International Day of Families

Happy International Day of Families!

Tag @tryverima with your favorite international dish!

In 1993 the United Nations designated May 15 as The International Day of Families. According to the UN’s website, the day was designated in order to “provide an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase the knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families. “ 

This year for International Day of Families, the UN recognizes the hardship the Covid 19 pandemic has placed on families worldwide as it is the family that endures the greatest impact of this health crisis. 2020’s theme of “Families in Development” highlights the goals of the 25 year old Beijing Declaration which was adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995. The document highlights the eminence of supporting women globally to ensure social and economic stability in the family unit. 

So this Friday May 15th, here are some things we can do to observe this day with our families. 

Learn about a new culture
Exposing children to new faces, languages, cultures and traditions plays an important role in developing empathetic, open minded people. Have your children pick an unfamiliar area on the map and learn about life for the citizens and families . A simple google search of the country will tell you what languages are spoken, foods are eaten and what traditional clothing looks like. This is an exercise that can be extended through the year giving children a greater sense of our global community. If you want extra support or guidance, companies like Little Global Citizens offers subscription boxes that can help you navigate. 

Plan a socially distanced picnic
Gather three families and ask each one to take on either an appetizer an entree or a dessert from different cultures.  Drop your contribution off at the other homes and then voila each of the families has a multicultural meal all set. Pack it up, and head to the backyard for a picnic. You can enjoy Korean potstickers, Moroccan couscous and Greek Baklava in one day. Check out Epicurious’ site for KID FRIENDLY recipes from around the world! 

Reflect
Have a conversation with your brood on what family means to you. All families are different and not all families are related by blood. So beyond biology, what are the elements that make a family, and what do those things mean to you? 

Enjoy a cultural experience together

Now more than ever, museums, dance companies and musical groups are opening their doors and posting their content online for you to enjoy.  The Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) has developed #MetKids which had a great interactive map that allows kids to see pieces of art over 5,000 years across the entire globe. The Louvre has several amazing virtual tours including The Body in Movement and Ancient Egypt. Last month, International Dance Day had an online celebration where dancers from all over the globe posted choreography while sheltering at home.  An amazing presentation of art, culture and human resilience. 

Volunteer to help families
Granted we are homebound for the most part right now, but that shouldn’t stop us from finding opportunities to give back.  The UN has developed a site for virtual volunteer work around the globe. Sites like Volunteer Match have thousands of global opportunities,  many of them virtual and quite a few are COVID specific.

Regardless of what you choose to do for International Day of Families, we can all recognize the importance of the family unit and the focus, support, and celebration it deserves. From our family to yours, stay safe and enjoy each other.

Tag #tryverima with your favorite international dish!