Grandparents' Day

Origins and growth

Poland is where the observance began. A magazine there, Kobieta i Życie, started Grandma's Day in 1964, and it spread among readers from 1965. It falls on 21 January, with Grandpa's Day the next day, 22 January. In the United States the idea arrived through a child's letter. Russell Capper, then nine years old, wrote to President Richard Nixon in 1969 asking for a day for grandparents. He received a reply from the President's personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, explaining that proclamations of that kind usually follow a resolution from Congress. A campaign by Marian McQuade of West Virginia later gave the idea national backing.

Becoming a national day

Marian McQuade, a West Virginia homemaker, was named founder of National Grandparents Day. The United States Senate recognised her, with Senators Jennings Randolph and Robert Byrd among those who spoke for the honour, and President Jimmy Carter did the same. Part of her aim was to teach young people what older citizens had given to their communities over the years. In 1973 Senator Randolph placed a resolution before the Senate, but it lapsed in committee. McQuade then wrote to governors, senators and representatives in every state, asking each to issue its own proclamation. Within three years, forty-three states had done so. In February 1977 a joint resolution went to the Senate, Congress passed it, and on 3 August 1978 President Carter signed it into law.

The Catholic observance

In 2021 Pope Francis declared a World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. It is kept every year on the fourth Sunday of July, close to the memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, who are remembered in Christian tradition as the grandparents of Jesus. The Vatican office for laity, family and life suggests two ways for Catholics to mark it: a Mass for grandparents and elderly people, or a visit to someone who is alone. Those who do either may receive a plenary indulgence, a remission granted by the Church. Malta, among other countries, also joins in this world day.

Local variations

In the United States the forget-me-not, a flower that opens in spring, is the emblem of the day, so people often give flowers that are in season. The Philippines treats the occasion as a family day as well, and businesses there put on free concerts and free health checks for older people and offer lower prices on meals. The Netherlands has had Opa en Oma Dag since 2004, on 4 June, though it is little known there. France has kept a day for grandmothers since 1987, when a coffee brand launched it; it falls on the first Sunday in March. Germany's day for grandmothers dates from 2010 and comes on the second Sunday in October.

How Grandparents' Day is kept

The day belongs to families rather than to a public festival with a fixed rite. Grandchildren visit, telephone or write to their grandparents, and many households share a meal. Flowers are a common gift. Catholics who keep the related world day go to a Mass offered for grandparents and elderly people, or spend time with someone who is alone. In some countries the day is barely noticed outside the family, and in others businesses and public bodies also take part.

When and where

There is no single worldwide date. Every country fixes its own, so observances run from January in Poland to November in Singapore. Some follow a named Sunday in a month, as Malta and Hong Kong do in October. The United States ties its date to Labor Day, the first Monday in September, and keeps the day on the Sunday that follows.

The day is kept in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. Poland marked it first. Countries with a settled date include the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Malta, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Estonia, Russia, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Singapore and South Sudan. Britain took it up in 1990 but has not embraced it widely.

What Grandparents' Day means

For the people who keep it, the day is a way of thanking grandparents and of making their place in family life visible. In a few countries the date is tied to the memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, remembered in Christian tradition as the grandparents of Jesus, which sets the occasion inside a family story. In the United States the forget-me-not, a spring flower, is the emblem of the day, so flowers given then carry a note of remembrance and appreciation.

Questions people ask about Grandparents' Day

See also

ChristmasA festival of Jesus's birth, kept on 25 December with gifts, lights and shared mealsHalloweenAn annual observance on 31 October marking the eve of All Saints' Day, rooted in Christian tradition and Celtic heritageValentine's DayA Christian feast day and cultural celebration of love kept on February 14 in many countries.Christmas treeA decorated evergreen or artificial tree placed indoors to mark the Christmas season.

Good reading and sources

• Grandparents' Day on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.