PARENTS DAY

By Diane Forrest

This has been a very family oriented month...this past week especially.  We had cousin's day, aunt and uncle day, Family reunion Month, and today is Parent's Day.  Now you are probably wondering why parent's day?  We have a Mother's Day and a Father's Day aren’t they getting enough recognition?

According to Wikipedia, In the United States, Parents' Day is held on the fourth Sunday of every July. This was established in 1994 when President Bill Clinton signed a Congressional Resolution into law (36 U.S.C. § 135) for "recognizing, uplifting, and supporting the role of parents in the rearing of children. “The bill was introduced by Republican Senator Trent Lott. It was supported by members of the Unification Church, which also celebrates a holiday called Parents' Day, although on a different date. United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has said: "Replacing Mother's Day and Father's Day with a Parents' Day should be considered, as an observance more consistent with a policy of minimizing traditional sex-based differences in parental roles."  Leave it to a senator from Mississippi to come up with yet another holiday to honor our family members.

According to dateandtime.com, Parents’ Day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday each year. Citizens, organizations, and federal, state, and local governmental and legislative entities are encouraged to recognize Parents’ Day through proclamations, activities, and educational efforts to recognize, uplift and support the role of parents in bringing up their children.

The Parents’ Day Council plays an active role in celebrating and promoting Parents’ Day through a range of events and activities.  For example, the council honors “Parents of the Year” at local, state and national levels. Those who have been nominated or selected are people who exemplify the standard and ideal of positive parenthood. Exemplary parents from each state are nominated for “National Parents of the Year”.

Parents’ Day is a popular time for people to send cards and gifts, including flowers, cakes and food hampers, to those who play an important role as a positive parental figure in their lives. It is also a time for families to come together for lunches or dinners. Special tributes to parental figures that are seen as role models are made through local announcements, at church services, or at local community events. Parents’ Day proclamations and rallies have been held in recent times and involved organizations such as the United Civil Rights Councils of America.

How will you be celebrating Parent's Day?