Grandparents' Day or National Grandparents' Day is a secular holiday celebrated in various countries; it is celebrated to show the bond between

grandparents Grandparents, individually known as grandmother and grandfather, or Grandma and Grandpa, are the parents of a person's father or mother – paternal or maternal. Every sexually reproducing living organism who is not a genetic chimera has a m ...

and grandchildren. It occurs on various days of the year, either as one holiday or sometimes as a separate Grandmother's Day and Grandfather's Day. It was celebrated for the first time in Poland in 1965.

Celebrations worldwide

Australia

In at least some states of Australia, Grandparents' Day is celebrated annually, on the last Sunday in October.

Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, the National Grandparents Day is celebrated on 9 September to honor and express gratitude towards their constant love, care, and support.

Brazil

In Brazil, Grandparents' Day (Portuguese: ''Dia dos avós'') is celebrated on July 26.

Canada

National Grandparents' Day () began in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

in 1995. Motion number 273 submitted in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

by Sarkis Assadourian in 1995 read:

That, in the opinion of this House, the government should consider designating the second Sunday in September of each year as Grandparents' Day in order to acknowledge their importance to the structure of the family in the nurturing, upbringing and education of children.

Estonia

In Estonia, Grandparents' Day (''Vanavanemate päev'') is celebrated on the second Sunday in September.

France

In France, Grandmothers' Day (''La fête des grands-mères'') was launched in 1987 by a brand of coffee (''Café Grand'Mère''), part of the Kraft Jacobs Suchard Group. The date is now included in French calendars and is celebrated on the first Sunday in March.

Germany

In Germany, Grandmothers' Day was established in 2010 and is celebrated on the second Sunday in October.

Holy See

In 2021,

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

declared World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, to take place annually on the fourth Sunday of July, neighboring the memorial of Sts.

Joachim Joachim was, according to Sacred tradition, the husband of Saint Anne, the father of Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary (mother of Jesus), and the maternal grandfather of Jesus. The story of Joachim and Anne first appears in the Gospel of James, part of ...

and

Anne Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), Annie a ...

, the grandparents of Jesus. The Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life promotes two ways for Catholics to celebrate. The first is by celebrating Mass for the grandparents and the elderly. The second is to visit those who are alone. A

plenary indulgence In the teaching of the Catholic Church, an indulgence (, from , 'permit') is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for (forgiven) sins". The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' describes an indulgence as "a remission bef ...

is granted for those who participate in either of these activities.

Hong Kong

Junior Chamber International Victoria introduced the first Grandparents' Day in Hong Kong in 1990. It is celebrated on the second Sunday in October.

Italy

In Italy, Grandparents' Day (officially ''Festa Nazionale dei Nonni'', "National Grandparents' Feast") was established in 2005 and is celebrated on October 2, Guardian Angels' Day in the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

Japan

In Japan,

Respect for the Aged Day is a public holiday in Japan celebrated annually to honor elderly citizens. It started in 1966 as a national holiday and was held on every September 15. Since 2003, Respect for the Aged Day is held on the third Monday of September due to the ...

(敬老の日, Keiro-no-hi) was established as National Holiday in 1966, is one of the national holidays of Japan and is celebrated on the third Monday of September.

Malta

The Republic of Malta celebrates 'Grandparents Day' annually on the second Sunday of October since 2013. It was created by Philip Michael Chircop, founder of the Grandparents Malta Foundation (VO/0869), and made official through a decree by the Maltese Parliament in 2014. Chircop has been an advocate for grandparents' visitation rights, and received a Medal for Service to the Republic in 2021 for his efforts. Malta also participates in the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly declared in 2021 by Vatican.

Mexico

In Mexico, Grandparents' Day () is celebrated on August 28.

Netherlands

In the Netherlands, ''Opa en Oma Dag'' was created in 2004 and falls on June 4. It is not widely celebrated and to many people in the Netherlands it is completely unknown. The day was envisioned as a day for grandparents and great-grandparents to spend time in enjoyable activities with their (great-)grandchildren, in order to strengthen the bond between the generations and to increase respect and appreciation for senior citizens in general. One idea that has been promoted is the "adoption" of a grandmother or grandfather - for the day, or for life.

Philippines

In the Philippines, Grandparents' Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of September. The country started celebrating this event in 1987. Grandparents' Day in the Philippines is also a family day. Many commercial establishments organize special events and give special privileges for the elderly people: free concerts, meal discounts, free medical checkups, flowers, etc.

