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ThuMay 18

National Visit Your Relatives Day – May 18, 2023

National Visit Your Relatives Day is celebrated on May 18. It is a day dedicated to spending time with your loved ones and cherishing family time. With the advent of the digital age, while it has become easier to connect with our relatives, the fast pace of our lives has added to the distance even more. The day reminds us to take a moment to appreciate having a family and taking time out to visit or call the relatives we haven’t contacted in a while.

History of National Visit Your Relatives Day

There isn’t a culture or religion in the world that doesn’t have values and traditions surrounding family. Nowadays, it is common for people to live anywhere across the globe, and staying in touch ensures that you maintain close ties with your family and stay rooted in your culture and traditions.

National Visit Your Relatives Day is a day dedicated to showing appreciation for those who played a role in your growth and making sure that they, too, get your support. Many of us have fond childhood memories of our families and growing up. Family vacations, playing with siblings, as well as fighting with them and causing trouble. National Visit Your Relatives Day is a day to relish all those beautiful moments by spending quality time together again.

Modern life is very busy. People are constantly juggling work, family, career, relationships, and other commitments. And, often, we don’t prioritize catching up with our relatives enough. National Visit Your Relatives Day is a day dedicated to doing just this. To reach out to those who deserve our time more than others. There is no better way to celebrate the day than by simply stopping by and saying hello to your relatives or family members that you don’t often get to see. If you can’t meet with them, call them or send them e-cards. Or if you have ample time, host a reunion, the best way to celebrate family. It will definitely bring a huge smile to the faces of your grandparents and the older members of the family who will certainly appreciate this gesture of bringing the family together after a long time apart.

National Visit Your Relatives Day timeline

1967
Interracial Marriage Becomes Legal

The U.S. Supreme Court makes interracial marriage legal in all U.S. states, finally making it possible for people to have interracial relatives.

1970s
The history of the family

A branch of social history concerning the sociocultural evolution of kinship groups from prehistoric to modern times, called the history of the family, emerges.

1994
“Friends”

The famous sit-com “Friends” airs on NBC, which goes on to become world-famous for its hilarious perspective on family dynamics and relatives.

2019
Change in Family Dynamics

There are more than 110 million single people in the U.S., there is a decline in fertility, an increase in the number of single households, and more married women who are working.

National Visit Your Relatives Day FAQs

Who are called relatives?

The Oxford English Dictionary defines ‘a relative’ as: “a person connected by blood or marriage”

What is an example of extended family?

Extended family is defined as a person’s relatives outside of the immediate circle of his spouse or children. An example of the extended family is grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

What are the six types of families?

The six types of families are: The nuclear family — the nuclear family is the traditional type of family structure, single parent family — the single-parent family consists of one parent raising one or more children on his/her own, extended family, childless family, stepfamily, and grandparent family, according to Love To Know.

How to Celebrate National Visit Your Relatives Day

  1. Visit family members

    The visit can be real or even virtual. You can visit your relatives at their homes or simply arrange a video call with them.

  2. Host a reunion

    Invite your relatives for a family reunion. This is the perfect way to celebrate National Visit Your Relatives Day.

  3. Post pictures

    Post pictures and share get-together celebrations on social media. Use the hashtag #NationalVisitYourRelativesDay.

5 Facts About Relatives And Family

  1. International year of families

    The United Nations declared 1994 as the International Year of Families.

  2. The new U.S. family

    The nuclear family is no longer the norm in the U.S. as it is being replaced by stepfamilies, singles, and families living outside marriage.

  3. Stepfamily members

    In the U.S., two out of three people have a stepfamily member and, as of 2014, 40% of married couples (with children) have been married before.

  4. High divorce rate

    The divorce rate among married couples with children in the U.S. is 62% to 74%.

  5. Diverse parenthood

    The number of children who have bisexual, lesbian, or gay parents in the U.S. is between 6–10 million.

Why National Visit Your Relatives Day Is Significant

  1. It emphasizes the importance of family

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

  2. It’s a day to celebrate togetherness

    In today’s fast-paced life, National Visit Your Relatives Day dedicates time to our loved ones. It is a day to take a break from work and celebrate family.

  3. It makes life better

    Today, everybody is so busy with their career that no one really has time for family and relatives. National Visit Your Relatives Day is a reminder making time for family can increase the value of our lives and contribute to our well-being.

National Visit Your Relatives Day dates

YearDateDay
2023May 18Thursday
2024May 18Saturday
2025May 18Sunday
2026May 18Monday
2027May 18Tuesday

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