Did you celebrate Grandparents Day this year? This year, 2009, marked the 30th anniversary of National Grandparents Day on Sunday, September 13th. According to a recent poll, millions of Americans and Canadians are said to have celebrated Grandparents Day and it made me wonder if the holiday celebrating grandparents is getting the attention it deserves.
Do you celebrate Grandparents Day? What things did you do to celebrate and honor your grandparents or great-grandparents on or near Grandparents Day? Did you visit your grandparents, send them a card, play games, take part in any activities or buy your grandparents a gift at all? It’s common for preschool and elementary schools in the U.S. to participate in making arts and crafts for grandparents, sing songs for and about grandparents, and some grandparents visit their grandchild’s school on the holiday.
Another poll about Grandparents Day showed that many adults have never heard of Grandparents day, don’t know anything about its origin and history, and don’t even know when Grandparents Day is observed. So, when is Grandparents Day and why do we celebrate National Grandparents Day in the first place?
Grandparents Day
Grandparents Day is a special holiday celebrating Grandparents on the first Sunday after Labor Day and is celebrated in the U.S. and Canada, while Grandparents Day is celebrated in the United Kingdom on the first Sunday in October.
Next Grandparents Day Dates in the U.S:
- September 12, 2010
- September 11, 2011
- September 9, 2012
- September 8, 2013
Grandparents Day Facts and History:
In 1970, Marian McQuade of Fayette County, W.Va, spearheaded the campaign to have a national Grandparents Day, primarily for lonely elderly patients in nursing homes and shut-ins, but also in hopes of persuading grandchildren to tap into their grandparents vast wisdom, knowledge and experience. McQuade is the mother of fifteen children, grandmother of forty, and great-grandmother of three.
The first presidential proclamation making Grandparents Day a national holiday was issued in 1978 by President Jimmy Carter, and one has been issued every year since then proclaiming the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day.
Grandparents Day Activities
Typical Grandparents Day activities include playing games, singing songs, making arts and crafts with grandparents, giving speeches, reading books or poems, as well as giving a meaningful gift to your grandparents to show your appreciation and love for them. If your grandparents or great-grandparents are still alive, consider yourself fortunate and celebrate the fact that you and your family still has time to enjoy them during the years they have left on this earth.
Considering Grandparents Day songs, the two most popular songs for Grandparents are “The Grandparents’ Song
It should come as no surprise that the role of grandparents has greatly increased over the years, with many grandparents raising grandchildren and being solely responsible for the care and keeping of their children’s children. Grandparent custody of grandchildren has skyrocketed over the years for many reasons, and the number of disabled grandparents caring for their grandchildren whose income is below the poverty level is out of control.
2009 Grandparents Day facts by the U.S. Census Bureau press release include:
- 6.2 million – The number of grandparents whose grandchildren younger than 18 lived with them in 2007
- 2.5 million – The number of grandparents responsible for most of the basic needs (i.e., food, shelter, clothing) of one or more of the grandchildren who lived with them in 2007. These grandparents represented about 40 percent of all grandparents whose grandchildren lived with them. Of these caregivers, 1.6 million were grandmothers, and 932,000 were grandfathers
- 1.8 million – The number of grandparent-caregivers who were married in 2007
- 1.5 million – The number of grandparents who were in the labor force and also responsible for most of the basic needs of their grandchildren
- 930,000 – Number of grandparents in 2007 responsible for caring for their grandchildren for at least the past five years
- 482,000 – Number of grandparents whose income was below the poverty level and who were caring for their grandchildren
- 732,000 – Number of grandparents with a disability who were caring for their grandchildren
- 586,000 – Number of grandparents who spoke a language other than English and who were responsible for caring for their grandchildren
- $44,469 – Median income for families with grandparent-caregiver householders. If a parent of the grandchildren was not present, the median dropped to $33,453
- 71% – Among grandparents who cared for their grandchildren in 2007, the percentage who lived in an owner-occupied home
Not only do parents deserve to be recognized and shown appreciation for all they do for their kids, but grandparents need and deserve recognition, gratitude, love and attention, with or without National Grandparents Day being set aside as a holiday.
As with any holiday, commercialism and pressure to buy gifts is over the top, so if you don’t decide to buy gifts for your grandparents, at least put Grandparents Day on your calendar and remember to call, visit or send them a card to let them know you remembered their day.
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Grandparents Day is a fun time to look forward to for my wife and I. We like to have video calls with our grandkids often, and Grandparents Day is good excuse for them to call us!
I was impressed by the statistics of the U.S. Census Bureau. Thanks for including them. And thanks for the link to my blog!
Grandpa Shayne, video calls with your grandchildren is an excellent idea of staying connected with grandkids! Long distance grandparents and their grandchildren would benefit from having a webcam to stay connected and communicate as often as possible. Photos are nice, but nothing beats seeing Grandma and Grandpa’s face up close and personal.