I received an email this week from a dad who wanted to know whether National Single Parents' Day is March 21 or the third Sunday in March (which would make it March 17 this year).
It's an excellent question -- and one with a confusing answer. The first Single Parents' Day -- March 21, 1984 -- was the brainchild of a divorced mom named Janice Moglen. That same year, Congress passed House Joint Resolution 200 (Public Law 98-240) which designated March 21 as "National Single Parent Day." President Ronald Reagan also issued Proclamation 5166 declaring it a national holiday.
Since then, individual states -- starting with Colorado in 1993 -- have acknowledged March 21 as National Single Parents' Day. But it's not an event that's officially recognized in every state, nor is a presidential proclamation issued each year, which tells us that we still have a long way to go in recognizing the work of single moms and dads all across the U.S.
In addition, there have been some smaller groups -- such as the Facebook group "National Single Parents Day" -- that have more recently publicized the third Sunday of March as National Single Parents' Day, which makes sense because Mother's Day and Father's Day are both on Sundays. (Hence, the confusion over which day is really Single Parents' Day. . .)
Share your thoughts. Which day do you think of as National Single Parents' Day? And do you do anything special to celebrate? Share your thought and experiences with our readers by leaving a comment below.
Photo © OJO Images/Paul Bradbury and Getty Images
As a single dad I take pride in what I’ve done to raise my children exclusively on my own(their mom abandoned th after divorce). However I do not agree with celebrating single parenting. The deterioration of the 2 parent family has and continues to have incredible negative impacts on our children. No matter how good a job a single parent does it does not replace a 2 parent home.
My plea is not to celebrate being a single parent but focus on what needs to be done to keep families together!
I appreciate the previous comment, however, I see Single Parent Day as an acknowledgement of the effort required to rear children alone. Much like Mother’s and Father’s Day, SPD brings a spotlight on the struggles survived in a one-parent household.
Yes, let’s focus on maintaining two-parent households and do what we can to counsel those around us to do everything in their power to keep the family unit in tact. We can do that AND celebrate the Single Parents of our world that sacrifice above and beyond for the love and well-being of their family.
I don’t think most people chose to raise a child alone, especially for an extended period of time. That said, the work is double for those that do. It is worth recognizing, regardless if one wants to “celebrate” it or not. They do not get to “celebrate” Wedding Anniversaries, Spouses Birthdays, and may not have a “significant other” to help celebrate their birthday. Why not encourage those that do, to let them know they are doing a good job?