What is Grandparents' Day and why it's celebrated? Know its importance & this year's theme

Grandparents' Day, sometimes known as National Grandparents' Day, is a national holiday observed in several countries to honour the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren. Celebrated today, the holiday honours the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren.
In the United States, Grandparents' Day is observed on the first Sunday following 'Labor Day'. This year, it's being celebrated on September 12. The official site for Grandparents Day states the theme for each year and for 2021 it is, “How will you look at connecting generations differently this Grandparents Day?” The organisation behind this campaign urges people to hold grand intergenerational activism projects. On the occasion, people have been sharing their feelings towards their grandparents on social media.

What is Grandparents' Day and Grandparents' Day theme for 2021?

Grandparents' Day: importance and history 

In 1969, Russell Capper, a 9-year-old, reportedly wrote to the US President, President Nixon. He wrote a letter requesting for a day to be set aside as Grandparents' Day. On June 12, 1969, he received a letter back from Personal Secretary to President Rose Mary Woods. The letter assured that a day could be declared as a national holiday by the President only when a Congressional resolution authorizes him to do so. This was the first time the topic was brought up.

Marian McQuade: creator of Grandparents' Day

Eventually, Marian McQuade has been recognised as the creator of National Grandparents Day by the United States Senate, specifically by Senators Jennings Randolph and Robert Byrd, and by President Jimmy Carter since the letter. She had made it her mission to teach the community's youth about the significant achievements that elders have made throughout history. She also encouraged the youth to "adopt" a grandparent for a lifetime, not just for one day a year. Cynthia Bennett, a co-founder who worked for Marian's husband, helped by providing letters of verification.

Why is Grandparents' Day celebrated?

Senator Jennings Randolph filed a motion in the Senate in 1973 calling for Grandparents' Day to be declared a national holiday. Senator Randolph filed a joint resolution to the Senate in February 1977, with the support of many other senators. It was proposing that the president "issue annually a proclamation recognising the first Sunday after Labor Day of each year as 'National Grandparents' Day." The first Sunday after Labor Day was designated as National Grandparents' Day by Congress, and President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation on August 3, 1978.

The statute cites the day's purpose as to honour grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children's children, and to help children become aware of the strength, information, and guidance older people can offer. 

(IMAGE: REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE)