Various Children’s Days, especially Children’s Sundays have been held across the world for many years, but no one day has taken over as the main day for it. However, in the United States the second Sunday in June is one of the most popular days to celebrate Children.
It started with a recommendation at a Methodist Conference in 1868, and was soon followed by many different individual churches and small groups, as well as the entire General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. Some state governors have issued proclamations about it too for individual years, including Massachusetts and Illinois.
Children’s Sunday is generally thought of as an obvious addition to Mother’s Day (2nd Sunday in May) and Father’s Day (3rd Sunday in June), but it usually comes with a much greater emphasis on committing ourselves to loving and supporting our children (rather than honoring them with a nice dinner and flowers/ties). The church where I grew up has a beautiful tradition (at a different time of the year) where we dedicate all the new babies to the Lord and dedicate ourselves to loving them, supporting them, and being good examples for them.
So today is a good day for considering all the children in your life and your effect on them – whether they’re yours or whether you just see them occasionally. Then let them know how proud you are of them and how glad you are to know them. They may think it’s a bit weird, but the memory will come back later when they need it.
“But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
Luke 18:16
June 9 is also Donald Duck Day!
A Year of Holidays 