NATIONAL GRANDPARENTS DAY

On the Sunday following Labor Day, National Grandparents Day, honors the love only grandparents can provide. 

Grandparents and their grandchildren share a special bond. These hugging, caring and patient people in the lives of children offer more than a generous dose of love. Grandparents provide an abundance of wisdom. They also offer guidance and stability. 

When grandchildren need a story, grandparents tell the best. A grandparent’s wealth of family history and lore offers lessons of their own. Through humorous stories and some serious ones, grandparents gently point grandchildren in the right direction.

In 2004, the National Grandparents Day Council of Chula Vista, California announced a song for the day. A Song for Grandma and Grandpa by Johnny Prill became the official song of the United States National Grandparents Day holiday. The Council presented Prill with the National Songwriter’s Award for his song, too.  

The forget-me-not is the official flower for National Grandparents Day. 

As the number of grandparents grows from 65 million in 2011 to 80 million in 2020, expect the observance to increase in significance, too. 

NATIONAL GRANDPARENTS DAY HISTORY

Celebrated in the United States since 1978,  the United States Senate and President Jimmy Carter nationally recognized Marian McQuade of Oak Hill, West Virginia as the founder of National Grandparents Day. McQuade made it her goal to educate the youth in the community about the significant contributions that seniors have made throughout history. It was also her hope to have the youth “adopt” a grandparent, not just for one day or a year, but rather for a lifetime.

The Joint Resolution

In February of 1977, Senator Randolph along with the concurrence of other senators introduced a joint resolution to the Senate. The resolution requested the president to “issue annually a proclamation designating the first Sunday of September after Labor Day of each year as National Grandparents Day.” After Congress passed the resolution, on August 3, 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation. 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.”

Other Claims

Others claim the origin of this holiday resides with the efforts of Hermine Beckett Hanna of North Syracuse, New York. She recognized seniors and their importance as early as 1961. New York Congressman James T. Walsh awarded her efforts on February 21, 1990, in front of the United States House of Representatives. He also thanked Hermine Beckett Hanna “for her important role in the establishment of Grandparents Day.”

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HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalGrandparentsDay

While we have our grandparents in our lives, it is important to cherish them. Spend time with your grandparents. Learn about their life and ask questions to keep the stories coming. Do the things they enjoy doing. Sometimes, they only want to spend time with you. 

How else can you celebrate the day?
  • Pick up the phone! Surprise your grandparents with a much-awaited phone conversation.
  • Take your grandparents on an adventure. Plan a day doing their favorite things – one of which is probably spending time with you.
  • Write a letter to your grandparents. Share with them the things you’ve been doing. They will read your letter over and over.
  • Learn something from a grandparent. Have you always wanted to know how to make Grandma’s pecan pie or catch a whopper from the river? Grandma or Grandpa will probably show you how. You only need to ask.
  • Help them out. Clean out a flower bed. Take out the trash. Mow the lawn. Paint a room. Fix the internet. Run an errand. The list goes on.
  • Take a photo. Sometimes we forget to capture moments with the people we love the most. Take a photo with your grandparent and make sure they get a copy.
  • Speaking of photos, spend some time looking through old photos with your grandparents. Ask them questions about the people in them and record the information.
  • Adopt a grandparent. As surprising as it may seem, there are some of our older generations who have no grandchildren. However, they still have love and wisdom to share. 

If you no longer have living grandparents, share a fond memory of them. Remember something each of them taught you or one of the fun things you used to do. You can also write down your memories to share with future generations. 

Use #NationalGrandparentsDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL ELEPHANT APPRECIATION DAY

If you didn’t remember September 22 is National Elephant Appreciation Day, it’s fine. We’re sure the elephant probably didn’t forget.

People of all ages are fascinated by elephants. Discover some interesting facts about them to celebrate with us! 

These captivating and social animals live between 60 to 70 years. Like humans, elephants develop remarkably close family bonds. Two species, the African Savannah and Asian elephant, exist. However, recently scientists suggested that the African Forest elephant is also a unique species and not a subspecies. 

Each day, poachers kill approximately 100 elephants for their ivory, meat, bones, and skin. 

