Grandparents Day Archives

When Is Grandparents’ Day?

Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children.

̶ Alex Haley

grandparents day grandfather holding grandson on beach

Where would we be without grandparents? They’re the glue that bonds us and all our relatives together, the piece of the family puzzle that holds everything in place. They show us unshakable compassion, attention, and love, and, more often than not, are our favorite relatives, too.

Grandparents are a big deal, and we love them so much there’s even a nationally recognized holiday dedicated to them — National Grandparents’ Day!

In honor of this special day, which this year falls on Sept. 10, let’s learn more about how it came to be along with some ideas for showing our grandparents how much we treasure them.

The history of National Grandparents’ Day

The origins of National Grandparents’ Day date back to 1961. During a White House conference on aging, a man named Jacob Reingold found inspiration in a speech that focused on the new image of the aged and was determined to figure out how to honor the role of grandparents.

That same year, Reingold helped facilitate the first Grandparents’ Day at the Hebrew Home at Riverdale, in the Bronx, and in 1963 the borough recognized Grandparents’ Day as an official holiday.

The next big step occurred in 1970, when a woman named Marian Lucille Herndon McQuade of Oak Hill, West Virginia, started a campaign to establish a special day of recognition for grandparents. McQuade was well qualified to lead the charge: She had 15 children, 43 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild, and had worked with senior citizens for many years.

Her idea caught the attention of Sen. Jennings Randolph of West Virginia. Randolph petitioned to have Grandparents’ Day established as a statewide holiday, which Gov. Arch Moore did in 1973, and continued to work to have the day recognized as a national holiday. Finally, with McQuade’s help, the senator’s efforts paid off, and in 1978 Congress declared the first Sunday after Labor Day to be National Grandparents’ Day. President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation on Sept. 6, 1979, three days before the holiday’s first nationwide celebration.

Why do we celebrate National Grandparents’ Day?

The original proclamation described National Grandparents’ Day as a time to “honor grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children’s children, and to help children become aware of the strength, information, and guidance older people can offer.”

While the day is dedicated to thanking grandparents for their love and support, it is also a time to make children aware of the great wisdom their grandparents and other elderly community members have, and how they can learn from them.

7 ways to celebrate National Grandparents’ Day

There are so many things you can do on National Grandparents’ Day to show grandma and grandpa your appreciation for how much they’ve shaped your life. Just the simple act of setting aside some time for them and letting them know you care has numerous benefits, for young and old alike.

Here are seven simple yet heartwarming ideas they’re sure to love.

1. Send them a hand-written note

Can’t make it in person? Surprise grandma and grandpa with a heartfelt letter written by hand. Include a photo of you together to really pull at their heartstrings.

grandparents day granddaughter spending time with grandmother

2. Tend to their yard or garden

Show an interest in their prized garden by giving it some TLC! Whether it be simply watering the plants, pulling the weeds, or actually planting some seeds, grandma and grandpa will surely appreciate the thought and effort.

3. Take them out to lunch

Cater to their favorite cuisine, or surprise them with a unique dining experience they have never tried before. If you want to be a little more hands-on, you can cook them a meal or have one delivered to their home.

4. Bond over the arts

Does grandpa love to watch classic films? Or maybe grandma loves to paint. Find out their favorite artistic activity and indulge in a day discussing favorites, swapping masterpieces, or embarking on a new artistic venture together.

Grandma and grandpa have a long history together, most of which you probably do not even know about. Serve up some coffee and desserts and ask them to share some of their fondest and most interesting memories — you may be surprised at what you learn!

active senior with grandkids riding bikes in nature

6. Spend time doing their favorite activity

Be it baking, fishing, or even dancing, join them in partaking in their favorite past time. You may find you enjoy it just as much as they do!

7. Surprise them with a framed photo

Enlist the help of family members to dig up old photos of the two of them together. Then, gift them this photo framed and ready for hanging.

Gift ideas for National Grandparents’ Day

What do you do for your grandparents if you live too far away to spend the day with them? Send them a gift! Here are some popular options any set of grandparents would love to receive.

grandparents day Family Sunflower Windchime — Family Sunflower Windchime

grandparents day Majestic Grandeur Gourmet Gift Basket — Majestic Grandeur Gourmet Gift Basket

grandparents day Bloom Dish Garden — Bloom Dish Garden

Of course, you can never go wrong with flowers. Check out our guide to the perfect blooms to send for National Grandparents’ Day.

Celebrating Grandparents

Our Sunday letters are direct from our Chairman and CEO and aim to provide a message of hope and inspiration. We share the best stories that show how others aim to express, connect and celebrate the people most important to them during these trying times.

