May 31 is the International Feast of Brothers and Sisters: what to know
A brother or sister is more than a friend: they are a life partner who will always be close to you; knows all your secrets and will always do everything for you! Don't forget to express all your love to him, you will feel really happy. If you don't know where to start, take a cue from the phrases contained in this video: find out how to say I love you to the best of your friends or friends!
What does the Feast of Brothers symbolize
"If you want to see a happy child, give him a brother. If you want to see a very happy child, give him a lot of brothers.”Quote from Fernando Roberto Castro, Portuguese author, as well as founder and former president of ELFAC, the European Confederation of large families.
In Europe this phrase has been the synthesis of the spirit of the Brothers' Day since 2014.
An "opportunity to celebrate that unique bond that only brothers or sisters hold: a life spent together, between laughter, bickering and lots of fun!
In Europe, the celebrations take place on May 31; why was this date chosen?
In principle, to align it with some spring celebrations that take place in various countries of the Union, always of a family nature. The Feast of the Brothers in fact is not only an Italian celebration, but is recognized by various countries of the European Union: the day it is unique for all members. For example, in Portugal, which is Castro's birthplace, Children's Day is celebrated the day before.
In doing so, the "Siblings" feast, as the Americans would say, has become a civil feast that honors children in general, but in particular the younger ones who, thanks to their birth, bring so much joy and laughter to the older brothers.
Let's find out now how this party was born also in the rest of the world.
See also
Its history and origins
The Brothers' Day was not actually born in Europe, but in America, in the not far 1997.
Conceived by Claudia Evart, Brothers' Day was set up to honor the memory of a deceased brother. Only two years later, in 1999, the party became a non-profit organization; and in 2005 it officially became a day of celebration. In New York it was introduced into the Congressional records starting in September of that year. The anniversary is quite young and therefore everyone is free to create their own traditions with their brothers or sisters!
Italy, on the other hand, as mentioned in the previous paragraph, had to wait another 9 years compared to the United States, but in the end we did it thanks to the idea of ELFAC, which made it official in 2014.
Please note: in America, National Siblings Day or National Sibling Day is celebrated much earlier than in Europe, on April 10th.
If you reside in one of these countries of the European Union, the official date is May 31st:
Austria, Cyprus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Serbia and Switzerland.
Curiosity
Unlike friends overseas, in Italy there is no general term to indicate both male and female siblings. This might make you think that there is also a party dedicated only to the sisters, but this is not the case! For the moment it is still customary to say 'I love you!' to her favorite sister always on May 31st.
When do the other holidays concerning the family in Italy fall?
Read our article on Mother's Day and the one on gifts to give to dad for his holiday.
