National Siblings Day 2018

4/10/2018 (Permalink)

National Siblings Day is a holiday that was traditionally unique to the United States and one that allows brothers and sisters to celebrate the special bond that exists between them. While it is a holiday that wasn’t originally celebrated nationally or recognized by the federal government, it is a holiday that millions of people across the U.S, and now the world, celebrate every year on April 10th.

This holiday was first conceived by Claudia Evart to honor her siblings – both of whom died tragically. To further the advancement and recognition of this holiday, the Siblings Day Foundation was established in 1997. Two years later, it became a non-profit organization.

Although it is not an official federal holiday, it is celebrated in many parts of the U.S. Since its conception, over 80 governors have signed gubernatorial proclamations recognizing the 10th of April as National Siblings Day. The holiday has also reached international status over the last 2 decades and is now celebrated in many different countries around the globe. Currently it is celebrated in many parts of Southeast Asia and in Australia.

Since over two-thirds of Americans have at least one sibling, there has been a number of scientific studies examining the importance of sibling relationships. One study done in 1999, showed that a sibling relationship was not only the first relationship a person is likely to have – with siblings spending at least one-third of their free time with their siblings by the time they reach puberty – but also is one of the most important a person can have. This study showed that sibling relationships greatly affect social skills. In fact, it demonstrated that people who had siblings were shown to have better social skills than individuals who didn’t have any or were raised apart from their siblings.

Don't forget to love and appreciate your siblings just a little more today!