National Grandparents Day

The first Sunday after Labor Day marks National Grandparents Day in the United States, a day to honor grandparents and the roles they play in our lives and society and to let them show their love for their grandchildren. Grandparents are the protectors of guidance to our societies as the elders embodied with wisdom, which is also an aim of this day to pass on the older generation’s knowledge to the younger. Inspiration behind Grandparent’s Day came from multiple influences like Marian Lucile Herndon McQuade, through educating people about the important contributions senior citizens make in society while highlighting the plight of lonely elderly people in nursing and care homes.

Another big proponent of a push for a day to honor the elderly came from Michael Goldgar. After visiting his aunt in a skilled nursing home, he began lobbying efforts spending $11,000 of his own money to make the day officially recognized which included more than 15 trips to Washington D.C. over a seven year span to meet with legislators. After years of trying to accomplish this day to honor and commemorate elders, National Grandparents Day was signed into law by former President Jimmy Carter in 1978. A presidential proclamation on September 6, 1979, made this day official – designating the first Sunday of September following Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. Every year thereafter, the president is requested to issue the proclamation to designate the day and to call on people, groups, and organizations to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

Since the designation of this day, National Grandparents Day has an official song “A Song for Grandma And Grandpa” by Jonny Prill and even an official flower, the “forget-me-not” flower. Other symbols of this day are the way many people honor their grandparents through a range of activities like gift giving, card-giving, precious time spent, or as simple as a lunch or dinner date. Other great ideas to symbolize this day include spending time learning about your grandparents or an elderly’s in your community heritage and history or even making family trees. Or simply listening to stories or volunteering at a nursing home for the day. Whatever idea or activity that you come up with will surely warm the hearts and be appreciated in the eyes of the elderly. Let us all be reminded and give thanks to the special grandparents and elderly in our communities and the great wisdom and love they have to share.