On July 23rd, Gorgeous Grandma Day recognizes all women of a certain age, whether they are grandmothers or not.

Not all women become grandmothers. Those who do, don’t necessarily fit the traditional mold any longer. Others still reach a point where many assume grandmother status, even though no grandchildren are about. Gorgeous Grandma Day embraces the age of the nana and encourages all women to flaunt their granny attitudes with purpose and style.

While some grandmas fit the traditional mold with gray hair and cookie-baking, home-making, hug-giving, child-spoiling energy to spare, many grannies sport a whole new role. Many take on the part of grandma to the children in their lives.

No matter the type of grandmother they are, they’re all different. Some play the hippest games, wear the latest styles, and know how to find the best deals on technology. Even the grandkids can’t keep up! Funny, sassy and energetic grandmas, rebel grannies and smart grannies make the grade, too.

In many scenarios, grandmother-types step into the role where no grandmother remains. These women lend ears, laps, and hugs, much like the nanas of memory. Of course, they build foundations and set young men and women on their path.

Nearly all of these fantastic women pass down family traditions while teaching children to stand on our own. Full of wisdom and wit, what would anyone do without their nanas? They go by many names, but they’re all gorgeous in their own way.

On Gorgeous Grandma Day, let the grandmothers in your life know how much they mean to you.

HISTORY OF NATIONAL GORGEOUS GRANDMA DAY

National Gorgeous Grandma Day is celebrated annually on July 23. As the name of the holiday suggests, our dearest, cuddliest grandmothers are celebrated. Grandmothers endlessly love and treasure their families, and typically have an infectious love for life. They have experienced a lot and have the best words of wisdom for us. With all the aches and pains of old age, most grandmothers have positive attitudes and amazing energy, which radiates into our lives. The day aims to celebrate women over the age of 50 and encourages them to defy society’s standards and live it up a bit.

We love our grandmothers but, most of the time, we see them in a stereotypical old-fashioned way. Grandmothers are expected to be calm, collected, have an outdated style, and spend their days baking and knitting. Society’s narrow perception that women shouldn’t dress up, wear bright colors, and go on dates after the age of 50 is primitive. National Gorgeous Grandma Day intends to dispel this mindset and encourage people not to frown upon ladies over the age of 50 who are not ready to retire to a quiet life yet.

Alice Solomon graduated at the age of 50 from Wellesley College in 1984. She realized that society saw her and other women of her age as senior citizens, regardless of whether or not they were actual ‘grandmothers.’ Determined to challenge this thinking, she came up with the idea of ‘Gorgeous Grandma.’ Women who were apparently ‘beyond their expiration date’ and no longer relevant are termed as ‘grandmas,’ so Solomon decided to embrace the term, but amped it up with the use of the word ‘gorgeous.’ Gorgeous Grandma is all about presenting an edgier image of older women and eliminating stereotypes confining them in a limited box.

5 FACTS ABOUT NATIONAL GORGEOUS GRANDMA DAY THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND

1. Good influences

   Some of the most prominent people in the world, like Jack Nicholson and Barack Obama, were raised by their grandparents.

2. They are not that old

   The average age of a grandparent in the U.S. is around 48.

3. Definitely not old!

   The world’s youngest grandmother is Rifca Stanescu — a 23-year-old from Romania.

4. It does BEE like that sometimes.

   Due to the biological process of haplodiploidy, male bees can only have grandfathers and grandsons but not sons or fathers.

5. It’s fulfilling

   Three out of four grandparents love being one and think it’s “the single most important and satisfying thing in their life.”

NATIONAL GORGEOUS GRANDMA DAY DATES