It isn’t often we see legislation in Washington designed to bring together different faiths and political parties, so when it happens it is truly remarkable. This is just what happened when Trent Lott (a Republican) introduced a bill to create Parent’s Day. The bill received bipartisan and interfaith support, and was signed into national law in 1994 by President Bill Clinton. Now, our nation recognizes the important and blessed role of parenthood every year on the fourth Sunday in July.
How to Celebrate
Image via Flickr by wiremoons
This year, Parent’s Day 2013 falls on July 28. What’s so remarkable about this holiday is that, unlike turkey on Thanksgiving, barbecue on the Fourth of July or ham on Easter Sunday, this holiday is wide open for families to create their own unique traditions to carry forth to generations to come. It isn’t often we get a holiday blank slate!
Parent’s Day is Mother’s Day plus Father’s Day. It isn’t focused on the gender of the parent, but on the special nature of the parental role. How will your family build new traditions to celebrate it? As an event planner, this is just the sort of thing I love to do.
Choosing an Arrangement
May I suggest selecting flowers to symbolize the unique qualities of the parental role? Each color of flower holds a special significance, and a colorful bouquet of carefully chosen blooms is the ideal way to express all the feelings you have toward your parents.
- Pink is the color of grace. Choose blooms of pink roses or tulips to signify what your parent’s grace has meant to you in times when you needed forgiveness.
- Purple is the color of dignity and success. This doesn’t mean your parents are wealthy, it can signify their success in overcoming the difficulties they faced raising you. Consider African violets or Dahlia.
- White is the color of reverence. Are you looking for a way to show your respect and reverence to those who raised you? Consider white lilies or hydrangea.
- Yellow is the color of friendship. Are your parents your best friends? Incorporate yellow daisies or mums into your bouquet.
- Orange is the color of vibrance. If your parents are lively and full of life, send a bouquet with some poppies or cosmos in bright, vibrant orange.
Don’t limit yourself to just one of these lovely colors — choose a bouquet filled with the colors that tell your parents exactly what you want to express. Pink, purple, and white bouquets are lovely, as are arrangements of vivid yellow, orange, and purple. White goes well with any of the other colors on the list.
Other New Traditions
In addition to sending flowers, think of other traditions to build into your family’s celebration of Parent’s Day. Perhaps it’s a good time to take over the grill from Dad for a day and make Mom’s favorite barbecue chicken. Or maybe it can become a holiday of firsts, and each year you can introduce the folks to something they’ve never done before, such as take a helicopter ride or treat them to a dinner cruise on a local lake.
Use this rare bipartisan, interfaith holiday to create new meaningful traditions in your family. Now that’s reason to celebrate! How do you make Parent’s Day special? Share your thoughts in the comments below.