National Grandparents Day

National Grandparents Day,

National Grandparents Day is a secular holiday celebrated originating in the United States in 1978 and now officially recognized in a number of countries on various days of the year, either as one holiday or sometimes as a separate Grandmothers Day and Grandfathers Day (see below for dates by country).

History

Marian McQuade of Oak Hill, West Virginia, has been recognized nationally by the United States Senate – in particular by Senators Jennings Randolph; 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.

In 1973, 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 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.

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.The statute cites the day's purpose as: "...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".

Some people claim[weasel words] the origin of the holiday resides with the efforts[clarification needed] of Hermine Beckett Hanna of North Syracuse, New York, recognizing seniors and their importance as early as 1961. On February 21, 1990, New York Congressman James T. Walsh recognized the efforts[clarification needed] of Hermine Beckett Hanna in front of the U.S. House of Representatives, thanking her "for her important role in the establishment of Grandparents Day".

Official song of U.S. Grandparents Day

In 2004, the National Grandparents Day Council of Chula Vista, CA announced that A Song for Grandma and Grandpa by Johnny Prill would be the official song of the U.S. National Grandparents Day holiday.[citation needed] United States Senator Debbie Stabenow told Prill: "It is wonderful that 'A Song for Grandma and Grandpa' was chosen as the official song of National Grandparents Day. You have put into words the unique relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren."[cite this quote]

Official flower of U.S. Grandparents Day

Forget-me-not

The official 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.

Grandparents Day around the world

This section requires expansion with:

Surely missing many countries. See sidebar - interwiki links may hint at needed additions..

Canada

National Grandparents Day began in Canada in 1995. Motion Number 273 submitted in the House of Commons by Mr. Sarkis Assadourian 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.

The motion was agreed to, but Grandparents Day remains relatively unknown in most parts of the country as of 2010.

Estonia

Grandparents Day (vanavanemate päev) is celebrated, beginning in 2010, on the second Sunday in September.

France

In France, Grandmothers Day[clarification needed] began in 1987 and is celebrated on the first Sunday in March.

Italy

In Italy, Grandparents Day[clarification needed] was established in 2005 and is celebrated on October 2,Guardian Angels' Day in Roman Catholic Church.

Poland

In Poland, Grandmother's Day (Polish: Dzień Babci) is celebrated on January 21. Grandfather's Day (Polish: Dzień Dziadka) is celebrated a day later, on January 22.

United Kingdom

The celebration was introduced to the UK in 1990 by the charity Age Concern. It has been celebrated on the first Sunday in October since 2008.

United States

The U.S.'s National Grandparents Day is the first Sunday after Labor Day, in September.[citation needed] In 2010, it falls on September 12, and in 2011 on September 11 (also the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorism attacks).

(source:wikipedia)