October 2 is day dedicated to grandparentsan opportunity to celebrate them and remember the value of their role in our society. “Grandparents represent a fundamental pillar in our lives: they are the guardians of traditions, wisdom and unconditional love. They teach the importance of values and give precious moments that stay with us forever,” the Prime Minister wrote on X. Giorgia Meloni.
“Grandfathers and grandmothers – said the president of UNICEF Italy Carmela Pace – they are fundamental figures for the growth of the little ones, they are presences on which every child or grandchild should be able to count. They remind us of the challenges, the happy and difficult moments that make up the history of a family. There are countries where children are left alone, orphaned by parents who died in war or because of illness or because their mothers did not receive qualified assistance during childbirth. These are children who manage to survive and grow exclusively thanks to the presence of a grandmother or grandfather.”
In our countries, grandparents are an army of 12 million peoplewith a constantly increasing life expectancy – we are second in the world after Japan – whose aid fills a key box in society.
From the data from the latest Inapp Plus report, a very clear picture emerges: grandfathers and grandmothers are the true allies of working parents because they represent the most flexible (and also the most economical) solution for childcare children: they are in fact the main resource for which parents entrust their children (57.9% of cases). This is particularly evident in the southern regions of Italy, probably due to the lack of facilities for the care and assistance of the little ones (63%). But even in the rest of Italy the situation is not so different: 57.8% in the northwest, 55.4% in the northeast and 54.4% in the center. And it doesn't stop there: a third of grandparents look after their grandchildren when their parents are working, three in ten also take care of “occasional” management and a quarter also in emergency situations (Source: Istat, Families, family networks, professional paths and life, 2022″).
Why we celebrate today
Grandparents' Day is celebrated every year on October 2 in Italy. It is a civil anniversary established by the Italian Parliament with law no. 159 of July 31, 2005 “as a moment to celebrate the importance of the role played by grandparents within families and society in general”. The chosen day coincides with the liturgical memory of the guardian angels of the Catholic calendar, who, according to tradition, accompany people in life, guiding and helping them in difficult times.
