On Sunday October 1stGrandparents Day was celebrated in the Netherlands. Grandparents Day is a special holiday that allows generations to meet and learn from each other and honours grandmas and granddads
According to Charles Lansdorp of the FeliniFoundation Grandparents Day is all about sustainability on the one hand in the interest of long-lasting relationships. Creating and maintaining a network in time prevents loneliness later in life.
Lansdorp: „The relationship between grandparent and grandchild plays an important role. On the other hand we have the the duty to pass a healthy earth on to the future generations. Grandmas and granddads love to share their knowledge of flowers, plants and nature with the young generation.”
In Italy workshops with flowers and plants were organised in Milan, while in Rome grandparents planted flower bulbs together with their grandchildren in the gardens of VialeTiziano.
In the Netherlands flowers and plants workshops were held in various cities, like Amersfoort, Deventer, Apeldoorn, Noordwijk and regions Epe and Groningen. Grandparents who live in nursing homes received a perfumed rose from their grandchildren and a sustainably produced orchid plant, to grow together.
The international grandparents day project is an initiative of the Felinifoundation and the Dutch Association of Wholesale Trade in Horticultural Products VGB and is supported by several companies and organizations.
Lansdorp points out that one of the key-issues in the plan of the new government coalition deal in the Netherlands is to give more appreciation for the elderly and fight against loneliness. The plan was presented by the new coalition government of the rightist liberals VVD, Christian democrats CDA, leftist liberals D66 and the small Christian party ChristenUnie.
