National Senior Citizens Day is August 21

Often seen as symbols of wisdom or pinnacles of family units, senior citizens within a community have seen changes in the dynamics that make up a community, they have experienced a wide array of technical and scientific advancements, and they have lived through the checkbox items on the timelines that appear in history textbooks.

August 21 is National Senior Citizens Day – as declared by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 who proclaimed the day a national holiday set aside to honor those citizens who paved the way for today. The day is intended to honor the accomplishments of an experienced generation and acknowledge the significant role that they play in anchoring a society and connecting past lessons to future growth of a community.

When Reagan signed Proclamation 5847 creating National Senior Citizens Day, he made the following statement:

For all that, they have achieved throughout their lives and for all that they continue to do, we owe our gratitude and sincere greetings to our senior citizens. We can show our gratitude and appreciation better by making sure our communities are good places. Age and maturity, places where older people can participate as much as possible and find the encouragement, acceptance, support and services they need to continue living a life of independence and dignity.

While often the senior citizens of a community are viewed as having reached the point in their lives where they are going to kick back, relax, and enjoy early morning coffee followed by early lunches and afternoons filled with their favorite hobbies, a large number of seniors are still in the workforce or are finding ways to connect with their communities through active volunteerism.

As medical technology is advancing, societies are seeing a larger number of their senior population stay active and healthy into their 80s and beyond. This trend will mean that more individuals will be able to share the wisdom they have gathered over decades with multiple future generations as well as provide insight, guidance, and leadership for communities looking to position themselves for growth and advancement into the future.

While more seniors are staying active within their community, it is still a trend that as younger families get busy and the patriarchs – and matriarchs – who are now not as active or are among those who use earlier hours for being active rather than staying up long after the sun goes down or those who have ceased to live in what was the family home and are now in retirement homes and assisted living complexes - are set aside for Sunday dinners and holiday traditions. National Senior Citizens Day aims to bring awareness to spending time, engaging, and honoring those members of our families and communities who deserve to be honored, recognized, and respected and bring awareness to an aging generation that still has much to give to those who are willing to pause with them.