National Visit Your Relatives Day

National Visit Your Relatives Day is commemorated on May 18th in order to encourage family members to connect together in an union.

You know how that saying goes; you can't choose your family!

National Visit Your Relatives Day is a great opportunity for you to share your life with the people who helped raise you and to make sure they get the support they need.

Fortunately, many of us carry with us fond memories of our family through our childhood and adulthood. Have family vacations, play with your siblings and maybe fight them too. Then there are times when you are a little too competitive in board games.

Without a doubt, life is busy. We are constantly trying to organize our families, careers, relationships and all the other commitments that take up our precious time. Usually, we put the important things first, which means we get them done later. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't.

However, ironically, it has never been easier to stay in touch with our family. Thanks to tremendous advances in digital communication, our family is just a call, text or video call away from you.

Unlike the passage of time, when we wait for weeks or months for a letter in the post office, or even a telegram, now you can pick up your smartphone and look at your family at the touch of a button. This is invaluable for keeping up with people and staying connected on a daily basis. It has certainly made it easier for families to stay in touch from different cities or countries.

As being human, we thrive on physical interaction and there really is no substitute for face-to-face interaction. Staying in physical contact with our loved ones both near and far is vital to our health and well-being. It is also an opportunity to reconnect with each other and celebrate our shared memories and history.

Over time, our families grow and expand and we also need to take every opportunity we can to create memories with the newest family members. You don't want your nieces, nephews, and cousins ​​to only know you as a voice at the end of the phone or a head hovering over a webcam.

Visiting loved ones also allows you to experience one of the truly wonderful benefits of family, unconditional love and support. Plus, there may be some old Monopoly points to deal with.

National Visit Your Relatives Day is the perfect opportunity for you to meet family, maintain those unique relationships, and build new ones.

If we're feeling lonely, most of us have families we can turn to when times are tough, and we're willing to be there for them.

Life is too short to ignore an important thing. As the writer, Anthony Brandt said, "other things can change us, but we start and end with family."

History of National Visit Your Relatives Day

There is not a culture or religion in the world that does not have the values ​​and traditions surrounding the family. Today, people often live anywhere around the globe and staying in touch ensures that you maintain close ties to your family and stay rooted in your culture and traditions.

National Visit Your Relatives Day is a day dedicated to showing appreciation to those who have played a role in your growth and ensuring that they also receive your support. Many of us have fond memories of our childhood with our families and growing up such as family vacation, playing with siblings, as well as fighting with them and causing trouble. National Visit Your Relatives Day is a day to enjoy all those beautiful moments by spending quality time together again.

Modern life is very busy. People are constantly juggling work, family, careers, relationships, and other commitments. And, often, we don't make catching up with our loved ones a priority. National Visit Your Relatives Day is a day dedicated to doing this. Reach out to people who are more deserving of our time than others. There's no better way to celebrate this day than by simply stopping by and saying hi to a loved one or family member you don't get to see often. If you can't meet them, give them a call or email them. Or if you have a lot of time, organize a reunion, the best way to celebrate family. It is sure to bring a big smile on the faces of grandparents and older family members who will surely appreciate the gesture of bringing the family together after a long time apart.

Some truths about relatives and family

• International Year of the Family

1994 was declared to be the International Year of the Family by the United Nation.

• America's New Family

The nuclear family is no longer the norm in the United States as it is being replaced by separate families, single people, and families living outside of marriage.

• Members in family

In the United States, two out of every three people have a family member, and as of 2014, 40% of married couples (with children) have been married.

• High divorce rate

The divorce rate for couples with children in the US is 62% to 74%.

• Diverse parenting mode

The number of children with bisexual, lesbian, or gay parents in the United States is between 6–10 million.

Some reasons for National Visit Your Relatives Day being significant

• It emphasizes the importance of family

It is important to stay in touch with our roots because family is all we have. National Visit Your Relatives Day honors special relationships within a family.

• It's a day to celebrate together

In today's fast pace of life, National Visit Your Relatives Day spends time with our loved ones. It's a day to take a break from work and celebrate family.

• It makes life better

Nowadays, everyone is so busy with their work that no one really has time for family and loved ones. National Visit Your Relatives Day is a reminder that spending time with family can add value to our lives and contribute to our happiness.

Celebrating National Visit Your Relatives Day

On National Visit Your Relatives Day, spend time with your family, face-to-face by phone or computer. You will be glad that you did. Take the Relative Scavenger Hunt challenge and see if you can complete it while chatting with your family members. The more you visit, the better your chances of completing it! Use #NationalVisitYourRelutionsDay to post on social media.

Educators, visit the National Day Calendar Classroom for project ideas designed for #NationalVisitYourRelutionsDay. We also have a number of other projects that you can use to engage each other online.