National Grandparents Day
by Katrina Hayday Wester
Each September, on the Sunday after Labor Day, millions of Americans observe National Grandparents Day. The U.S. holiday, which falls this year on Sept.
9, is designed to honor the family and to nurture the love and respect for our elders, our individual heritage, and our unique roots. Some families celebrate with small gatherings, while others opt to make this day the time for large family reunions.
How Grandparents Day Began
In 1970, a West Virginia homemaker, Marian Lucille Herndon McQuade, began a campaign to set aside a special day just for grandparents. In 1973, after a concerted effort on the part of businesses, churches, and political leaders, the first Grandparents Day was proclaimed in West Virginia. Following this milestone, West Virginia Senator Jennings Randolph introduced a Grandparents Day resolution to the U.S. Senate.
The resolution unfortunately languished in committee. Mrs. McQuade, in an attempt to push it through the Senate, rallied support in the media and began contacting governors, senators, and congressional representatives in every state. In 1978, five years after the holiday's recognition in West Virginia, Mrs. McQuade was successful. Congress passed legislation proclaiming the Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation.
Mrs. McQuade, still an advocate for senior citizens, has served in numerous positions, including serving as a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging. In addition to her various community roles, Mrs. McQuade is the mother of 15 children, grandmother to 40 and great-grandmother to eight.
How Can You Celebrate Grandparents Day?
Here are several great ideas for celebrating Grandparents Day with your family.
Discover your family roots together. Revisit old scrapbooks or make a new one. Look at old photo albums. Complete a family tree. In doing this, grandparents can share their memories.
Let the children borrow the video camera and do a mini-interview or documentary on their grandparents. They will have fun, and you will all have the conversation saved for posterity.
Help the children create homemade cards for Grandparents Day.
Some schools have "Bring a Grandparent to School Day"
-- see if your child's does.
Volunteer with your family members at a local nursing home, and make others happy.
Click
here for Quick Homemade Gifts for Grandparents Day
National Grandparents Day (http://www.GrandparentsDay.com)
History of how National Grandparents Day began, events, contests, news, and bulletins. Copies of the official documents for the proclamation.
National Grandparents Day