St. Petersburg, Russia—To mark the International Day of Older Persons, a group of children invited their grandparents to a special celebration at their school.
On September 30, 2016, the Festival Plus private school in St. Petersburg welcomed the grandparents of its younger pupils to a concert entitled "We’re Kissing Grandma's Hands, We Are Proud of Grandfather’s Courage." The program was initiated by Tatiana Krasnosumova, the secretary general of UPF in St. Petersburg, who is also an Ambassador for Peace.
International Day of Older Persons was established by the United Nations in 1991 and is celebrated by UN member nations every year on October 1. The purpose of the holiday is raise awareness about issues affecting the elderly and to appreciate the contributions that older people make to society.
The children of the Festival Plus school prepared poems, songs, music, dance, and a short theatrical sketch for their grandparents. The guests could not help but respond: They answered questions, sang songs and danced.
The children presented to their grandparents greeting cards which they had made personally, along with colored balloons and flowers.
The guests expressed great appreciation for being invited to the event. For a time they could forget their difficulties, hardships, and health issues, they said, and they felt relaxed and happy.