| Grandparent's
Day Trivia: |
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► The forget-me-not was adopted as the
official flower of Grandparents Day by the National
Grandparents Day Council on April 20, 1999.
► "A Song for Grandma and Grandpa"
by Johnny Prill, is the official song of National
Grandparents Day.
► September was chosen as the time for
Grandparents Day to help symbolize that grandparents
and other seniors are in the autumn years of life.
► How many Grandparents are there? 80 Million!
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| The
History of Grandparent's Day |
| Grandparents Day was the brainchild
of Marian McQuade, a West Virginia housewife in 1970. A very
busy housewive, being the mother of 15 children! She wanted
to honor grandparents; 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
offer.
She organized this special day for grandparents through grass
roots efforts. She presented the idea through her civic involvements,
businesses and churches. She also took it to political leaders
like Senator Jennings Randolph (D-WV) who was actively involved
in the project.
According to the official website of Grandparents Day, the
first Grandparents Day was proclaimed in 1973 in West Virginia
by Governor Arch Moore. Also in 1973, Senator Randolph introduced
a Grandparents Day resolution in the United States Senate.
The resolution languished in committee. Mrs. McQuade and her
team turned to the media to garner support. They also began
contacting governors, senators, congressmen in every state.
And they sent letters to churches, businesses, and numerous
national organizations interested in senior citizens.
In 1978, five years after its West Virginia inception, the
United States Congress passed legislation proclaiming the
first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day.
The proclamation was signed by President Jimmy Carter.
Today, National Grandparents Day is celebrated by millions
of Americans and has become another successful "Hallmark
Holiday" and a time for families to take the time to
honor and recognize the important contributions grandparents
make. Once Hallmark and other card companies start making
cards to signify an event, you KNOW it's a major holiday!
To celebrate National Grandparents Day 365 days a year, we
would recommend a subscription to GRAND - The Digital Magazine
for GRANDparent and their Families ($19.95 value).
Just click
here to get your free subscription, compliments of Pop
Culture Madness!
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| Grandparent's
Day Around The World |
Australia - Queensland
was the first Australian state to officially celebrate Grandparents'
Day - on the first Sunday in November, 2010.
Canada - National Grandparents Day began in Canada in 1995
to acknowledge their importance to the structure of the family
in the nurturing, upbringing and education of children.
Estonia - Grandparents Day (vanavanemate päev) is celebrated,
beginning in 2010, on the second Sunday in September.
France - Grandmothers Day began in 1987 and is celebrated
on the first Sunday in March.
Italy - Grandparents Day was established in 2005 and is
celebrated on October 2.
Poland - Grandmother's Day (Polish: Dzie? Babci) was created
in 1964 by the "Kobieta i ?ycie" magazine, and popularized
from 1965 onwards. It is celebrated on January 21. Grandfather's
Day (Polish: Dzie? Dziadka) is celebrated a day later, on January
22.
United Kingdom - The celebration was introduced to the UK
in 1990 by the charity Age Concern. It has been celebrated on
the first Sunday in October since 2008.
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