These pachyderms are closely related to rhinoceroses and hippos. In fact, pachyderm describes thick-skinned animals with hooves or nails similar to hooves. While the African elephants outgrow the Asian, both hold the prize for the largest land mammal on earth. However, there are some differences between the species, though. 

Differences Between African & Asian Elephants:

  • The African elephant grows larger ears.
  • In the Asian species, only the male grows tusks. However, in the African, both male and female elephants grow tusks.
  • One of the things that fascinate us about elephants is their trunk. It’s super sensitive. At the end, a small finger-like appendage grows. The appendage, also known as a lobe, gives elephants the ability to pick up small twigs, bits of grass and other items. On the Asian elephant, the lobe grows at the top tip of the trunk. However, the African elephant grows a lobe at the top and bottom, giving it extra pinching dexterity. 
  • Both species live in herds. The herds are led primarily by a matriarch and comprised of sisters, daughters and their young. As the males grow, they move off on their own. Asian herds tend to be smaller than the African herds.
  • While both species are herbivores, their diets vary based on the available habitat. 

Elephants are spirited and playful animals. Have you ever seen them frolic in the water?  And they will defend their own with their mighty tusks. Whether foraging for food or digging a mud hole, their tusks are vital for survival. Since hunters value the ivory more than the life of the elephant, they endanger the continued existence of these majestic animals. 

Do elephants never forget? Well, studies have determined that elephants have excellent memories. They remember vital locations over large areas of land. Elephants also show recognition of faces and other elephants even after a long time has passed. And while we may be forgetful from time to time, we don’t recommend forgetting this holiday!

NATIONAL ELEPHANT APPRECIATION DAY HISTORY

National Elephant Appreciation Day originated in 1996 to raise awareness concerning the plight of elephants. 

The word “pachyderm” is often used in reference to an elephant. However, the elephant isn’t the only pachyderm in the world. The obsolete term was once a classification of animals which also included hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, pigs, and tapirs.

Elephants do sleep standing up, though not all the time. Wild elephants will spend more time sleeping standing up than their captive relatives.

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National Wildlife Day

National Urban Wildlife Refuge Day

National Wildlife Conservation Day

National Endangered Species Day

World Lion Day

National Monkey Day

National Pig Day

National Elephant Day

National Dolphin Day

National Wildlife Week

World Wildlife Day

National American Eagle Day

Save the Eagles Day

National Panda Day

International Red Panda Day

National Zoo Lovers Day

National Zoo and Aquarium Month

HOW TO OBSERVE ELEPHANT APPRECIATION DAY

Don’t forget to celebrate the Elephant on September 22nd! Show your appreciation today by visiting the elephants at your local zoo. Get involved. Learn about conservation and eliminating poaching.

Read up about elephants. We suggest The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony or Love, Live and Elephants: An African Love Story by Daphne Sheldrick. You could also read Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss or any of the Babar stories by Jean de Brunhoff.

Documentaries bring the life of the elephant into our living rooms. Watch Elephant directed by Mark Linfield or When Elephants Were Young directed by Patricia Sims.

Use #ElephantAppreciationDay to post on social media.

WORLD ELEPHANT DAY

Join in the worldwide observance on August 12 as we celebrate of one of Earth’s most magnificent creatures on World Elephant Day.

As the largest living land animal on earth, elephants weigh up to 9 tons and stand almost 13 feet high. They have large ears and a long trunk used for drinking, grabbing things, smelling and breathing. Interestingly, elephants also use their trunk as a way to defend themselves. 

Elephants are native to Africa and Asia. There are two types of African elephant species–the savanna elephant and forest elephant. Only Asian male elephants grow tusks, while both African male and female elephants can grow tusks. Interestingly, Asian elephants only have one “finger’ on their trunk and African elephants have two. 

5 Elephant Tidbits

  1. An elephant has around 150,000 muscles in their trunk, allowing breath, drink, and smell.
  2. Elephant skin is around 2.5 cm thick. The wrinkles in their skin holds water to help keep them cool. 
  3. On average, an elephant eats around 300 pounds of food a day, including grass, tree shrubs, fruit, and leaves. 
  4. Elephants can communicate by feeling vibrations in their bones, carried through the ground.
  5. The temporal lobe responsible for memory is larger than a human, meaning an elephant has an amazing memory.

