Aunts and uncles get their own thank-you on Monday, July 26, 2027, National Aunt and Uncle Day. They babysit and give advice, and sometimes they step in when a family needs help.
When to Call Your Aunts and Uncles
Put July 26 on the calendar. The day is informal, so a phone call counts.
The Research Behind the Day
No one has documented who started the day. University of Maine professor Robert Milardo has studied what aunts and uncles actually do, and he called them “the forgotten kin” in his 2009 book.
For that study, Milardo interviewed hundreds of relatives on both sides of the bond. “Once I started talking to uncles, I realized how complex this was and how important these relationships could be,” he said.
His research, the University of Maine reports, found that they help with child care, give parents time off and offer advice. Some of these relationships, he wrote, “fuse elements of parent-like obligations with friendship.”
What keeps the bond close
Shared interests mattered more than distance. Milardo found that social distance, not geography, shaped how close relatives felt.
About a third of Milardo’s subjects described a tight bond between uncle and nephew.
Family ties help too. Bonds come easier when an uncle is close to his own siblings, Milardo found. Kids then tend to trust him as an independent authority figure.
Children around ages 5 or 6 often ask uncles about their parents or complain about house rules. Kids may also bring an uncle sensitive topics, such as drugs and sex, that feel awkward to raise at home.
Milardo sees uncles as a more neutral voice. A good one listens to a child’s complaints but still backs the parents. That can become a “springboard for the child coming to understand the parents.”
Uncles can support parents as well, he noted. Since they know everyone involved, they’re well placed to hear out a parent’s frustrations.
When relatives step in
Sometimes the role grows much bigger. More than 2.7 million U.S. children were being raised by grandparents or other relatives in 2012, the Annie E. Casey Foundation reported. That was an 18% increase over a decade.
The foundation also estimated that 9% of kids will live with extended family for at least three straight months before turning 18.
Why the Role Deserves Thanks
Milardo’s research shows the job involves real work, from babysitting to giving advice. As he put it, “When adult siblings have reasonably close relationships, without question everyone can benefit.”
Where the Words Come From
“Uncle” comes from the Latin avunculus, a mother’s brother, the Online Etymology Dictionary says. The word literally meant “little grandfather.” A father’s brother had a separate Latin name, patruus.
“Aunt” goes back to the Latin amita, a father’s sister. Both words reached English through French around 1300.
English once had its own word for an uncle, eam, before the French borrowing replaced it.
Ways to Thank Them on National Aunt and Uncle Day
- Pick up the phone: call an aunt or uncle you haven’t talked to in a while.
- Mail a memory: write down a favorite story from childhood and send it.
- Share a hobby: plan something you both enjoy, since shared interests build closeness.
- Give parents a break: if you’re the aunt or uncle, offer to babysit for an afternoon.
- Include chosen family: thank family friends who fill the same role.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “avuncular” mean?
Relating to an uncle, or uncle-like. English has used the adjective since 1789.
Where does “say uncle” come from?
The phrase, meaning to give up, is North American and dates to 1909.
Do other languages split maternal and paternal aunts?
Swedish does. It uses faster for a father’s sister and moster for a mother’s sister.
When did “auntie” appear?
Around 1790. “Great-aunt” is older, from the 1650s.