Grandmother Achievement Day is observed every year on February 11 and is the perfect opportunity to celebrate our beloved grandmothers. A grandmother is the mother of an individual’s mother and father. She is one’s paternal grandmother if she is the mother of a person’s father, and maternal grandmother if she is the mother of a person’s mother. The role of grandmothers in general culture is so rich that they take very active roles in raising and taking care of young children. They are usually as much an option to children as the mothers of those children. In cases where parents are unavailable or otherwise indisposed to giving adequate care to their children, grandparents — especially grandmothers — are seen to assume the role of primary caregivers. In many cultures, grandmothers often have direct involvement in the care and nurturing of children. They are usually second-degree relatives to their grandchildren.
History of Grandmother Achievement Day
Grandmothers have existed right from the beginning of time. This is so because once early humans began to multiply and have more children, young mothers advanced in age as their children advanced. And sooner or later, their children became parents themselves, thereby making room for the role and title of ‘grandmother.’ The first grandmother probably existed several hundreds of thousands of years ago, but the word for that title had not always been ‘grandmother’ or ‘grandma.’ It is at this time unclear what the expression of the title was in much earlier times, but it was not ‘grandmother.’The use of the prefix ‘grand’ did not come into existence until about the 13th century. The word ‘grand’ is a variant of the French word ‘graund,’ which itself is a translation of the Latin term ‘magnus’, meaning ‘great.’ In the 13th century, common Old English terms of ‘ealde’ and ‘ieldra’ were used to refer to grandmothers and, in fact, grandparents generally. Across the world, different terms are used for the word ‘grandmother,’ and these terms vary from country to country and across cultures. The word ‘grandma’ is the most popular term used to describe grandmothers in many countries such as the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. However, in countries such as Canada for instance, such terms as ‘nan,’ ‘nana,’ ‘gran’ and ‘granny’ are the words used to address grandmothers. Grandmothers in India are called ‘nana’ and ‘nani.’A person’s maternal grandmother is called ‘par-nana.’ There are various other names for grandmothers depending on the person and what both parties are comfortable with. In North America, many people call their grandmothers by their names. For example, French grandmothers are called ‘mamie.’Other languages have a more specific kinship terminology than the English language by which to distinguish between maternal and paternal grandmothers. In Swedish culture, for instance, there is not a single word for grandmother but the term ‘mormor’ is most often used for their grandmothers. Regardless of whatever term you choose to address your grandmother by, Grandmother Achievement Day is a time for celebrating the grandmother or grandmothers in your life!
Grandmother Achievement Day timeline
The word ‘grandma’ is introduced sometime in the 18th century and is shortened from ‘grandmama.’
American actress Betty White, fondly regarded as “America’s Grandma” is born in January.
Grandmothers For Africa, an African support group for grandmothers raising kids orphaned by AIDS, is founded.
Hollywood comedy-drama movie “Grandma” is released.
Grandmother Achievement Day FAQs
What is Grandmother Achievement Day?
Grandmother Achievement Day is a day on which grandchildren give recognition to their grandmothers for all they do for them and tell them how proud of them they are.
Is Grandmother Achievement Day a stand-alone holiday?
Yes. Grandmother Achievement Day is a different holiday from any of the other holidays dedicated to celebrating grandparents.
Is Grandmother Achievement Day a public holiday?
Grandmother Achievement Day is not a public holiday, and if it occurs on a work day, then work goes on that day. It is, however, still a special day and it is nationally celebrated as a day to recognize grandmothers.
Grandmother Achievement Day Activities
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Make Grandma a card
Card-making is a fun and great D.I.Y. craft. Make your grandmother feel special by making her a colorful card filled with words of love and appreciation, signed by her babies (including you).
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Buy Grandma gifts
You could (and most definitely should) also buy your grandmother a gift for Grandmother Achievement Day. You can think of some of the things she likes the most, and just get creative with it.
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Create photo memories
Take multiple selfies and videos with your grandma and post them all over your social media. You can save them in the cloud, and maybe even have a couple of them printed and framed. What a great way to surround yourself with great memories of your beloved grandma.
5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT GRANDMOTHERS
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Average age of grandmas is 50 years
Surveys have shown that the average age of first-time grandparents, which definitely includes grandmothers, is 50.
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Grandmothers outnumber grandfathers
Because women typically live longer than men, it is not surprising to see more grandmothers out there than grandfathers.
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The world’s youngest granny is 25
A Romanian named Rifca Stanescu is the youngest grandmother in the world, aged only 25.
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Some grandmothers are primary caregivers
In a good number of cases, grandmothers are the primary caregivers to their grandchildren for a variety of reasons.
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Not all grannies are that old
Most grandmas in recent times are actually quite active, and not necessarily just sitting in a rocking chair on the patio.
Why We Love Grandmother Achievement Day
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Grandmas love their grandchildren
All grandmothers absolutely love and adore their grandchildren, and that makes them so special! We love this!
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Grandmas make the best food
Need we say more? If you’ve ever had grandma’s cooking, you know it’s the absolute best.
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Grandmas give the best advice
Most of our grandmas have been around for quite a while, and as such, they have experience with practically everything. If you’re ever confused about something, try asking grandma.
Grandmother Achievement Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | February 11 | Saturday |
| 2024 | February 11 | Sunday |
| 2025 | February 11 | Tuesday |
| 2026 | February 11 | Wednesday |
| 2027 | February 11 | Thursday |
