September 10, 2006: Grandparents Day
September 11, 2021


Week of September 11 – September 15, 2021

    On September 10th, celebrate Grandparents Day. It’s a wonderful time to pause and acknowledge the many wonderful and thoughtful things that grandparents do, not only for their grandchildren, but for their children as well. It presents an opportunity to thank those special people in our lives, who often selflessly do so many things without expecting anything in return and are always there to listen and support us.

    Grandparents Day began with a lady named Marian McQuade, who was a housewife in Fayette County, West Virginia. She decided to campaign for the idea to set aside one day each year to recognize grandparents. Her hope was to champion the cause of lonely elderly in nursing homes and for grandchildren to learn from the wisdom and heritage their grandparents could share.

 Ms. McQuade shared her idea with civic, business, church, and political leaders, and before long, her campaign was statewide. The first Grandparents Day was proclaimed in 1973, in West Virginia, by the Governor at the time. Ms. McQuade continued her campaign to have the day recognized nationally and in 1978, five years after its West Virginia inception, the United States Congress passed legislation proclaiming the first Sunday after Labour Day as National Grandparents Day. The proclamation was signed by President Jimmy Carter and many other countries followed suit shortly thereafter.

Grandparents Day is truly a family day. In many places, schools, churches, and seniors organizations honour grandparents by hosting special events. Some families recognize the day by enjoying small, private celebrations, while others celebrate by hosting a family reunion. There are many other activities that can be done to celebrate including: assist children in identifying photos in old family albums, have a grandparent teach a hobby or craft to a grandchild, construct a family tree and involve grandparents and children, or have a grandparent share family traditions and customs with everyone.

If you are unable to be with a grandparent on this day, I encourage you to give them a call or send them a card to thank them for everything they do for you and your family. They will appreciate it!