Poland

In Poland, "Grandma's Day" () was created in 1964 by the ''Kobieta i Życie'' magazine, and popularized from 1965 onwards. It is celebrated on January 21. "Grandpa's Day" () is celebrated a day later, on January 22.

Portugal

In Portugal, Grandparents' Day () is celebrated on July 26.

Russia

Russia celebrates Grandparents' Day on October 28. Grandparents' Day was first celebrated by the ancient Slavs. The day was intended to consolidate people's connection with their ancestors, and bring together all generations.

Singapore

Singapore started celebrating Grandparents' Day in 1979, a year after the U.S. started. It is celebrated on the fourth Sunday in November.

South Sudan

South Sudan started celebrating Grandparents' Day in 2013, with the date set as the second Sunday in November.

Spain

In Spain, Grandparents' Day () is celebrated on July 26, the feast day of Saint Joachim and

Saint Anne According to apocrypha, as well as Christianity, Christian and Islamic tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, the wife of Joachim and the maternal grandmother of Jesus. Mary's mother is not named in the Bible's Gosp ...

, parents of

Mary, the mother of Jesus Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

Taiwan

The Taiwanese Ministry of Education initiated Grandparents' Day (祖父母節, ''Zǔfùmǔ Jié'') in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

on 29 August 2010, on the fourth Sunday in August annually, shortly before school children would start a new schoolyear.

United Kingdom

The day was introduced to the UK in 1990 by the charity Age Concern but it has not been widely accepted by the British public. It has been celebrated on the first Sunday in October since 2008.

United States

In the United States, Grandparents' Day falls on the first (or second) Sunday of September following

Labor Day Labor Day is a Federal holidays in the United States, federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the Labor history of the United States, American labor movement and the works and con ...

(celebrated on the first Monday of September). Thus, the date changes from early to mid-September. In the United States, Russell Capper (age 9 in 1969) sent a letter to President Nixon suggesting a special day be set aside as Grandparents' Day. On June 12, 1969, he received a letter back from Rose Mary Woods (Personal Secretary to the President) reading, "Dear Russell, Thank you for your letter to President Nixon. Your suggestion regarding a Grandparent’s Day is appreciated, but the President ordinarily issues proclamations designating periods for special observance only when a Congressional resolution authorizes him to do so. With best wishes, Sincerely, Rose Mary Woods Personal Secretary to the President". Since the aforementioned letter, Marian McQuade, a West Virginia housewife, was recognized nationally by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

– in particular by Senators Jennings Randolph and Robert Byrd – and by

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...

, as the founder of National Grandparents Day. McQuade made it her goal to educate the youth in the community about the important contributions seniors have made throughout history. She also urged the youth to "adopt" a grandparent, not just for one day a year, but rather for a lifetime. Co-founder Cynthia Bennett, who worked for Marian's husband, contributed by writing letters of verification. In 1973, then-Senator Jennings Randolph, D-WV, introduced a resolution to the Senate to make Grandparents' Day a national holiday. West Virginia's Governor Arch Moore had proclaimed an annual Grandparents' Day for the state, at the urging of Marian McQuade. When Senator Randolph's resolution in the U.S. Senate died in committee, Marian McQuade organized supporters and began contacting governors, senators, and congressmen in all fifty states. She urged each state to proclaim their own Grandparents' Day. Within three years, she had received Grandparents' Day proclamations from forty-three states. She sent copies of the proclamations to Senator Randolph. In February 1977, Senator Randolph, with the concurrence of many other senators, introduced a joint resolution to the senate requesting the president to "issue annually a proclamation designating the first Sunday of September after

of each year as 'National Grandparents' Day'."

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

passed the legislation proclaiming the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents' Day and, on August 3, 1978, then-President Jimmy Carter signed the

proclamation A proclamation (Lat. ''proclamare'', to make public by announcement) is an official declaration issued by a person of authority to make certain announcements known. Proclamations are currently used within the governing framework of some nations ...

. The statute cites the day's purpose: "...to honor grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children's children, and to help children become aware of strength, information, and guidance older people can offer". Myosotis victoria dsc00894

The flower of the U.S. National Grandparents Day is the

forget-me-not ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the Northern Hemisphere, they are colloquially known as forget-me-no ...

which blooms in the spring. As a result, seasonal flowers are given in appreciation to grandparents on this day.