Hey, Grandkids!
Sure, Mom and Dad are great! I mean, c’mon! They raise you, they feed you, they house you. They give you everything that you NEED! Now, don’t get me wrong, that’s really, truly amazing of them; but today isn’t about our mothers or our fathers. No, today is National Grandparents’ Day.
Unlike your parents, Grandm
a and Grandpa are the ones who give you everything that you WANT! In fact, they spoil you rotten! Their love for you knows no bounds and it’s always such a treat to make a trip over and visit the two of them! Thank goodness there’s a day that’s entirely dedicated to them!
But, like every other holiday, it hasn’t always been around. National Grandparents’ Day has been recognized in the United States since 1978 and is celebrated in various other countries on more-or-less arbitrary days. I think that it’s only a matter of time before the entire planet celebrates WORLD Grandparents’ Day!
So how did such a holiday come about? Well, much the same as how Mother’s Day and Father’s Day was created, Grandparents’ Day became officially recognized in the U.S. through persistent rallying, letter-writing, and determination.
A woman named Marian McQuade from West Virginia is responsible for making this holiday official. Her purpose was to inform the younger generation of the contributions made by their elders. She gathered people who supported what she was doing and, together, they contacted political figures like governors, senators, and congressmen from all 50 states, urging them to recognize Grandparents’ Day.
Within the following three years, 43 states had proclaimed their own statewide Grandparents’ Day. Pretty soon, a national proclamation was made and signed by the president at the time, Jimmy Carter. The signed document states the purpose of the day 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”.
Thanks for reading and Happy Grandparents’ Day from all of us here at Everything Summer Camp!
- John