Ancestor veneration is sometimes called ancestor worship though that's a confusing term. Ancestor veneration does not mean your ancestors are gods. It means respecting and acknowledging the presence of your ancestors in your life.
Your ancestors are your deceased family, from the most recently deceased generation (grandparents or great-grandparents) through all the generations of your family that have ever lived.
In my role of family historian I have gathered a copy of every photo of my ancestors I can get, researched their names and birth dates, death dates, marriages, children, triumphs and disasters, and other important events in their lives. I have collected every known and half-known fact about their personal lives. I have looked at how their personal choices, such as who to marry or whether to emigrate, and the unavoidable circumstances of their lives, such as war or natural disaster, have affected them personally, their children and the generations right down to me.
Being the family historian has been my way of venerating my ancestors. Having all those photos and records and all that knowledge of my ancestors makes me and my whole family feel closer to them.
Since Samhain 2008, when I learnt the meaning of ancestor veneration, I have included my ancestors in my religious celebrations. I do this by asking them for advice, reciting all their names that I know, and thanking them for being there.
