Children’s Day
Whitney Houston sang a number one song in the 1980s about children being the future – and she wasn’t wrong! The children of today are the adults of tomorrow and they deserve to be given the best possible chance at making the world a better place.
Children’s Day is the perfect time to enjoy and celebrate these precious little people at a most vital time in their lives!
History of Children’s Day
Celebrated across the country of India, Children’s Day was established to bring attention to and raise awareness for the welfare, rights and education of children throughout the country.
The first Children’s Day was celebrated on November 5, 1948, and it was originally called Flower Day. The idea was to raise money to help with the United Nations Appeal for Children by selling flower tokens. The day was not celebrated annually at first, until 1954 when it was reestablished to again be a way to raise funds and awareness of the need for underprivileged children to be taken care of.
The date was changed to November 14, in honor of the birthday of then first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. In fact, Nehru was rather famous for his affection for children during his life and they even referred to him as “Chacha Nehru”, which means Uncle Nehru. He was convinced that children needed to be cared for and attended to as the future of India.
Children’s Day continues to be observed on Nehru’s birthday and is a time when many educational programs and motivational events are organized throughout the country of India.
How to Celebrate Children’s Day
Get involved with celebrating Children’s Day with some of these interesting ideas:
Invest in the Life of a Child
One of the things that children need most is a community of people surrounding them to be encouraging and caring. Of course, it’s good to invest in the lives of your own children, grandchildren and other family members. But perhaps, in honor of Children’s Day, it might be worth considering reaching out a little bit further into the community.
Get inspired and volunteer with an organization that helps kids, perhaps through a mentoring program, tutoring program or simply teaching a child to read. Check at the local library, schools or online to find organizations that are in need of volunteers, like Big Brothers Big Sisters, Children Across America, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts or many others.
Make a Donation to a Children’s Charity
It isn’t difficult to find charities that are making a difference in the lives of children, but they often are in need of donations to help them with the financial side of their work. Look for a local, reputable children’s charity that might be in need of donations on Children’s Day. Or consider giving to national and international organizations such as Save the Children, the Children’s Health Fund, or Children International.
Make a Visit to India
Since Children’s Day is a day that originated in India, perhaps this would be a good time to take a trip to India. Whether going as a tourist to visit the sights like the Taj Mahal, or getting connected with a humanitarian aid organization that helps children, Children’s Day might function as an inspiration!
