National Daughters Day
National Daughters Day is celebrated every year on September 25th. It is a day for parents to honor their daughters and show them how much they are appreciated. This is also a day for parents to reflect on the value of an equal and fair upbringing, which allows daughters to be strong and thrive throughout their lives.
National Daughters Day is different from International Daughters Day which is recognized worldwide and celebrated on the fourth Sunday in September.
Both occur at the end of September and sometimes the two events are celebrated on the same date. In 2023, it falls on 24th September, just the day before National Daughter's Day.
Origin of National Daughter's Day
National Daughters' Day has a long history in America, being celebrated at least as far back as 1932. In that year newspapers in Vermont reported that The Daughters of Union Veterans met for a combined Christmas and Daughters' Day celebration in December.
During the evening, each woman was given a bouquet of roses, watched a music recital, enjoyed refreshments, and at the end, everyone was presented with a decorated cupcake.
There are examples of National Daughters Day celebrations at other times of the year. For example in the state of Indiana in April 1954, although there is no information available on how it was observed.
For decades the holiday was mostly forgotten until a company in India called Archies' Limited reinvented Daughter's Day. Anil Moolchandani, the Chairman and Managing Director of Archies Limited said in an interview in 2007 “As the original creator of beautiful days and a leader in the social expression industry, we decided to do something about the plight of the girl child.”
They created the holiday to raise awareness of the struggle girls have in parts of India, where they are considered a burden, and inferior to sons. This holiday, which was revived in 2007, aims to encourage people to show their daughters how proud they are of them and that they are loved.
We constituted September 23 as Daughter's Day - a day dedicated to the beauty of the parent-daughter relation. We wanted parents to not only feel proud of having daughters but also express their love and celebrate it too.
The growth of the celebration of Daughters Day in India led to a renewal of interest in National Daughters Day and the celebrations began again, encouraged by social media it quickly became popular.
The Importance Of National Daughter's Day
This issue of gender imbalance has also been present in the United States, where for years women have been discriminated against and faced bigger obstacles than men. For example, issues such as the gender pay gap are still prevalent to this day. The #MeToo movement also highlighted the dangers that some women face from violent and abusive individuals.
National Daughters Day is a day for parents to show daughters how important they are, and to also empower them and show them that they are just as valuable to society as men.
It is equally important for daughters to feel valued in a family. In single-parent families or families with many children whose parents can't afford child care, it can sometimes fall to the eldest daughter to take care of the children and the household when adults are absent.
Daughters also often have strong bonds with both their mother and their father and commonly tend to be the ones that take care of their parents when they're older.
How to Observe National Daughters' Day?
In 2024, National Daughters Day falls on a Wednesday, offering a midweek opportunity to show your daughters how much you appreciate them. Plan activities based on their interests, such as shopping, going to the cinema, visiting an amusement park, swimming, cycling, or hiking if the weather permits. Museums can be a great option if they have a fondness for history. Use this time to learn more about your daughters and their passions, making memories together. Celebrating with food can add an extra layer of joy, whether baking together in the kitchen or letting them choose the dinner menu or a favorite restaurant.
Recognize the importance of respecting your daughters' independence as well. They might prefer some alone time to pursue their own interests, which is equally valuable and shows your appreciation for their individuality. If your daughter is away during this time, a thoughtful call or care package can express your love and care. Ensuring that they feel cherished, even from a distance, reinforces the bond you share.
Lastly, extend your kindness to daughters in orphanages and NGOs, taking the time to visit and share some love with unprivileged girls. This gesture not only spreads joy but also reinforces the spirit of National Daughters Day by celebrating all daughters across the country. Whatever you decide to do on this special day, make sure to honor and appreciate the daughters in your life and beyond, ensuring a heartfelt and happy Daughters' Day!
Online Reaction to Daughter's Day
The day has become very popular on social media where mothers share photos of themselves with their daughters along with the hashtag #NationalDaughtersDay. It is also a great opportunity to write and share a couple of thoughts and feelings online about your daughter.
The celebration faced some scrutiny online in 2021 when it was alleged by some on social media that the holiday was invented by Russians and Eastern Europeans in order to extract information and images about individuals. This is proven to be false by the evidence of historic celebrations across America.
Don’t forget to also celebrate the following dates if you have a son, or a son and a daughter:
National Son and Daughter Day on August 11.
National Son's Day on September 28.
