Do you have any elderly person who has a great contribution to your life? Do you want to show your love and appreciate him or her? Yes, National Senior Citizens Day, August 21, is the day to let them know how much you care about them. It’s also a great opportunity to show your gratitude to them.
Today, seniors are still active in our communities. As they have done all for the good of our communities, senior citizens deserve our thanks. Today is an especial day for all senior and junior citizens. They should meet together and share emotions, feeling and experiences between these two deferent generations each other.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL SENIOR CITIZENS DAY
National Senior Citizens Day is celebrated for older people who have dedicated their lives to our society and made a positive impact on people’s lives. Today our health care has changed and productivity increased among our older people. So we should allow them to be more active than ever before. Getting more and better opportunities, many older people start their second-time careers and sometimes amazingly become role models for the younger generation.
The country’s foundation and stable industry are the result of the hard work of our ancestors and deserve our gratitude. President Ronald Reagan has taken the initiative to honor the memory of the elders. In 1988, when he signed Proclamation 5847 and celebrated August 21st as a day of remembrance for the seniors. “Throughout our history, older people have done a lot for our families, communities, and country. This remains true to this day, and it gives us many reasons this year to celebrate a special day in honor of the elderly who mean so much to our land,” said Reagan.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL SENIOR CITIZENS DAY
Donate To A Nursing/Old Home
You can observe this day by giving needed items or gifts to an old home or nursing home. You can also call your nearest center and ask if they have missed anything. Or just leave them candy, juice boxes, or any other gift. You can really change someone’s life.
Spend time with Senior Family Member
If you have any senior family members such as parents, grandparents, aunts, or uncles, you can visit them and spend some time together. Let them hear the warmth in your voice when you tell them how much you appreciate them. They really seek your love and sympathy.
Have fun!
Today is all about you if are you a senior citizen! Observe this day by treating yourself, spending time with your favorite people, going shopping — doing whatever you like. It’s a perfect day to chill at home with family members.
5 FACTS ABOUT NATIONAL SENIOR CITIZENS DAY
Loneliness
Older women want to live alone. On the other hand, older men prefer living with a spouse. A study says that only 3.6% of senior people who are more than 65 years old live in nursing homes.
Senior Citizens Battle Serious Illnesses
Many senior citizens have to face several complex medical conditions or illnesses like arthritis or a heart disorder. So they need continuous observation and support.
They Are Technologically Advancing
Senior citizens are now the fastest-growing users on many social platforms like tweeter or Facebook.
Young at Heart
15 million senior citizens work as volunteers and are involved with many social welfare works which inspire our young.
Senior Citizen Day Activities
There are many ways to celebrate National Senior Citizen Day and honor the seniors in your family and your community. Today here I am going to share some ideas for activities that will show your appreciation to senior citizens on their special day.
National Senior Citizens Day Activities
- Spend time with senior family members or friends by taking them to a favorite restaurant, movie, or another place they enjoy.
- Make a video of an interview with a senior family member. You will learn a lot about their life story and have it to share with other family members.
- Volunteer your time at a nursing home or an assisted living facility. Many seniors would love to have someone to have lunch with them, sit and chat or read them a favorite book.
- Cook a delicious meal, deliver it in person, and share the special dinner together.
- Prepare several home-cooked meals for a senior in your neighborhood. Package them in freezer containers with directions on how to reheat them.
- If you have a senior in your neighborhood, offer a helping hand by doing yard work, mowing his lawn, or washing his car.
- Bake some cookies and bring them to seniors in your community.
- Send a greeting card or an e-card to your favorite senior.
- If your community is hosting a special event or festival for National Senior
National Senior Citizens Day is an excellent opportunity to show appreciation and make senior citizens feel special. Here are some ideas on how you can celebrate this day:
- Family Gathering: Host a family gathering or reunion to bring generations together. Share stories, play games, and enjoy a meal together.
- Community Picnic: Organize a community picnic or barbecue in a local park or community center. Invite senior citizens and their families for a fun-filled day.
- Volunteer: Spend the day volunteering at a senior center, retirement home, or nursing facility. Engage in activities, provide companionship, or help with chores.
- Arts and Crafts: Plan an arts and crafts session where seniors and kids can create art together. This fosters intergenerational bonding.
- Storytelling: Encourage seniors to share their life stories and experiences with younger generations. This can be done through recorded interviews, a storytelling event, or writing a family history book.
- Music and Dance: Host a musical event featuring songs from different eras. Seniors can share their favorite tunes, and everyone can enjoy dancing and singing along.
- Health and Wellness Workshops: Arrange workshops on topics like nutrition, exercise, meditation, or stress management, tailored to the needs and interests of seniors.
- Outdoor Activities: Plan outdoor activities such as nature walks, gardening, or birdwatching that seniors can enjoy with their families.
- Tech Assistance: Offer tech support to help seniors navigate smartphones, tablets, or computers. Teach them how to stay connected with loved ones through video calls and social media.
- Intergenerational Games: Organize games like bingo, board games, or card games that can be played together with family members of all ages.
- Photography Session: Arrange for a professional photographer to take family portraits or individual photos of senior citizens. Capture precious memories.
- Food and Cooking: Cook or bake together. Share family recipes and have a feast. You can even organize a cooking contest with different generations participating.
- Art Exhibition: Showcase the artwork of senior citizens. This could be paintings, sculptures, or any form of creative expression.
- Senior Talent Show: Encourage seniors to showcase their talents, whether it’s singing, dancing, playing an instrument, or reciting poetry.
- Letters and Cards: Have children and grandchildren write heartfelt letters or make cards expressing their love and appreciation for the senior citizens in their lives.
- Movie Marathon: Host a movie marathon featuring classic films or movies from the seniors’ era. Provide popcorn and refreshments.
- Gifts and Tokens: Give small gifts or tokens of appreciation, such as personalized photo albums, framed pictures, or plants.
- Educational Talks: Invite guest speakers or experts to give talks on topics of interest to seniors, like history, travel, or hobbies.
- Local Tours: Organize guided tours to local museums, historical sites, or places of interest that seniors may not have visited recently.
- Memory Sharing: Set up a memory-sharing session where seniors can bring in their memorabilia and discuss their significance with younger family members.
Remember that the key to celebrating National Senior Citizens Day is to create meaningful connections, show respect, and make seniors feel valued and loved. Customize your activities to the interests and preferences of the senior citizens you are celebrating.
Conclusion
We should not forget that we have to become old as growing old is a natural process. Today what we do for our seniors we can also expect that we will be treated the same way by the law of nature. If we fulfill our duty to them and make a happy peaceful environment then next time we will be treated the same way. National Senior Citizens Day.
