The first Sunday after Labor Day is always Grandparents’ Day in the United States, so you better hop to it to find that perfect Grandparents’ Day gift, card, or other token of appreciation and love. Everyone knows Grandma and Grandpa would love just about anything from you or from your kids, but sometimes it’s nice to surprise them with something they can use — or wear proudly — to show off the fact that they are indeed the very coolest grandparents around. Whether they want to use customized mugs, customized shirts, or customized signs or blankets, they’ll love to be reminded of their favorite people on the planet — their grandkids. Show them how much you care and honor them with one of these sweet Grandparents’ Day Gifts below.
What is Grandparents’ Day?
This year, Grandparents’ Day falls on Sept. 11, and the holiday is always celebrated on the first Sunday after Labor Day. Similar to Father’s Day and Mother’s Day, Grandparents’ Day is a day to honor and show your appreciation and love for the grandparents in your life.
And the coolest part about this holiday is Grandparents’ Day was almost started by a letter from a 9-year-old boy. When a young Russell sent a letter suggesting that a day should be set aside to celebrate grandparents, Nixon was president at the time, and his personal secretary responded:
“Dear Russell,
Thank you for your letter to President Nixon. Your suggestion regarding a Grandparents’ 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.”
But a woman named Marian McQuade had been advocating for this holiday since 1956. She was later recognized by the U.S. Senate and by President Jimmy Carter as the founder of National Grandparents’ Day because she wanted to “educate the youth about the importance of seniors and the contributions they have made throughout history.” She then urged the youth to “adopt” a grandparent, and thereby “learn more about their lives, challenges, and desires for the future.”
After her adopt-a-senior initiative, President Jimmy Carter officially made National Grandparents’ Day an annual holiday. And now we celebrate it to this day by taking grandparents out to lunch, buying Grandparents’ Day gifts, and more.
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Honor the grandparents in your life for all they do — like showering your children with love, affection, and knowing how to spoil the mess out of them — by ordering one of these Grandparents Day gifts as soon as possible. You know they’ll absolutely cherish them forever, even if the gift is a hand-drawn card by their grandkid.