Seniors are a huge part of our country's history and success. They have helped shape this country and have persevered through some of our most difficult times. Many continue to work and volunteer in their own communities. With all this hard work and dedication, it is reasonable to think that they should all be celebrated and thanked. Thankfully, National Senior Citizens Day exists just for that reason. Stay tuned to learn more about this day and how to celebrate.

First lets get into the background of National Senior Citizens Day.

National Senior Citizens Day is celebrated on August 21st every year. President Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation for this holiday on August 19, 1988. (If you'd like to read the full proclamation, please click here)

This holiday is meant to celebrate all the achievements older people have made for their families, communities, and country. On this day, we also celebrate their perseverance, initiative, and capabilities/skills. Therefore, it is important on this day, as well as the rest of the year, to show our appreciation.

Our appreciation can be shown in many ways. One way to show appreciation includes making communities a safe place to grow older in. This can be done by encouraging older adults to participate in their communities, making the communities more accessible, and offering assistance/services to help seniors live happy, independent lives. Another way to show appreciation is by spending time with older adults in our lives and asking if they need help with anything.

Now onto celebrations.

There are many ways to celebrate National Senior Citizens Day, but the main objective is to spend time with family and friends. Below are a few examples of things to do.

1. Meet or Talk with Each Other

Whether you meet in person, talk on the phone, or video chat, making that effort to reach out can be a great way to show your love and appreciation.

2. Spend Time Together
Having dinner together, going on a picnic, watching movies together, or listening to and recording their stories are all great ways to spend time together and celebrate.

3. Lend a Helping Hand

Whether it's helping a neighbor with a task or volunteering at an aging care center, offering to help is always a great way to show your appreciation.

4. Treat Yourself

If you are an older adult, this may be a good day to treat yourself. You can cross something off your bucket list, buy yourself something special, go out somewhere special, or make it a relaxing day. This day is about you, after all.

I wish everyone a happy National Senior Citizens Day.

For more ideas on what to do on this day or to learn about some interesting things seniors have done in history, please click here.

Sources:

Monette, A. A. (2026, April 14). National Senior Citizens Day. National Day Calendar. https://nationaldaycalendar.com/celebrations/national-senior-citizens-day-august-21

National Senior Citizens Day. (2019, August 18). Age Safe® America | Senior Home Safety | Aging in Place. https://agesafeamerica.com/home-safety-hub/blog/national-senior-citizens-day/

National senior citizens day, august 21st. (2020b, August 21). Council on Aging of Central Oregon. https://www.councilonaging.org/blog/national-senior-citizens-day-august-21st/

Proclamation 5847—National Senior Citizens Day, 1988 | the american presidency project. (2026). Ucsb.Edu. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/proclamation-5847-national-senior-citizens-day-1988

The history of National Senior Citizens Day | Medical Guardian. (2016). Medical Guardian. https://www.medicalguardian.com/medical-alert-blog/current-events/the-history-of-national-senior-citizens-day?srsltid=afmbooogomosds9vrvsfunzqzghz9yj4csaext234jr_edorkzode0ul

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