Occurring on the 1st Sunday that comes after Labor Day, the National Grandparents Day is celebrated in both Canada and the United States as a secular holiday. Its origins can be traced back to its first commemoration back in 1978. Thanks to Marian McQuade of West Virginia, the US Senate, President Carter and Senator Alphonse D’Amato, many people get a special day to celebrate their grandparents. Many people have come to recognize her (Marian McQuade) as the founder of this day. Her goal to educate other members of the community on the contributions of senior citizens in society and future contributions they are willing to make did not fall on deaf ears. She went further to recommend that the young adopt a senior member of the society for a lifetime of experience and caring. They were to offer not material benefits for just a day or a year but learn from them as long as they were alive.

In that same year, Jennings Randolph, a Senator of the Democratic Party in West Virginia, introduced a written motion in the Senate to turn this day into a public holiday. It was not until 1978 that the United States Congress agreed to pass the legislation proclaiming National Grandparents Day to be commemorated on the Sunday that comes after the Labor Day celebrations. Jimmy Carter, who was the sitting president, then signed the proclamation. The statute said in part that the day had been reserved with the purpose of honoring grandparents and giving them an opportunity to express love for their children’s children and help them become aware of the guidance, strength and information that senior members of the community can offer to the youth. National Grandparents Day also has a recognized official song by Johnny Prill, “A Song For Grandma and GrandPa”. The forget-me-not flower is recognized as the official flower for this day.

In Canada, the National Grandparents Day was recognized and legislation was passed in 1995. Sarkis Assadourian, an Armenian-Canadian politician of the Liberal party of Canada known for his great support of Toronto’s Armenian community and now serving as the official government judge in the city of Toronto, moved Motion Number 273. The motion, in part stated that the House of Commons, in its opinion, had urged the Government to consider the proposal passed to designate the second Sunday of each September as the day to commemorate Grandparents Day. The motion further showed that the purpose of that day was to acknowledge the important role that family structures play in the upbringing, education, and nurturing of children in the society. The agreed motion was passed making the day a National holiday in Canada.

National Grandparents Day is an important day to celebrate intergenerational relationships and has become a day to organize events that bring families and communities together. This has also become a day for children to show their love and appreciation for their grandparents and senior members of the community. This in turn makes them feel valued. The legacy of McQuade will continue to inspire both the young and the old to honor each other.