Tomorrow, April 10, is National Siblings Day! What better way to celebrate than picking up the phone an giving your sibling(s) a call? This holiday is intended to celebrate the family unit – much like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Grandparent’s Day! Let’s take a quick look at the history of National Siblings Day. This nonprofit is currently working on establishing a United Nations resolution for an International Siblings Day.
It’s a true, recognized holiday
National Siblings Day was created on April 10, 1997 by Claudia Evart in honor of two siblings who died in two separate accidents when they were young. Evart also established an organization called the Siblings Day Foundation in 1997. In 2000 Bill Clinton recognized Siblings Day in a presidential message, as did George Bush in 2008. For a a holiday to be an official commemorative, a presidential proclamation must be issued.
Siblings should be honored
It’s funny to think that Mother’s Day was established in 1914, and even Father’s Day became an official holiday in 1972, but it took until 1997 for siblings to be officially recognized with a holiday. After all, siblings are an incredibly important part of family life. Check out these statistics that show just how important:
- Children spend more time with their siblings than with friends, teachers, parents or even alone. By the time children reach age 11, they’re spending 33% of their spare time with siblings.
- Research shows that siblings with strong ties to each other are happier and healthier, whereas a poor tie between siblings is more likely to cause depression.
- A survey showed that the most common words people associate with having a sibling are love, support, fun and laughter, as well as inside jokes and best friends.
The influence of siblings
Siblings are built in best buddies, and while rivalry and arguments are part of growing up with siblings, there are a lot more positives gleaned from this lifetime relationship. Just think about it, sibling relationships most often outlive the one between child and parent. Siblings are a source of learning, both behavioral and intellectual, they are a treasure box of shared wonderful childhood memories and even times of sadness and loss bring children closer together.
How to celebrate
If you live nearby your siblings, get together for a mini celebration. Exchange gifts if you’d like. A fun gift to give would be something of childhood nostalgia that sparks great memories. This is also a great opportunity to find an old photo of when you and your sibling(s) when you were young and share it on social media. You can pull old some old board games or video games that you loved playing together, too! And if you have kids of your own now, it’s a great time to start the tradition in your own family so your kids can celebrate this holiday for years to come.
VoiceNation loves family
Here at VoiceNation, our people are just like family. We love playing games, celebrating holidays and spending time enjoying great food and company. We also encourage work-life balance by handling your business calls so you can spend time doing more of what you love, like spending time with your family. Want to find more balance in your life? Give our answering service a call to learn more. 877.679.3777.