Across several countries, 26 July is observed as Grandparents’ Day, a civil commemoration that traces its origins to the Catholic liturgical calendar. The date coincides with the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, who, according to Christian tradition, are the parents of the Virgin Mary and the grandparents of Jesus. While the devotion dates back to the Middle Ages, its transformation into a day of awareness about old age gained momentum in the late 20th century. The United Nations does not recognise this date, having proclaimed 1 October as the International Day of Older Persons in 1990, a separate observance focused on public policy and health systems.

The Vatican has reinforced the religious dimension of the celebration. In 2021, Pope Francis instituted the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, to be held annually on the fourth Sunday of July, close to the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne. According to Vatican News, as cited by the Indonesian daily Jawa Pos, the sixth edition of this day in 2026 will be led by Pope Leo XIV under the theme “I will not forget you” (Isaiah 49:15), and it may be held on the same day as the liturgical memorial of the saints. The initiative is intended to combat the marginalisation of older people and to highlight their role as custodians of faith, a message that Pope Francis has linked directly to the figures of Joachim and Anne.

National observances, however, do not always align with the July date. In Mexico, Grandparents’ Day is celebrated on 28 August. Originally established as “Día del Anciano” (Day of the Elderly), the commemoration was renamed Día Nacional de las Personas Adultas Mayores (National Day of Older Adults) in the 1990s and early 2000s to promote more respectful and inclusive language, recognising that not all older people are grandparents. In Argentina, by contrast, 26 July is firmly established as the Día de los Abuelos, a unified celebration distinct from separate days for grandmothers and grandfathers later in the year.

The religious observance on 26 July also carries specific devotional practices. Catholic faithful pray to Saint Anne for the protection of children and for women seeking to conceive, drawing on the apocryphal Protoevangelium of James, which recounts the couple’s long childlessness and the angelic announcement of Mary’s birth. Prayers to Saints Joachim and Anne are also directed at strengthening family bonds and seeking consolation for the elderly. The Church presents the pair as models of patience and faith, and their feast day has become a focal point for calls to respect the rights of older persons and to foster active ageing within the family.