Brothers Day

“Why is there a Mothers Day and a Fathers Day?” my four-year-old son Julian asked.

“Because mommies and daddies are special,” I replied.

“Well, why isn’t there a Brothers Day?” he asked.

“Because every day is Brothers Day,” I replied.

“Oh,” he said, disappointed and unsatisfied.

This was a real conversation a few days ago, and I admit I came up with that lame, last reply on the fly.

But Julian has a good point. Why aren’t there sanctioned days to celebrate brothers and sisters? We should have them.

I’m surprised Hallmark hasn’t (yet) seized the opportunity to flood us with themed greeting cards and annual card-giving guilt. For what it’s worth, Hallmark originally was named Hall Brothers. Big Brothers Big Sisters has an opportunity here as well.

If society were to start a Brothers Day and a Sisters Day, which dates should they be?

(Photo: Jack Fussell)

Published by Max Kalehoff

Father, sailor and marketing executive.

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9 Comments

  1. Freaky.  My 5 year old asked the same question, right around Mother’s Day. Since his birthday falls between Christmas and New Year’s… and gets lost in the shuffle, we began celebrating Brother’s day on the half year. If nothing else, it adds another party to 4th of July weekend. : )

    1. We celebrate our brother’s day on July 1st too! Wow! my then six year old picked it! Happy Brother’s Day!

  2. Me and my brother have been Celebrating Brother’s day since September 19th 2001 and are trying to gain momentum for a nationally recognized “Brother’s Day” on September 19th of every year.  So far the website it http://www.officialbrothersday.com and http://www.facebook.com/brothersday

    Although our quote for Brother’s day is “Brotherhood is not defined by the blood that runs in our veins but by the events and experiences that have united us.”

  3. I had the same discussion with my 8 year old son 5 years ago when we welcomed his baby brother into the world. I told him to pick the day and he selected October 13th as the day to celebrate being and having a brother!

  4. My oldest was 6 when he asked this question. He had just gotten a new brother and it was right after father’s day. I had told him that every day was for children, he responded much the same way your son did, but then he declared that July 1st every year is brothers day for us brothers in this house! It was adorably audacious of him, so we went with it. Since then we have added another brother to the family, every year on July 1st our three sons celebrate brothers day. I make them cupcakes and decorate the house, they make each other cards and we take them to a small toy shop and they pick out three little presents, (they don’t pick their own.) We take a bunch of pictures and celebrate a bunch of brotherhood! We are getting ready to celebrate one in a few days! I recently heard there actually is a sanctioned brothers day at the end of May. I think we will continue our traditional date for sentimental reasons.

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