Celebrate a Senior You Love on National Senior Citizens Day

While we respect and honor older citizens every day as we help them remain happy and healthy at home, we celebrate them every August 21, National Senior Citizens Day.

In a few short years, the population will have a major age shift, when for the first time in U.S. history, there will be more senior citizens than children. The turning point begins in 2030, when all Baby Boomers will be older than 65, meaning 1 out of 5 residents will be retirement age. There may be about 78 million Americans over the age of 65 living in America in 2035, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

That’s a lot of senior citizens.

National Senior Citizens Day became a thing in 1988, when President Ronald Reagan, a senior himself at age 69 when he was in office, signed Proclamation 5847.

“Throughout our history, older people have achieved much for our families, our communities, and our country. That remains true today, and gives us ample reason this year to reserve a special day in honor of the senior citizens who mean so much to our land,” President Reagan proclaimed. “For all they have achieved throughout life and for all they continue to accomplish, we owe older citizens our thanks and a heartfelt salute. We can best demonstrate our gratitude and esteem by making sure that our communities are good places in which to mature and grow older — places in which older people can participate to the fullest and can find the encouragement, acceptance, assistance, and services they need to continue to lead lives of independence and dignity.”

The proclamation reads: “With improved health care and more years of productivity, older citizens are reinforcing their historical roles as leaders and as links with our patrimony and sense of purpose as individuals and as a Nation. Many older people are embarking on second careers, giving younger Americans a fine example of responsibility, resourcefulness, competence, and determination. And more than 4.5 million senior citizens are serving as volunteers in various programs and projects that benefit every sector of society. Wherever the need exists, older people are making their presence felt—for their own good and that of others.”

In New Jersey, more than 78% of the states’ 8.882 million residents are over the age of 18, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Estimates of the Total Resident Population from July 1, 2019.

Embrace being a senior—don’t forget to ask for your discount.