Our siblings are our family, and they are a huge part of our lives – that’s why we celebrate them on National Siblings Day every April 10! Siblings are our best friends and sometimes our worst enemies. Our siblings encourage us to be our best, embarrass us, and be our biggest motivators and competitors. It’s now growing into a nationwide day of both remembrance and celebration. Three U.S. presidents have recognized the event — most recently, President Obama in 2016. The “Siblings Day Foundation”, sponsors of this day, gained non-profit status in 1999. They are working on establishing a United Nations resolution for an International Siblings Day.
History of National Siblings Day
Hindu peoples celebrate Raksha Bandhan to celebrate the bond between brothers and sisters. In Raksha Bandhan, Hindu women tie a band around their brother’s wrists, symbolizing that the sister will protect them. The brothers give a gift in return, both agreeing to protect and care for each other. The festival has ancient origins but is still popular to this day — it is the earliest known celebration of siblings!
Claudia Evart created the US holiday in 1995 after losing her brother and sister at a very early age. She realized what an important role siblings have in our lives, so she created the holiday to honor the memory of her siblings. For the holiday, Claudia chose April 10 — her late sister Lisette’s birthday. Mother’s Day has been around since 1907, and Father’s Day has been around since 1910. This makes almost 100 years without a day honoring our siblings!
Claudia founded the “Siblings Day Foundation” which continues to spread the mission of honoring our siblings. The foundation is working to make the holiday federally recognized in the United states, and are working on establishing an International Siblings Day through the United Nations. Since 1998, 49 states have issued gubernatorial proclamations to observe this day on April 10; three US presidents have recognized the holiday.
Sibling love is global — Australia, India, and Spain are only a few of the countries that celebrate Siblings Day. In Europe, National Siblings Day is celebrated as Brothers and Sisters Day on May 31. The President of the Republic of Portugal has even recognized Siblings Day as a holiday!