Celebrating National Grandparents Day
While every grandparent is special in their own way, grandparent caregivers are a special group whose assistance (and numbers) is often under-estimated. National Grandparents Day is a day each year when we can take the time to recognize all grandparents, and especially those caring for young children.National Grandparents Day was founded by Marian McQuade (and proclaimed by Governor Arch Moore) in West Virginia in 1973. McQuade served on the West Virginia Commission on Aging as well as the Nursing Home Licensing Board, and urged young people in her community to “adopt” a grandparent in their area. West Virginia Senator Jennings Randolph introduced a resolution that same year to make Grandparents Day a national holiday around the country.The initial resolution died, but Marian McQuade once again took matters into her own hands, contacting representatives of all fifty states and urging each one to proclaim its own Grandparents Day. Before three years had passed, forty-three states had accepted. With newfound vigor, Randolph once again introduced a resolution (this time jointly) requesting that President Jimmy Carter “issue annually a proclamation designating the first Sunday of September after Labor Day of each year as ‘National Grandparents Day.’” The Senate and then the President signed the holiday into law, and National Grandparents Day became a reality on August 3, 1978.In 1990, more of Grandparents Day’s history was recognized when New York Congressman James T. Walsh recognized Hermine Beckett Hanna’s important early efforts. Starting in the 1960s, Hanna (a North Syracuse resident) promoted the recognition of seniors and their contributions in the community.Two important symbols are associated with National Grandparents Day in the United States. The official flower is the aptly-named, spring-blooming forget-me-not. Tradition recommends that these flowers be given to grandparents in commemoration of the holiday. The day also has an official song, proclaimed in 2004 by the National Grandparents Day Council of Chula Vista, CA: “A Song for Grandma and Grandpa” by Johnny Prill. Senator Debbie Stabenow told Prill, “You have put into words the unique relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren.” The chorus goes:Oh Grandma, Grandpa, you know that I love youI love all those little things that you say and doA walk through the park, a trip to the zooOh Grandma, Grandpa I love youA number of other countries have instituted National Grandparents Days in America’s wake, including Canada, Estonia, France, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom. The state of Queensland, Australia also celebrated its first Grandparents Day on the first Sunday in November 2010.
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