Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children.
Alex HaleyNational Grandparents Day is a secular holiday that recognizes and honors grandparents for their invaluable contribution to our lives. It also provides an opportunity for grandparents to express their love for their grandchildren. With the growing number of grandparents, their impact on their grandchildren's lives is becoming more significant.
In the United States, National Grandparents Day has been observed since 1978, when it was officially proclaimed on August 3rd. President Jimmy Carter beautifully summarized the purpose of the holiday in his proclamation, stating that: "The elders of each family have the responsibility for setting the moral tone for the family and for passing on the traditional values of our Nation to their children and grandchildren. They bore the hardships and made the sacrifices that produced much of the progress and comfort we enjoy today." (Jimmy Carter, President of the United States of America, Proclamation 4580 - National Grandparents Day, 1978 August 3, 1978).
The official flower of the U.S. National Grandparents Day is the forget-me-not which blooms in the spring. The official song of the U.S. National Grandparents Day holiday is "Song for Grandma and Grandpa" by Johnny Prill (announced in 2004 by the National Grandparents Day Council of Chula Vista, California).
Grandparent's Day is officially recognized in some countries on various days of the year, either as one holiday or sometimes as a separate Grandmothers Day and Grandfathers Day.