by LaSabra Caldwell

Created on: September 04, 2009

National Grandparents Day was officially started in the 1970s. There is two different possible origins. One is that some people think Michael Goldgar proposed it first after visiting his aunt in an Atlanta nursing home in the 1970s. He spent $11,000 of his own money, making 17 trips to Washington DC over a 7 year span meeting with legislators. Other people consider it to be Marian McQuade who was a housewife in West Virgina.

Marian McQuade worked hard to educate people about all of the important things that senior citizens contributed. She also told people about how the elderly were willing to make contributions if asked as well. She urged for people to adopt a grandparent. Not just one day a year or for material giving, but for a lifetime of experience.

National Grandparents Day was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. The White House even called Marian McQuade and advised her of this event. There was a presidential proclamation on September 6, 1979 making the day official. September 9, 1979 was designated the first National Grandparents Day making it the first Sunday after Labor Day.

Each year the President issues a proclamation designating the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. The President also calls on people, groups and organizations to observe this day as well with appropriate ceremonies and activities. National Grandparents Day's official song is "A Song for Grandma and Grandpa" by Johnny Prill. The official flower is the "forget-me-not flower".

People celebrate Grandparents Day each year by giving them gifts, cards and children even invite their grandparents to their school for a day where they have special lessons and/or special assembly programs in their honor. It is a day where people who may not normally call their grandparents do so to show their love and appreciation. They may come by to visit them or pick up a phone and call. They might even send a card or deliver it personally.

Children may make homemade cards to show their appreciation. Families may have a big dinner in their home or take their grandparent out to a nice restaurant. Schools sometimes have pancake breakfast or a lunch that the students have in honor of grandparents. Churches may have a banquet dinner in their honor. There are so many ways people show their appreciation on this holiday. To think that one single person worked so hard and accomplished a national holiday to be named in honor of grandparents everywhere.

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