In anticipation of celebrating Grandparents’ day today, we asked our customers to share some of their favorite memories. We were blown away by the touching stories we received about the connections and importance of expression. As grandfathers ourselves, it warmed our hearts to see the impact and significance of grandparents on their families.

We’re strong believers in relationships and in the value of expressing and connecting with family and friends. Whether making something by hand, calling someone directly, writing a personal note or an impactful song, what’s most important is communicating your feelings. Try saying what you’ve wanted to say but never did. However you choose to share your feelings, what’s important is that you express yourself. SHARE YOUR STORY

The Power Of Stories We Heard

With that in mind, we wanted to share a few responses we received. First, Hannah, who told us that she is most grateful for her grandparents who taught her about true love. Hannah was fortunate enough to travel from Ohio to North Carolina to celebrate her grandparents’ 60th wedding anniversary. Despite their poor health and the loss of a son, her Ma and Papa show the strength of their marriage, which also bonds their entire family.

Maria told us the story of her grandmother, Jeanette, who she described as “a one-of-a-kind soul” and her best friend. Jeanette would cook every night and bake every week. And she did this not to feed, but to love and ensure that her family was together and would always remind Maria around the importance of a loving family.

Maria cherishes the memories of playing card games with Jeanette (who would always let her win) as well as their monthly lunches, where they would discuss life and Jeanette would share advice. Above all, though, Maria fondly remembers her grandmother for her non-judgmental advice that helped make her the woman she is today.

This week the fast-moving Glendower/Almeda fire has swept through the Rogue Valley of Oregon, where our Harry & David campus is located. There has been terrible devastation and loss to the community and many of our employees have suffered loss to their property. We are grateful that our operations weren’t significantly impacted. Our thoughts, prayers and response efforts are with our team, their families and this wonderful community in the Rogue Valley. In light of such loss, a wonderful story emerged from Nicole and her grandmother, both Harry & David team members.

Nicole told us the story of her grandmother Joanne, who helped her single father raise her. Gram, as Nicole knows her, began working in the packing house at Harry & David, back in 1972. She stayed at Harry & David, working in several different roles, until she retired in 2005. Retirement apparently didn’t suit her, though, because Gram began working again part time at the Harry & David Country Village Flagship store.

Thanks to all of you who sent in stories and cherished memories. Please keep sharing here: SHARE YOUR STORY

Thank Your Grandparents, They’ll Appreciate It

Remember to use your personal power to influence how people feel. In this case, any grandparents in your life. Tell them how much they mean to you and how you admire what a good grandparent they are. Even if it’s asking them about their own grandparents or a tale from their childhood, on this Grandparents’ Day make sure to foster those relationships so they grow for years to come. And if a grandparent has passed on, share your special memories of them with your friends and family as a way to remember them.

However you choose to celebrate the grandparents in your life, it’s worth remembering to continuously express our love and appreciation for the special people in your life. No gesture is too small; it’s truly the thought that counts.

All the best,
Jim and Chris

Happy Grandparents Day

As we celebrate Labor Day this weekend and think of our letter last weekend on how different plans are this year versus the past, our thoughts turn to Grandparents Day next Sunday, Sept. 13.

There is a beautiful saying about the bond between grandparents and grandchildren. Grandchildren are a grandparent’s link to the future, while grandparents are child’s link to the past. As proud grandfathers, this rings true.

We were chatting with Juliet Scott-Croxford, CEO of Worth. She and her husband, both from England, are delighted to be buying a house in the New York City suburbs because they’ll have more room for their 3-year-old son. The downside was telling their parents because it confirms that their residence in New York is more permanent — and means much less time with their grandson, whom they haven’t seen now in nine months.

That’s a similar case for a friend of ours whose family normally visits grandparents in Michigan each summer. Because they couldn’t make the trip this year, those grandparents have missed a quarter of their 4-year-old grandchild’s life. As grandparents, we worry we’ll never be able to make up that lost time.

You also might have missed a visit and may be looking for ways you can still connect on this special day.

Celebrate Grandparents Day, However You Can

This is a great time to share a special message with your loved ones — that you love and appreciate how much they enrich your life. In some cases, grandparents, children, and grandchildren won’t be able to spend the day together in person, but there are still ways to connect on this special day.

Our gifting experts recently shared a blog post detailing nine ways to celebrate Grandparents’ Day, with some things you can do and ways you can celebrate. These are suggestions, and we share others.

Instead of buying a card, ask each grandchild to recount their five greatest memories of their grandparents in a hand-written note directly to, grandparents, as well as an email to the entire family. Memories and appreciation are what make grandparents feel special.

