Funny, affectionate, sometimes messy, but without them we could not live ... the grandparents! Their love has accompanied us since childhood, and protects us from the lectures of mom and Pope, as well as turning a blind eye to our mischief. Grandparents know how to give us unique smiles, and prepare all sorts of delicacies. An old saying asserts that grandchildren are children twice, and judging by the work of these guardian angels, he is quite right. Grandparents are so important that they wanted to celebrate their affection with an official anniversary, the Grandparents' Day!
The Feast of the grandparents, yesterday and today
Celebrated in Italy on 2 October, the Grandparents' Day represents a truly exceptional day. What better excuse to pamper our beloved grandparents more, and to reciprocate their affection with a nice gift? Although this festival is very much felt all over the world, its origin is certified Made in USA. Yes, because back in 1978 then President Jimmy Carter, decreed the Grandparents' Day as a new anniversary. The proposal came from a warm Southern housewife, Marian McQuade, then a resident of West Virginia. The woman had fifteen children, and she herself became the grandmother of forty grandchildren. Who better than Mrs. McQuade knew what it meant to be a grandmother! He promoted the initiative of a national day dedicated to grandparents, with the aim of transmitting the inestimable value that this loving and wise figure had (and still has) in society.
Today in the United States, National Grandparents' Day is celebrated on the first Sunday in September, after Labor Day. In Italyinstead, the idea of the Grandparents' Day was promulgated by Maria Zanni and Michele Armetta, proud supporters of the event. Later Arturo Croci, Wim Van Meeuwen and Walter Pironi founded the official committee of the grandparents' day, in 1997. There is even a law that establishes the Grandparents' Day, and it is law n. 159 of 31 July 2005, which establishes the importance of the role played by grandparents within families and society in general. The same provision also provides for a national award for the grandfather and grandmother of Italy, awarded by the President of the Republic. It is no coincidence that the 2 October, since this is the day you the guardian angels celebrate in the calendar of saints.
Grandfather and grandmother: love and… pedagogy on their side
They hold us tight, fill us with pampering, and love us without reserve. Grandparents really deserve a party of their own, no doubt about it. Their presence in our life is essential from an emotional point of view, but not only. Through their love and their teachings they make us more complete people, because they increase our value system, passing it down over the years. According to the educator Alice Moncelli, «Between grandparents and grandchildren, generally, a unique, magical and special relationship develops in which to learn to grow and deal with life. A grandfather or a grandmother not only transmit a sense of tradition, but also of continuity between the old teachings and the new ones, in a sort of "educational pact". Furthermore, grandparents can teach a grandson to have more patience and to respect the times of a person "with a certain age" ".
Thanks to their wisdom and experience, grandparents are able to give us the improved version of ourselves. We learn from them how to behave in many situations, and we can teach this valuable information to our children. It cannot be forgotten that the flower associated with the Grandparents' Day is the do not forget me. In its bright blue, this homage of nature retains all the meaning of how nothing can separate us from the wonderful memory of our grandparents. Even when they're gone, their love doesn't stop watching over us, making us feel safe and protected at all times. On October 2nd, we take a moment out of our hectic days to pamper our dear grandparents a little, and celebrate them properly!