Elephants are spirited and playful animals. Have you ever seen them frolic in the water? And they will defend their own with their mighty tusks. Whether foraging for food or digging a mud hole, their tusks are vital for survival. Since hunters value the ivory more than the life of the elephant, they endanger the continued existence of these majestic animals. 

Elephants are in danger of extinction. Poaching for ivory from the tusks and loss of habitat are two of the main problems elephants face today. Through communication, awareness, and community involvement, we can protect this animal and the beauty they bring to nature. 

WORLD ELEPHANT DAY HISTORY

We encourage you to learn more about elephants by visiting the WorldElephantDay.org website. 

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CELEBRATE WORLD ELEPHANT DAY

Show your appreciation today by visiting the elephants at your local zoo. Get involved. Learn about conservation and eliminating poaching. Watch a documentary about elephants to learn more about this majestic creature. Use #ElephantAppreciationDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL WEED YOUR GARDEN DAY

National Weed Your Garden Day on June 13th each year serves as a reminder to all gardeners to take an extra 5 or 10 minutes while weeding their gardens.

One of the best gardening tips is to stay in control of your garden. Unfortunately, weeds grow fast, very fast. With inattention, they can soon become overwhelming. Giving daily attention to your garden makes it easier to maintain. Weeding 5 or 10 minutes each day will make the job seem bearable. It might even be enjoyable. This way you will be in control, and the weeds will not!

Excessive and unwanted weeds will crowd out plant roots and steal the nutrients that are needed for the plants to grow nice and be healthy. Helpful tips on reducing weeds in your garden:

  • Cover the soil along rows and between plants with mulch.
  • Make sure to keep all weeds away from young plants.
  • Plant your plants closely together to leave less room for weed growth.
  • Have soil weed-free before planting.
  • Make sure you do not let any of the weeds go to seed.
  • Keep the edges of your yard mowed short to lessen the invasion of weeds onto your property and into your garden.

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HOW TO OBSERVE National Weed Your Garden Day

Take time to weed your garden as you celebrate today. In addition, you can celebrate by:

  • Committing to regular weeding to reduce weed growth.
  • Weeding after a good rainfall while the soil is soft makes it easier to clean by the roots. 
  • Weeding your garden with a friend to makes the job go faster and feel more like a celebration!
  • Rewarding yourself with tall glass of something iced and refreshing as you admire your weed-free garden.

Use #NationalWeedYourGardenDay to post on social media.

GATHERING OF NATIONS

The Gathering of Nations is the largest pow-wow in North America. It is always the fourth weekend in April every year, on the Powwow Grounds at Expo NM, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. More than 565 tribes from around the United States and 220 from Canada travel to Albuquerque to participate.

The Gathering of Nations Pow Wow is a two-day event for all people (Indian and Non-Indian) to come see colorful Native American Pow Wow dancing, to hear the songs and become enlightened with emotional happiness!

With over 3,000+ indigenous/Native American/Indian dancers and Singers representing more than 500+ tribes from Canada and the United States come to the Gathering of Nations Pow Wow annually to participate socially and competitively.

It has been said by many that the Gathering of Nations PowWow is the Mecca of Indian Country; while others have said “There is a magic about the “Gathering.”

Many people from around the world have made the Gathering of Nations Powwow their travel destination. The Gathering of Nations has grown to become more than just a “Powwow“, it’s an experience! While the Miss Indian World Pageant has become the largest and most prestigious Cultural Pageant for young Native/Indigenous women over the years.

HISTORY

The Gathering of Nations began “unofficially” in 1983 at the University of Albuquerque, in ABQ, NM.  In 1984, the event took on the name Gathering of Nations Powwow, which was held on the NM Fair Grounds in the small Horse Arena, for two challenging years.  After the two years at the Horse Arena, GON knew it had to move to a larger venue.

Explore more heritages… Learning our commonalities help unite us.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Visit the Gathering of Nations website.
Follow on social media with: #GatheringOfNations and #MissIndianWorldPageant
Follow on Facebook 
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