Children’s Day Around the World: Celebrations

Children’s Day In America: Children’s Day Around the World

Children’s Day Celebrations In USA, American Children’s Day Traditions

Children’s Day marks the celebration of children and the re-dedication of parents to bring up their children in Christian nurture. The United Sates of America has a long history to narrate, regarding the origin of Children’s Day in their country. The story of the origin dates back to the 1860s or even earlier when Children’s Day was first celebrated in America. The day is marked by different cultural programs, activities and events organized throughout the country. It marks the revival and commitment to support the children of USA and the world. Read through the following lines to know more about the celebrations and traditions of Children’s Day in USA.

Children’s Day Celebrations In USA

In the year 1856, pastor of the First Universalist Church of Chelsea, Mass., Rev. Charles H. Leonard, D.D., decided to declare a Sunday to the children in the Christian community. This was more so dedicated towards the parents and guardians to bring-up their children as per the Christian culture. This thought was first observed as Children’s Day on the second Sunday in the month of June. However, eleven years down the line in 1867, the Universalist Convention as Baltimore passed a resolution asking the churches to set one Sunday to be celebrated as Children’s Day.

In 1868, the Methodist Episcopal Church at the Methodist Conference suggested about commemorating the second Sunday of June as Children’s Day. This was further agreed by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in 1883. Hence, in the same year, the National Council of Congregational Churches and most of the state bodies of that denomination in the United States passed resolutions on observing the said day as Children’s Day throughout America. In 1994, Hawaii passed a law recognizing the first Sunday of October as Children’s Day or Children & Youth Day. However, in 1997, the Hawaiian Legislature passed a law to observe the entire October month as “Children and Youth Month”.

In 2000, President Bill Clinton declared October 8th to be celebrated as Children’s Day thereafter. But in 2001, President George W. Bush announced June 3rd as National Child’s Day and the commemoration of this day on the first Sunday in June every year. In 2009, a proclamation was issued by Illinois governor Pat Quinn declaring the second Sunday of June as Children’s Day. Similar proclamations have been issued by the mayors of Aurora and Batavia, Illinois. Today, many churches and denominations, including the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the Church of the Nazarene, observe the second Sunday of June as Children’s Day. This joyous occasion is even celebrated in many Protestant churches as well.