World Senior Citizen’s Day | Theme & Importance

World Senior Citizen’s Day is celebrated on 21st August to increase awareness of the issues that affect older adults. This is a day to recognize the contribution and remind seniors that they are an important part of their country.

This day is also celebrated to support, honor, and show appreciation to seniors and to recognize the wisdom, leadership, and achievements of our senior citizens.

History

The day was announced after a Proclamation signed by US President Ronald Reagan on August 19, 1988, declaring August 21 as National Senior Citizens Day in the USA. Other countries later adopted the day to pay respect to the elderly community. The day is to recognize the contributions of seniors to our country.

In his speech to the nation, he laid out all the reasons we should celebrate older Americans, after all, he was talking about the generation that endured the Great Depression, both World Wars, and went on to practically build the American economy. Sounds like a good cause for celebration!

“For all, they have achieved throughout life and for all they continue to accomplish, we owe older citizens our thanks and a heartfelt salute.” – President Ronald Reagan

“Many older people are embarking on second careers,” said President Reagan. “Giving younger Americans a fine example of responsibility, resourcefulness, competence, and determination.”

The day has been launched to raise awareness of factors affecting older people and their issues including declining health with increasing age and mistreatment of older people. This day is also celebrated for the contribution made by the elderly people towards society.

Celebration in India

International Senior Citizen Day is celebrated to honor the elderly. In India, it is celebrated in various states with many activities performed by a group of people in India. Central and state governments are instituting measures for the welfare of such people and are also advocating for the rights of senior citizens. The authorities take necessary steps to ensure that the needs of the aged are met.

The day focuses on facilities, lack of government support, and ways to upgrade and improve them. Apart from this, some organizations and schools organize special programs with different themes to spread knowledge about this day. Children’s grandparents are invited to schools where special demonstrative events are held to honor the senior citizens of our country. Special food is also organized for their happiness.

5 Ways to Celebrate National Senior Citizen’s Day

Make small talk.

A brief interaction, a smile can cheer people so talk with them. You can simply pick your phone or we can also chat face to face with software like Skype or FaceTime. The simple presence of a friend or embracing a family member can help increase happiness hormones and reduce stress. Even simple eye contact can help encourage feelings of attachment. So embrace your loved ones more and try to bring a smile to your elder’s face.

Start a family history project.

Senior people like to share their memories and experiences with young ones so gives them an opportunity to share wisdom and advice, and provides a unique chance to start collecting those old family stories and photos. Simply start a family history project you can record it on your phone it’s a chance to preserve family stories.

Make a photo album.

Aged people like to cherish their memories so create a memory photo album for them. Start filling photos from starting they will love to flip through the album whenever they’re in the mood for a walk down memory lane. It is a great way to remember old times and stay connected to them.

Cook them dinner.

Eating together is a fun experience and this experience gives people a chance to use their intelligence to do something. The best way to show your love and care for someone is by sharing a meal together. Cook something interesting for them you can finish the meal with a cake or their favorite treat.

Spend an afternoon playing games.

Make sure to spend the holiday with your senior loved ones, a day spent in the comfort of their home with games can be just as pleasant. Playing games is also good for seniors since it helps keep their minds engaged and sharp.

Small Acts of Big Kindness

Do you see a senior struggling with the groceries? Help them carry the shopping bags to their car. Do you have an elderly neighbor? Take them out for a meal at their favorite restaurant. These small things will go a long way in promoting a senior’s health and safety.

Conclusion

As people get older they lose their ability to perform basic employment tasks. They begin to rely on others to help the entire population. Thus it is important to teach children to serve the elderly. International Senior Citizen’s Day is an important occasion for our society and an opportunity to honor the hard work that the elderly do every day i.e. “nurturing the next generation“.

Additionally, World Senior Citizens Day is an important time to remind the government about any pledges and policies that work towards developing goals (such as ending hunger and poverty for this age group) that will help the elderly.

It is a risk to their lives when the elderly live alone without social and family contact. It usually takes longer to detect signs of cognitive or physical impairment. This increases their safety and health risks and increases the chances of depression and other mental illnesses. We should stay with our elders and take care of all their needs.

Of course not only on Senior Citizen’s Day but social dialogue and interaction should be held every year. Each and every day is important to make our elders feel special.

Suggested Read: Friendship Day in august

World Senior Citizen’s Day – Quotes

To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent – that is to triumph over old age. – Thomas Bailey Aldrich
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. – Les Brown
“Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.” – Mark Twain
“To make an elderly person happy is the noblest act a young person can ever do!” ― Mehmet Murat Ildan
“Old age … is a good and pleasant thing. It is true you are gently shouldered off the stage, but then you are given such a comfortable front stall as spectator.” – Confucius
“Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you’ve got to start young.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Aging is not “lost youth” but a new stage of opportunity and strength. – Betty Friedan
“Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.” – Samuel Ullman
After a lifetime of working, raising families, and contributing to the success of this nation in countless other ways, senior citizens deserve to retire with dignity. – Charlie Gonzalez
World Senior Citizen Day is a reminder that we must value the senior citizens around us as they are the ones who have worked hard to give us this wonderful life. Happy World Senior Citizen Day.
If you ever want to get the best in you while keeping apart the stress then you should be connecting with a Senior Citizen, they have this magic! Happy Senior Citizens Day.
Life is precious and you motivate us to make the best and most of it. Thanks for being so amazing so inspire so many like us. Wishing you a very Happy World Senior Citizen Day to you
Age is for those who get affected by it and not for those who live like a king and you are the real king who is still young and inspiring at 80. Wishing you a very Happy World Senior Citizen Day.
Gray Hairs are proof that you have earned the most valuable thing in life and that is called Experience which comes with age. Happy World Senior Citizen Day.