Grandparents' Day | |
---|---|
Observed by | Various countries |
Type | International |
Date | Various |
Frequency | annual |
Grandparents' Day or National Grandparents' Day is a secular holiday celebrated in various countries; it is celebrated to show the bond between grandparents and grandchildren. It occurs on various days of the year, either as one holiday or sometimes as a separate Grandmother's Day and Grandfather's Day. It was celebrated for the first time in Poland in 1965. [1]
In at least some states of Australia, Grandparents' Day is celebrated annually, on the last Sunday in October. [2]
In Bangladesh, the National Grandparents Day is celebrated on 9 September to honor and express gratitude towards their constant love, care, and support.
In Brazil, Grandparents' Day (Portuguese: Dia dos avós) is celebrated on July 26.
National Grandparents' Day (French : Journée Nationale des Grands-parents) began in Canada in 1995. Motion number 273 submitted in the House of Commons by Sarkis Assadourian in 1995 read:
That, in the opinion of this House, the government should consider designating the second Sunday in September of each year as Grandparents' Day in order to acknowledge their importance to the structure of the family in the nurturing, upbringing and education of children. [3]
In Estonia, Grandparents' Day (Vanavanemate päev) is celebrated on the second Sunday in September. [4]
In France, Grandmothers' Day (La fête des grands-mères) was launched in 1987 by a brand of coffee (Café Grand'Mère), part of the Kraft Jacobs Suchard Group. The date is now included in French calendars and is celebrated on the first Sunday in March. [5]
In Germany, Grandmothers' Day was established in 2010 and is celebrated on the second Sunday in October.[ citation needed ]
In 2021, Pope Francis declared World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, to take place annually on the fourth Sunday of July, neighboring the memorial of Sts. Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus. [6]
The Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life promotes two ways for Catholics to celebrate. The first is by celebrating Mass for the grandparents and the elderly. The second is to visit those who are alone. A plenary indulgence is granted for those who participate in either of these activities. [7]
Junior Chamber International Victoria [8] introduced the first Grandparents' Day in Hong Kong in 1990. It is celebrated on the second Sunday in October.
In Italy, Grandparents' Day (officially Festa Nazionale dei Nonni, "National Grandparents' Feast") was established in 2005 and is celebrated on October 2, [9] Guardian Angels' Day in the Roman Catholic Church.
In Japan, Respect for the Aged Day (敬老の日, Keiro-no-hi) was established as National Holiday in 1966, [10] is one of the national holidays of Japan and is celebrated on the third Monday of September.
The Republic of Malta celebrates 'Grandparents Day' annually on the second Sunday of October since 2013. It was created by Philip Michael Chircop, founder of the Grandparents Malta Foundation (VO/0869), and made official through a decree by the Maltese Parliament in 2014. Chircop has been an advocate for grandparents' visitation rights, and received a Medal for Service to the Republic in 2021 for his efforts. [11]
Malta also participates in the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly declared in 2021 by Vatican.
In Mexico, Grandparents' Day (Spanish : Día de los Abuelos) is celebrated on August 28.
In the Netherlands, Opa en Oma Dag was created in 2004 and falls on June 4. It is not widely celebrated and to many people in the Netherlands it is completely unknown. The day was envisioned as a day for grandparents/great-grandparents to spend time in enjoyable activities with their (great-)grandchildren, in order to strengthen the bond between the generations and to increase respect and appreciation for senior citizens in general. One idea that has been promoted is the "adoption" of a grandmother or grandfather - for the day, or for life.
In the Philippines, Grandparents' Day is celebrated every second Sunday of September. The country started celebrating this event in 1987.
Grandparents' Day in the Philippines is also a family day. Many commercial establishments organize special events and give special privileges for the elderly people: free concerts, meal discounts, free medical checkups, flowers, etc.
In Poland, "Grandma's Day" (Polish : Dzień Babci) was created in 1964 by the Kobieta i Życie magazine, and popularized from 1965 onwards. It is celebrated on January 21. "Grandpa's Day" (Polish : Dzień Dziadka) is celebrated a day later, on January 22. [12] [1]
In Portugal, Grandparents' Day (Portuguese : Dia dos avós) is celebrated on July 26.
Russia celebrates Grandparents' Day on October 28. Grandparents' Day was first celebrated by the ancient Slavs. The day was intended to consolidate people's connection with their ancestors, and bring together all generations.
Singapore started celebrating Grandparents' Day in 1979, a year after the U.S. started. It is celebrated on the fourth Sunday in November.
South Sudan started celebrating Grandparents' Day in 2013, with the date set as the second Sunday in November.
