American Family Day

Americans can join in on celebrating this day that provides an important reminder about just how much family should be appreciated. It’s time for American Family Day!

History of American Family Day

Originally started in the state of Arizona, American Family day was founded in 1977, beginning as a one day proclamation pushed through legislation by Arizona resident, John Makkai. The proclamation was signed by Governor Raul Castro for the first year. The following year, in 1978, the proclamation was signed into Arizona law by the new governor, Bruce Babbitt, where it has remained ever since.

In addition to Arizona, the states of North Carolina and Georgia also participate in American Family Day.

The idea for the day is a simple one: spend time with family members and appreciate them. American Family Day is not meant to be about buying gifts–in fact people are discouraged from showing affection this way. Instead, it’s about being together, showing affection and encouraging one another with quality time.

How to Celebrate American Family Day

Enjoy the beauty of everything to do with family by trying some of these ideas for celebrating American Family Day:

Spend Time with Family

Whether just grabbing the kids and heading out to play in the park, or taking a road trip to see Grandma, American Family Day is all about spending time together. And for those who don’t have blood relatives nearby? That’s okay! It’s a great day to spend time with people who feel like family, even if they aren’t technically related.

Do Some Fun Activities Together

In today’s modern times, it can be so easy to get distracted by the things of life, including smart phones, computers, video game consoles and televisions. But American Family Day encourages people to set all of those things aside and just do life together.

Go for a walk in the park, take a trip to the zoo, find an art museum that everyone will appreciate, play some games or just gather together around the dinner table for a meal. Nothing extravagant is necessary, just be together as much as possible.

Send Letters or Make Calls to Faraway Family

Some people aren’t near their family members and wish they could be. American Family Day might be a good time to write a good, old-fashioned letter and mail it through the post office to tell family members how much they are appreciated.

Sure, sending a card might be okay, but this isn’t really a “Hallmark” day, so it might feel more personal to write a letter. Certainly, phone calls would be welcomed too!

Create Something as a Family

American Family Day would be an ideal time to work on a family project together that would act as a memory. Perhaps get a large canvas and make a family painting together. Build and decorate a birdhouse for the backyard.

Or create a huge family tree with branches that represent family members, talk about distant relatives with little ones who may not remember them, then hang it on the wall.