National Grandparents’ Day

Well, we missed it, but not by much. Last Sunday was National Grandparents’ Day in the USA. It always falls on the first Sunday after Labor Day, so the actual date changes from year to year.  By the way, The USA isn’t the only country that celebrates Grandparents’ Day; Wikipedia lists at least 23 other countries that do as well.

I’m embarrassed to admit it, being the author of this All About Seniors column now for sixteen years, but we’ve never made much of Grandparents’ Day in our family. That doesn’t mean that grandparents aren’t appreciated in our family, they most certainly are, it’s just that we’ve not paid much attention to the official holiday. So, when I noticed it over the weekend, I had to check out the holiday’s history. Here it is in abbreviated form.

In the United States, Russell Capper (age 9 in 1969) sent a letter to President Nixon suggesting a special day be set aside as Grandparents’ Day. On June 12, 1969, he received a letter back from Rose Mary Woods (Personal Secretary to the President) reading, “Dear Russell, Thank you for your letter to President Nixon. Your suggestion regarding a Grandparent’s Day is appreciated, but the President ordinarily issues proclamations designating periods for special observance only when a Congressional resolution authorizes him to do so. With best wishes, Sincerely, Rose Mary Woods Personal Secretary to the President”. 

At Marian McQuade’s urging in 1973, then-Senator Jennings Randolph, D-WV, introduced a resolution to the Senate to make Grandparents’ Day a national holiday, but it died in committee. Marian McQuade then organized supporters and began contacting governors, senators, and congressmen in all fifty states. She urged each state to proclaim its own Grandparents’ Day. Within three years, she had received Grandparents’ Day proclamations from forty-three states.  

In February 1977, with the concurrence of many other senators, Senator Randolph 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: “…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”. 

Subsequently, Marian McQuade, a West Virginia housewife, was recognized nationally by the United States Senate and by President Jimmy Carter as the founder of National Grandparents Day. McQuade made it her goal to educate the youth 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.  

So that’s how Grandparents’ Day came to be, largely by the efforts of one determined housewife, Marian McQuade. Wouldn’t you like to have met her? 

I think it’s a great idea and I’ve already put it on our family calendar for next year. As I’ve said many times in this column, we seniors have so much life experience to offer our grandkids that we need to make the most of it, and Grandparents’ Day just seems like another good way to do it.

So put the first Sunday after Labor Day on your calendar for 2025, and we’ll celebrate together!

PS, It’s Biblical… Exodus 20:12 says, “Honor your father and your mother that your days may be long in the land that The Lord your God is giving you”!

Thanks for reading All About Seniors… see you next week!

Bill Milby is a Director of Visiting Angels® of Central Georgia, a non-medical, living assistance service for seniors. If you have questions or comments about this column, you can reach him at william.mercylink@gmail.com or search for us at  https://www.facebook.com/VisitingAngelsofCentralGA.