This Is Why Grandparents Day Was Never Meant to Be a Commercial Holiday

This year's holiday falls on September 13th. Before you go out and buy a cheesy card, read this.

You're aware that Grandparents Day, observed every year on the Sunday following Labor Day, is a holiday dedicated to honoring your parents' parents. You could send them a card or call them. But how did the holiday become a thing? Was it all a big marketing ploy to sell more stuff or was it all a sweet, sincere desire to celebrate the young at heart?

In fact, it is the former. When Marian McQuade, a West Virginia native, first came up with the idea for the holiday, commercialism was the last thing on her mind. McQuade was attempting to organize a celebration for the elderly members of her community in 1956. She was saddened to learn that many of the senior citizens in the nursing home did not receive frequent visits from their families. As a result, she set out to create a day to honor and appreciate grandparents. Here's a hint: unless you're discussing these specific topics, always follow your grandparents' advice.

Grandparents Day became an official holiday in 1978 as a result of a federal proclamation signed by President Jimmy Carter. It's also not just for grandparents. According to the National Grandparents Day Council, it is also intended to "give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children's children." In any case, McQuade never intended for the holiday to be a profit-making venture. Mother's Day has a similar origin story; in fact, its founder wanted it to be phased out in the 1920s after seeing how commercialized it had become.

Despite McQuade's intentions, card companies and florists were ecstatic about the prospect of a new holiday. They made a concerted effort to publicize it as widely as possible. In fact, Hallmark predicted that by 1983, Grandparents Day would be the sixth most popular holiday for card sales. But, to their chagrin, it never gained traction as a commercial holiday. Many other holidays now outsell it in terms of card sales, including Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, graduations, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and even St. Patrick's Day. However, it is far outpacing these outlandish holidays.

Many families celebrate the holiday in much more meaningful ways. Even if your grandparents live far away, you can still celebrate with them; just ask this long-distance grandma. Every year, Danielle Kirsch of GreatCall celebrates by trying a new activity with her grandmother Elsie. “We'll be painting together this year,” she tells Reader's Digest. Molly Arnold's grandmother is no longer alive, but she still finds a lovely way to commemorate the holiday. Arnold is the Chief Operations Officer of the Frank and Barbara Broyles Foundation, which she established in memory of her grandmother, Barbara Broyles, who died of Alzheimer's disease. The experience, according to Arnold, “inspired [her family] to establish the Broyles Foundation as a resource for caregivers, both family and professional, across the United States.” These are ideal gifts for the grandparents in your life.

However, just because the holiday isn't about buying presents doesn't mean you can't exchange them. According to Spruce.com, grandparents should give their grandchildren gifts, particularly those that “honor family traditions.” For example, this heartfelt gift from a grandfather to his granddaughter was intended as a birthday present, but we think it's a great Grandparents Day idea.