Another idea is to use those memories as the launch of a letter-writing campaign. Write a hard-copy letter and mail it to grandparents. Ask them to respond in writing, and then keep it going. It’s so personal to keep a card written in a treasured person’s handwriting, and it creates a regular correspondence that can strengthen the relationship. Ask them to share stories about their lives, and, in return, tell them in detail about yours.

It’s incredible how you can know someone so well but not know much about their past. This is especially true with grandparents. So, make Grandparents Day extra special by learning more about your family history by creating a memory journal, with instructions on how to get started here.

You could do this in several different formats:

Record a video
Through an interview or a personal story, videos can capture your grandparents’ stories for generations to come.

Complete a shared journal together
Purchase memory journals that already have prompts, or you can create your own journal with your own questions. Pass the journal back and forth with your grandparents over the years to share favorite memories together.

Create a photo scrapbook
Gather old pictures of your grandparents and create a photo album for them. You may also add photos of your memories side by side with your grandparents for comparison!

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We hope that you’ll get started on these soon and share with us some of your favorite memories of your grandparents or tales of their adventures. Please visit to share your stories.

And for all the fellow grandparents out there, it’s true that we hold their tiny hands for a while, but they hold our hearts forever.

All the best,
Jim and Chris

P.S. Chris joined Yahoo! Finance’s “The Final Round” to speak about consumer trends and how 1-800-FLOWERS.COM has responded to the ongoing pandemic by doubling down on our vision to inspire connection, expression, and celebration. Watch here

The upcoming holiday season is sure to be unlike any other we have ever seen.  Jim joined @FaithPopcorn, @adamhanft and @Maggy Wilkinson on their new podcast #Jolty to discuss the jolts sure to be faced by all during the holidays. Take a listen

Jim has recently launched a new series on Worth – entitled “Aftershocks,” Jim delves into the unintended consequences that various sectors and industries will experience in a post-pandemic world. The inaugural column is here.

6 Best Flowers for National Grandparents’ Day

Young woman bringing birthday flowers to her grandmother

Children and their grandparents have a special bond unlike any other. After all, who else are you going to turn to when mom and dad say no? But, in addition to being the ones who take your side and sneak you extra cookies, grandparents offer unconditional and unwavering love and support.

In honor of National Grandparents’ Day, which is celebrated on the first Sunday of September after Labor Day, it’s time to flip the script and start spoiling them!

Official Grandparents’ Day flower

The official flower of National Grandparents’ Day is the forget-me-not, which blooms in the spring. Forget-me-nots are small blue flowers that grow anywhere from 4 to 12 inches. Their genus name is Myosotis, which is a combination of the Latin words myo, meaning “mouse,” and sotis, meaning “ear.” They are also referred to as “scorpion grass,” for their clusters of flowers that have a tendency to curl, thus resembling a scorpion’s tail.

Depending on who they’re given to and for what occasion, forget-me-nots can represent remembrance, devotion, love, and respect — which explains why they are so appropriate for National Grandparents’ Day.

Best flowers for Grandparents’ Day

Forget-me-nots, however, are not flowers that are traditionally sold as part of arrangements…but plenty of others are!

So, whether you live down the block or across the country from your grandparents, surprise them with a stunning bouquet of any of these blooms that will surely make their day.

Sunflowers

With the sun setting earlier and earlier, you can brighten their day with arguably the “sunniest” flower of them all — the sunflower! Able to add youth and color to any home, sunflowers will definitely put a smile on your grandparents’ faces.

Assorted roses

You can never go wrong with roses — let alone these multicolored, rainbow roses. And while you’re there visiting, why not tell your grandparents a little bit about what each flower color means?

grandparents' day flowers with kaleidoscope roses

Mixed bouquet

Can’t remember if your grandmother’s favorite flowers are roses or lilies? With an assortment of mixed flowers, you’ll never have to worry about missing her favorites again.

Gerbera daisies

Gerbera daisies’ light petals are so colorful, you may have to give them a second glance to believe they’re real! The fifth most common cut flower in the world, gerbera daisies radiate love and warmth in any room.

Lilies

For years, lilies have been used to represent devotion and love — two things every grandparent has in abundance. Show your grandparents how much you care about them with an arrangement of colorful Peruvian lilies, and add on a candle for an extra special gift.

Hydrangeas

Bring these popular garden plants indoors and into the arms of your beloved grandparents. Not only will they enjoy the colorful, bush-like flowers hydrangeas sprout, but they’ll also love the sweet fragrance they emit.