Honoring the People Who Raise Us

Spring is officially in full swing, and summer break is around the corner, in addition to some very important honorary holidays. During the months of May and June are two very special days: Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 10, and Father’s Day, on Sunday, June 21. These recurring holidays are to honor parents, show appreciation and love, and strengthen family bonds.

Many may wonder how these dates were chosen. Both holidays fall on a Sunday each year, allowing families to attend church services, host gatherings, and take time to rest. In the United States, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May, a tradition established by a 1914 law signed by President Woodrow Wilson following social activist Anna Jarvis’s campaign.

Additionally, President Richard Nixon formalized Father’s Day to fall on the third Sunday in June each year, influenced by earlier proclamations. There are many ways to celebrate parental figures on these days. For example, some families go out to brunch, host barbecues, attend the local steeplechase over Mother’s Day weekend, or even head to a Philadelphia Phillies game.

Here are some ways students in our community celebrate: Freshman Ellie Glembocki shares, “Every year, my aunt hosts a Hawaiian themed barbeque for Father’s Day to celebrate my dad, uncles, and grandfather, and we spend the evening in our Hawaiian outfits playing sports and enjoying cookout food.”

While these holidays may not seem as serious and widely celebrated as Easter, Halloween, or Christmas, they hold an equal amount of importance. These days indicate gratitude to parental figures and getting to spend time with family. Remember don’t just appreciate parental figures on these occasions but appreciate your parents on each and for all they do and sacrifice.