I had meant to let you know yesterday was May 25th and we was supposed to celebrate Sibling Appreciation Day #SiblingAppreciationDay. I don’t know about you but I have a sister and brother and for the most part we are close. This makes me sad because David has 2 other daughters and a son and none of them are close and for the most part Charlie doesn’t know his sister’s or brothers and no, matter how many times I’ve tried to change that it hasn’t happened and I don’t think it ever will.
If your blessed to have siblings they are our family, and they are a huge part of our lives. Which is why we celebrate them on National Siblings Day every April 10th! The holiday is also known as ‘World Siblings Day.’ Siblings are our best friends and sometimes our worst enemies. Our siblings encourage us to be our best, embarrass us, and be our biggest motivators and competitors.
It’s now growing into a nationwide day of both remembrance and celebration. Three U.S. presidents have recognized the event most recently, President Obama in 2016. The “Siblings Day Foundation”, sponsors of this day, gained non-profit status in 1999. They are working on establishing a United Nations resolution for an International Siblings Day.
here is a fun tip I will be sharing with Charlie in his Homeschool Classes. Hindu peoples celebrate Raksha Bandhan to celebrate the bond between brothers and sisters. In Raksha Bandhan, Hindu women tie a band around their brother’s wrists, symbolizing that the sister will protect them. The brothers give a gift in return, both agreeing to protect and care for each other. The festival has ancient origins but is still popular to this day. Raksha Bandhan is the earliest known celebration of siblings!
Claudia Evart created the US holiday in 1995 after losing her brother and sister at a very early age. She realized what an important role siblings have in our lives, so she created National Sibling Day to honor the memory of her siblings. For the holiday, Claudia chose April 10th her late sister Lisette’s birthday. Mother’s Day has been around since 1907, and Father’s Day has been around since 1910. This makes almost 100 years without a day honoring our siblings!
Claudia founded the “Siblings Day Foundation” which continues to spread the mission of honoring our siblings. The foundation is working to make the holiday federally recognized in the United states, and are working on establishing an International Siblings Day through the United Nations. Since 1998, 49 states have issued gubernatorial proclamations to observe this day on April 10; three US presidents have recognized the holiday.
Sibling love is global Australia, India, and Spain are only a few of the Countries that celebrate Siblings Day. In Europe, National Siblings Day is celebrated as Brothers and Sisters Day on May 31st. The President of the Republic of Portugal has even recognized Siblings Day as a holiday!
TRADITIONS
Behind every tradition is a great story. National Siblings Day traditions vary for everyone. Sibling rivalries, inside jokes, and experiences that only siblings can relate to are all part of the day’s celebrations. Later in life, these memories become traditions; recreating a recipe from childhood, bringing out the photo albums with baby photographs, visiting places that hold meaning, and calling each other by strange nicknames.
Although siblings often feel as though the other is cramping their style, brothers and sisters spend more time together on National Siblings Day. They go out to their favorite eatery, take drives together, go to an arcade to revisit childhood memories, and do other activities to show how much they actually adore each other, without getting too mushy about it. Another popular tradition in the past few years is recreating childhood photos. The outfits and poses from a memorable photograph are re-enacted and posted on social media.
HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL SIBLINGS DAY 2021
- Remember that time you cut their hair while they were sleeping? Shouldn’t everyone see it? Sharing childhood photos and memories will absolutely bring a smile to their face and who knows, they may post some of their own memories!
- Give your sibling that warm and fuzzy feeling! A heartfelt text can make their day, but seeing the effort that you put into a handwritten note can really make them smile. Who doesn’t love opening a thoughtful, hand-picked card?
- Write down a list of the top 10 things you love about your siblings or great memories you’ve experienced with them. Share it with your sibling or on social media and give them a shout-out. It’ll delight you as you’re writing it and it will certainly remind your sibling of just how special your relationship is.
FACTS ABOUT SIBLINGS THAT WILL SURPRISE YOU
- Firstborns tend to have an academic advantage over their younger siblings. So unfair, right? But… it is life isn’t it?
- According to a recent Harvard study, younger siblings have a better sense of humor than their older siblings.
- Studies have shown having a sibling of the opposite sex makes you more attractive to the opposite sex when dating.
- A study of British families found that in families with multiple children, the younger children tend to be about an inch shorter on average. I can agree with that because my sister is shorter than I am. But our brother is the middle child and he is the tallest.
- Birth order matters! If you’re a middle child, you’re more likely to marry a middle child; if you’re the oldest, you’re likely to marry an oldest child. Again I can agree to this because David is the oldest child in his family and Charlie’s girlfriend is the oldest in her family.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL SIBLINGS DAY
- Your siblings grew up with you and have seen you at your worst and at your best. Your siblings were there when you decided to cut your own hair… and when they had to help you fix it. Your siblings were by your side when your crush rejected you. Your brothers and sisters understand you and they love you no matter what.
- If you’re a younger sibling, you look to your older sibling to show you the ways of the world. Sure, mom and dad teach you things, but there’s nothing like the wisdom our siblings impart upon us and they teach you the secret sibling knowledge that parents just can’t.
- The same genetic material that went into making you went into making your siblings. Sometimes, you might feel like your sibling is from another planet, but you share about 50% of the same genetic makeup which is why DNA is cool!
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