In Spain, Grandparents' Day (Spanish : Día de los abuelos y las abuelas) is celebrated on July 26, the feast day of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, parents of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
The Taiwanese Ministry of Education initiated Grandparents' Day (祖父母節, Zǔfùmǔ Jié) in Taiwan on 29 August 2010, on the fourth Sunday in August annually, shortly before school children would start a new schoolyear. [13]
The day was introduced to the UK in 1990 by the charity Age Concern but it has not been widely accepted by the British public. It has been celebrated on the first Sunday in October since 2008, [14]
In the United States, Grandparents' Day falls on the first Sunday of September following Labor Day. Thus, the date changes from year to year, but the informal holiday always falls in early to mid-September.
In the United States, Russell Capper (age 9 in 1969) sent a letter to President Nixon suggesting a special day be set aside as Grandparents' Day. On June 12, 1969, he received a letter back from Rose Mary Woods (Personal Secretary to the President) reading, "Dear Russell, Thank you for your letter to President Nixon. Your suggestion regarding a Grandparent’s Day is appreciated, but the President ordinarily issues proclamations designating periods for special observance only when a Congressional resolution authorizes him to do so. With best wishes, Sincerely, Rose Mary Woods Personal Secretary to the President". [ citation needed ]
Since the aforementioned letter, Marian McQuade, a West Virginia housewife, was recognized nationally by the United States Senate – in particular by Senators Jennings Randolph [15] and Robert Byrd – and by President Jimmy Carter, as the founder of National Grandparents Day. McQuade made it her goal to educate the youth in the community[ clarification needed ] about the important contributions seniors have made throughout history. She also urged the youth to "adopt" a grandparent, not just for one day a year, but rather for a lifetime. Co-founder Cynthia Bennett, who worked for Marian's husband, contributed by writing letters of verification.
In 1973, then-Senator Jennings Randolph, D-WV, introduced a resolution to the senate to make Grandparents' Day a national holiday. West Virginia's Governor Arch Moore had proclaimed an annual Grandparents' Day for the state, at the urging of Marian McQuade. When Senator Randolph's resolution in the U.S. Senate died in committee, Marian McQuade organized supporters and began contacting governors, senators, and congressmen in all fifty states. She urged each state to proclaim their own Grandparents' Day. Within three years, she had received Grandparents' Day proclamations from forty-three states. She sent copies of the proclamations to Senator Randolph.[ citation needed ]
In February 1977, Senator Randolph, with the concurrence of many other senators, introduced a joint resolution to the senate requesting the president to "issue annually a proclamation designating the first Sunday of September after Labor Day of each year as 'National Grandparents' Day'." Congress passed the legislation proclaiming the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents' Day and, on August 3, 1978, then-President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation. [16] [17] The statute cites the day's purpose: "...to honor grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children's children, and to help children become aware of strength, information, and guidance older people can offer".
The flower of the U.S. National Grandparents Day is the forget-me-not which blooms in the spring. As a result, seasonal flowers are given in appreciation to grandparents on this day. [18]
Arbor Day is a secular day of observance in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees. Today, many countries observe such a holiday. Though usually observed in the spring, the date varies, depending on climate and suitable planting season.
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in March or May. It complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Father's Day, Siblings Day, and Grandparents' Day.
Father's Day is a holiday honoring one's father, as well as fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. The holiday complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Mother's Day and, in some countries, Siblings Day, and Grandparents' Day. The day is held on various dates across the world, and different regions maintain their own traditions of honoring fatherhood.
Juneteenth, officially Juneteenth National Independence Day, is a federal holiday in the United States. It is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States. The holiday's name is a portmanteau of the words "June" and "nineteenth", as it was on June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at the end of the American Civil War. In the Civil War period, slavery came to an end in various areas of the United States at different times. Many enslaved Southerners escaped, demanded wages, stopped work, or took up arms against the Confederacy of slave states. In January 1865, Congress finally proposed the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution for national abolition of slavery. By June 1865, almost all enslaved were freed by the victorious Union Army, or abolition laws in some of the remaining U.S. states. When the national abolition amendment was ratified in December, the remaining enslaved in Delaware and in Kentucky were freed.
Columbus Day is a national holiday in many countries of the Americas and elsewhere, and a federal holiday in the United States, which officially celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas. He went ashore at Guanahaní, an island in the Bahamas, on October 12, 1492 [OS]. On his return in 1493, he moved his coastal base of operations 70 miles east to the island of Hispaniola, what is now the Dominican Republic and established the settlement of La Isabela, the first permanent Spanish settlement in the Americas.
