HAPPY GRANDPARENTS’ DAY 2022: Grandparents’ Day is celebrated by numerous countries on different days throughout the year. In the US, the day is marked as the first Sunday after Labor Day, which is celebrated on the first Monday of September. This year Grandparents’ Day will be celebrated on September 11. The day honours and celebrates the bond between grandparents and grandchildren.
The festival in similar form is also celebrated in countries like Australia, France, Hong Kong, Japan, Philippines, Poland and others on different dates during the year. These celebrations are marked in unique ways but the core function of the day is to respect and cherish the loving bond between grandparents and grandchildren.
Grandparents’ Day: History
While the idea for the celebration of the relationship between grandparents and children has been discussed since the late 1960s, it was only in 1978 that President Jimmy Carter signed the declaration marking the first Sunday after Labor Day as Grandparents’ Day. The first National Grandparents’ Day in the US was celebrated on 10th September 1978.
Early campaigning for the day was done by Marian McQuade, a native resident of the state of West Virginia, US. McQuade had wanted the day to be observed so that the lonely elderly members of the community could have a day of celebration. Many elderly residents had been living alone in nursing houses and elderly residences at the time, as they continue to do so today.
Grandparents’ Day: Significance
People in the US take this day as an opportunity to thank their grandparents for their constant love, support, and care. The day recognizes the contribution and role of grandparents in the lives of their grandchildren. Additionally, it serves as a day that can help create awareness about the loneliness and social isolation that senior citizens face across the world.
Grandparents’ Day: Celebrations
The day is usually celebrated by families with grandchildren taking the time to be with their grandparents. While the festival is also associated with the exchanging of gifts, many families give gifts that honour family traditions as well. Grandchildren on this day also take time to be involved in meaningful activities with their grandparents.
