National Aunt and Uncle Day

National Aunt and Uncle Day is, as the name suggests, a day to celebrate a special set of relatives – your Aunts and Uncles.

Learn about National Aunt and Uncle Day

“Only an aunt can give hugs like a mother, keep secrets like a sister, and share love like a friend.”

The amount of aunts and uncles you have will vary from family to family. However, they often play a crucial role throughout your life; taking you to fun places, babysitting you when your parents are out, buying you birthday and Christmas presents and giving you important advice and support when you need it most. After all, there are some things we just don’t feel comfortable talking to our parents about.

So if you love your aunts and uncles, why not call them, spend the day with them, or send them a card or a gift? This is your day to show them how much you appreciate all of the effort they have put in, and all of the fun and laughter they have provided over the years.

History of National Aunt and Uncle Day

“Uncles are there to help the child get into mischief they haven’t thought of yet.”

People have been celebrating their precious family members for a long, long time. After all, we don’t all need a day in order to love and appreciate our aunts and uncles, right?

In terms of the history of the words themselves, the word uncle comes from the French word “oncle” and the word aunt is derived from “tante”, which also happens to be French. These French words can then be traced even further back in history, coming from the Latin words avunculus and amita respectively.

In human societies, aunts and uncles have a lot of different roles. For instance, in the Ghanaian tribe of the Ashanti, both uncles and aunts are given free reign to raise their siblings’ children and to discipline them. They are deemed to be a second set of parents, and so the family is essentially raised together. In the Western world, if your aunt or uncle was to discipline you, it may seem a little bit strange and even inappropriate. However, in some families, this is considered the norm.

In a lot of Polynesian cultures, anyone who is deemed older than you may be called uncle or aunt. This is because it is considered a term of endearment and respect.

We have also seen that uncles and aunts have an important place in modern pop culture today. There are a lot of famous examples of aunts and uncles across film, literature, and television. The most obvious example would be the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, whereby Uncle Phil is seen as a parental figure for his nephew who is played by Will Smith, as well as his own children. This shows how aunts and uncles can be seen as trusted and wise family members. Why not celebrate this date by watching a few episodes of this show? It is bound to make you have a good laugh!

How to celebrate National Aunt and Uncle Day

One of the ways to celebrate National Aunt and Uncle Day is to purchase a small gift. You do not need to spend a lot. Simply choose something that is thoughtful and shows your aunt and uncle how much they mean to you. A natural handmade soap gift set or a box of chocolates would make a great gift idea, for example.

There is no denying that choosing a gift can be difficult, especially for your aunt and uncle. It can be a bit of a tough one to judge, right? You want to buy something that is going to stand out from the other presents they have received in the past, and something that shows you have put a lot of thought in. However, you don’t want to take such a big risk, as no one wants to buy someone something they hate. 

This is why handmade soap gift sets are such a good idea. It is a gift that everyone is assured to love; yet it shows that you have put a lot of effort in as well. There are so many delicious scents for you to choose from, including ginger, lime, lavender, honey, and much more. When your aunt and uncle opens the gift that you have purchased them, they will immediately be hit by the luxurious fragrance, and you are bound to see a big smile appear on their face.

The handmade and natural attributes of the soap play a key role as well. Handmade gifts are widely appreciated because the companies that make these products are experts in their craft and every bar of soap is made with a huge amount of love and care. Natural skincare products are kind to the skin, ensuring it gets all of the essential oils it needs. A lot of people only use natural products, so it’s a safer bet to go down this route.

As mentioned, you can also play it safe with a box of chocolates. After all, who does not love indulging in some tasty chocolate from time-to-time? The great thing about the chocolate industry today is that you are not restricted to the same old box of chocolates that everyone purchases. There are so many artisan chocolate suppliers nowadays, meaning you can opt for chocolates in unique flavors or you can look for chocolates that have been beautifully decorated. Again, it is not about spending a lot of money. It is the thought that counts.

Of course, another option that you have is to simply make a gift for your aunt and uncle. This shows that you have put time and effort into the gift, and this is something that they are bound to appreciate. You could put together a photo college of the different times that you have spent together. This is something that they are bound to love and cherish. There are lots of different instructions online for various crafts and handmade gifts as well. So, why not check these out? You are bound to find something that your aunt and uncle will love.

It’s not all about gifts and presents, though! For a lot of aunts and uncles, the greatest gift that you could ever give them is spending some time together. This is especially the case if your aunt and uncle do not have children of their own. Why not give them a call and make some plans for the day so you can spend some time together? You could pop around and watch a movie together. You could go on a lovely walk together. You could arrange to go out for lunch. It’s completely up to you. All that matters is that you get to spend some precious moments with your family.