Flag Day is a holiday celebrated on June 14 in the United States. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. The Flag Resolution stated "That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."
Children's Day is a commemorative date celebrated annually in honour of children, whose date of observance varies by country. In 1925, International Children's Day was first proclaimed in Geneva during the World Conference on Child Welfare. Since 1950, it is celebrated on 1 June in many countries, which follow the suggestion from Women's International Democratic Federation. World Children's Day is celebrated on 20 November to commemorate the Declaration of the Rights of the Child by the UN General Assembly on 20 November 1959. In some countries, it is Children's Week and not Children's Day. The Sikhs celebrate Children Day on 20 December to 27 December.
Holidays in Poland are regulated by the Non-working Days Act of 18 January 1951. The Act, as amended in 2010, currently defines thirteen public holidays.
Republic Day is the name of a holiday in several countries to commemorate the day when they became republics.
German-American Day is a holiday in the United States, observed annually on October 6 under Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law 100–104, 101 Stat. 721. It celebrates German-American heritage and commemorates the founding of Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1683.
Mother's Day is an annual holiday celebrated in the United States on the second Sunday in May. Mother's Day recognizes mothers, motherhood and maternal bonds in general, as well as their positive contributions to their families and society. It was established by Anna Jarvis, with the first Mother's Day celebrated through a service of worship at St. Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, on May 10, 1908. Popular observances include holiday card and gift giving, churchgoing often accompanied by the distribution of carnations, and family dinners. In the United States, Mother's Day complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Father's Day, Siblings Day and Grandparents Day.
Parents' Day is observed in South Korea on May 8 and in the United States on the fourth Sunday of July. The South Korean designation was established in 1973, replacing the Mother's Day previously marked on May 8, and includes public and private celebrations. The United States day was created in 1994 under President Bill Clinton. June 1 has also been proclaimed as "Global Day of Parents" by the United Nations as a mark of appreciation for the commitment of parents towards their children. In the Philippines, while it is not strictly observed or celebrated, the first Monday of December each year is proclaimed as Parents' Day.
Leif Erikson Day is an annual observance that occurs on October 9. It honors Leif Erikson, the Norse explorer who, in approximately 1000, led the first Europeans believed to have set foot on the continent of North America.
Marian McQuade was an American elder rights activist from West Virginia, best known as the founder of Grandparents' Day in the United States.
The National Thanksgiving Proclamation was the first presidential proclamation of Thanksgiving in the United States. At the request of Congress, President George Washington declared Thursday, November 26, 1789 as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer. A National Proclamation of Thanksgiving had been issued by the Continental Congress in November of 1777.
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in October and November in the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil, Germany and the Philippines. It is also observed in the Dutch town of Leiden and the Australian territory of Norfolk Island. It began as a day of giving thanks for the blessings of the harvest and of the preceding year. Various similarly named harvest festival holidays occur throughout the world during autumn. Although Thanksgiving has historical roots in religious and cultural traditions, it has long been celebrated as a secular holiday as well.
The Day of Valor, officially known as Araw ng Kagitingan, is a national observance in the Philippines that commemorates the fall of Bataan to Japanese troops during World War II. The day is officially celebrated every April 9, the start of the Bataan Death March, although the date was moved on several occasions to avoid it from coinciding with the observance of the Holy Week in the country, especially the Easter Triduum and Easter Sunday, such as in 2004, 2009, 2020, and 2023.
International Clown Day is celebrated each year on first week of August as a tribute to the first recognised group of organised clowns. Clown groups often celebrate the week with special activities such as performing volunteer shows or having their local mayor declare the week as a city celebration to coincide with the national and international clown week.
National Good Neighbor Day is a national day in the United States observed each year on September 28. It is often associated with President Jimmy Carter, who proclaimed September 24 as National Good Neighbor Day in 1978. Local activities on the day are intended to build a sense of community, and typically include neighborhood events and promoting acts of kindness. The day is intended to overcome the isolation of many Americans, who often don't know very much about their neighbors.
Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month is celebrated by proclamation of the President and Congress in the United States to honor the achievements and contributions of Italian immigrants and their descendants living in the United States, particularly in the arts, science, and culture. This proclamation was led by the Italian senator Tate Downs. Events are held throughout the month to celebrate and educate the public about Italian-American history and culture. It was first celebrated in 1989. The heritage month is in October to coincide with Columbus Day, the American national holiday traditionally celebrated on October 12, now celebrated on the second Monday in October, and Leif Erikson day on October 9. Heritage Months are usually proclaimed by nations to celebrate centuries of contributions by a group to a country.