s take a minute and really be thankful to the people in our past that spent their intelligence and effort to make our lives better. We cannot take things for granted and for any type of invention and advancement in technology that is for the good and comfort of people we should be deeply grateful for.

In recent history, the terms “Family Crest” and “Coat of Arms” have been used synonymously. Historically the two terms had different designations. To learn the distinction, one must go back to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. A coat of arms was used on the battle shields of family armies in order to tell friends from enemies. A crest, like a bird’s crest, was fastened upon a knight’s helmet, thus providing an immediate, visible symbol in battle. Over peaceful times, the crest became a small but important part of the coat of arms depiction itself, represented as feathers or other small icon on top of the shield.

Keeping record of the various find family crests, known as heraldry, was a highly developed discipline regulated by professional officers of arms. Heraldry, an almost 900-year-old occupation, still uses the technical description of a coat of arms to verify ancestry. An understanding of the Rules of Heraldry is essential to pinpoint family origins. While the rules and terminologies may differ from country to country most characteristics carry over internationally.

When recognizing a family crest, the rules list several points of identification. These include: shape classification depending upon the country of origin, examination of color designation (only seven colors are recognized), use of metals or furs on the crest, the color patterns, the shield division and binding, any object or emblem placement, the identification of family inheritance or relations, the helmet and its crest, the family motto, and any human or animal figures supporting the coat of arms. Each point has a more detailed subcategory to further pinpoint family origin.

Heraldry is a form of art and a science. Developed from the practical need to identify coats of arms during battle, heraldry now traces family genealogies and can be used to validate claims of ancestry.