When Is Grandparents Day 2026? Date and How to Mark It

In the US, National Grandparents Day falls on the first Sunday after Labor Day, which lands on 13 September in 2026. It is not a fixed date on the calendar but a rule tied to Labor Day, so it moves by a week or so each year. Here is when it falls over the next few years, why the date shifts, and simple ways to make the day feel personal rather than generic.

When is Grandparents Day in 2026, 2027, and 2028?

Because it is defined as the first Sunday after Labor Day, and Labor Day is itself the first Monday of September, the date always falls in early-to-mid September:

• 2026: Sunday, 13 September
• 2027: Sunday, 12 September
• 2028: Sunday, 10 September

If you only remember one rule, remember "the Sunday after Labor Day weekend" and you will always land on the right day.

Why does the date move every year?

National Grandparents Day was signed into law in the US in 1978 and deliberately anchored to Labor Day rather than a fixed number, so it always falls in early autumn as the school year settles in and families start planning toward the holidays. The floating date is also why it catches people off guard. Unlike Mother's Day or Father's Day, which most people know by month, Grandparents Day tends to sneak up, so it is worth a calendar reminder a couple of weeks ahead.

Is Grandparents Day celebrated outside the US?

Yes, though the date and traditions differ by country. Many European countries mark separate Grandmother's Day and Grandfather's Day observances on different dates, and some fall in the spring rather than autumn. If you are outside the US, it is worth a quick search for your country's date rather than assuming the September date applies everywhere.

Simple ways to mark the day

Grandparents Day does not need a big gesture to land well. A few ideas that tend to mean more than a card:

• A short memory video. Gathering a handful of old photos into a few minutes of video, set to music, gives grandparents something they will actually watch again, not just glance at once.
• A visit or a call with no agenda. Time with grandchildren is consistently the thing grandparents say they want most, more than any object.
• A handwritten note about one specific memory. Specific beats general. "Thank you for teaching me to fish" lands harder than "thanks for everything."
• A framed photo from a moment they weren't expecting to see again. Something from decades back, not a recent snapshot.

If a memory video is the route you want, our guide on turning old photos into a video walks through the steps, and you can see the quality first with a free First Look that turns three photos into a short sample before you commit to anything larger.