Grandparents’ Day is a day to celebrate our grandparents and bring generations together. This year, due to the coronavirus, grandchildren were unable to meet their grandparents. The loneliness amongst the elderly, caused by social distancing, made Grandparent's Day even more important in 2020. 
Fight Loneliness
Loneliness has become a major issue for the elderly and the pandemic reminds us how unique the relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren is. In collaboration with the Dutch Embassies and Consulates General in various European countries Grandparents Day was launched this year to help fight loneliness. To kick off the Grandparents Day campaign a webinar was organized by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Italy in collaboration with the trade fair Myplant & Garden, Fairtrade Italy, and the Felini Foundation. Grandparents Day is all about sustainability, as it acknowledges the vital importance of long-lasting relationships, and it aims to pass on a healthy, prosperous earth to future generations. 
Florist Organizations Support Grandparents Day
Florint president Simon Ogrizek and Federfiori president Rosario Alfino underlined the excellent opportunity Grandparents Day offers to promote sustainable and fair flowers. Flowers and plants stimulate social interaction and have an unmatched power to transmit emotion and affection. They can encourage contact and dialogue among generations and bring the younger generation closer to nature. Florists in different countries were given tools to promote Grandparents Day. Throughout Grandparents Day, workshops took place in Italy, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Russia. Florists in Spain, Italy, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic were activated through a social media campaign.
Italy
Mr. Paolo Pastore, CEO of Fairtrade Italy, presented the opportunities for Fairtrade flowers in Italy. Fairtrade stands for fair wages and sustainable production. This is perfectly in line with the message of Grandparent’s Day as grandparents care about protecting the planet for future generations. The Grandparents Day campaign strives to connect generations with sustainably grown flowers and plants that also help to create fair working conditions for employees at flower farms. In Italy, a photo contest on Instagram was organized in collaboration with Faxiflora, and florists from the cities of Turin and Novara organized activities for a whole week under the motto "together against loneliness". The Dutch Ambassador Mr. Joost Flamand opened the Webinar on "Sustainable floriculture" and outlined a renewed approach to the customer where sustainability and social responsibility are central. Personal attention is crucial for the well-being and especially that of the elderly, and can simply and beautifully be conveyed through the language of flowers. 
Vatican
Grandparents day on Radio Vaticano. In a radio interview broadcasted on Radio Vatican, Charles Lansdorp of the Felini Foundation commented: "It is a day to honor grandparents and to help children become aware of their legacy, a valuable relationship that Pope Francis has repeatedly upheld. The Pope often called on the young generations to "help" the elderly, to be aware and in touch with them, and to be present in warding off loneliness and neglect.
Netherlands
In the Netherlands this year the different generations could not celebrate Grandparents Day together. In various care homes, the elderly received a beautiful flower bouquet as a gesture of support in these difficult times.
Germany
Dutch Consul General Paul Ymkers during Grandparents Day paid a special tribute to the elderly in Straubing and surprised them with a flower gift. He also handed over a bouquet of flowers to mayor Dr. Albert Solleder, a symbolic gesture that celebrates the wonderful friendship that connects the Netherlands with the city of Straubing. 
Spain
In Spain, the organizations in the flower industry were informed about the Grandparent’s Day initiative, florists and garden centers could download a promotion kit from the website. A video went viral to draw attention to loneliness among the elderly.
Czech Republic
On October 1, the Dutch Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Mr. Kees Klompenhouwer, joined the event dedicated to Grandparents Day in Tehov. Together with mayor David Hlouch he planted a fruit tree in the garden of the local elementary school, where children were celebrating Grandparents Day making flower arrangements for the elderly. "Elderly people deserve our love for everything they have done for others during their life", according to Ambassador Kees Klompenhouwer. "This tree, as well as the flowers, is a symbol of the connection between generations, and an expression of beauty, love, and hope."
Slovenia
Dutch Ambassador Mr. Marco Hennis sent his greetings to all grandparents in Slovenia: "I‘m sitting in the arboretum in front of a beautiful bouquet of flowers to celebrate Grandparents Day. This is a Dutch initiative interpreted in a lovely and gracious way by the Slovenian partners. I feel that it helps in getting grandparents and elderly people out of their isolation. Bringing back flowers, attention and love can make their lives probably much more flowerful. Let’s hope that this initiative will flourish and let’s hope that this bouquet of flowers will reach out to many other people here in Slovenia." 
2021 Calender for Grandparents Day
1 October Czech Republic 2 October Slovenia 2 October Spain 2 October Italy 3 October Netherlands 3 October United Kingdom 10 October Germany (Bavaria) 28 October Russia More information about Grandparents Day at [email protected]
