National Siblings Day is a holiday observed in the United States and some parts of Canada on the 10th of April. Although it is not federally recognized in the U.S. like Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, there are organizations working to get it federally recognized.

It is widely recognized in many U.S. states, however. As of the time of writing about this holiday, it has been recognized by 49 U.S. states. This day recognizes the strong bond that siblings share and encourages people to ensure that their sibling bond remains strong as the years go by.

The History of National Siblings Day

National Siblings Day was created in 1995 by Claudia Evart, a native New Yorker who created the holiday after losing two of her siblings early in life. This reinforced in her the importance of siblings and the value of cherishing that special bond.

She created the Siblings Day Foundation (SDF), a nonprofit that advocates for the establishment of this national holiday. Claudia chose the date for this holiday because it was her late sister’s birthday.

Some Amazing Facts About Siblings

People who have brothers and/or sisters may believe they know everything about the dynamics of the sibling relationship. However, we’re here to say that might not be exactly true.

We believe there are quite a few things that people might not know about the general topic of siblings. Sure, they might know everything about their own sibling, but we believe the following facts will prove to be quite surprising. Don’t believe us? Well, then follow us as we go through the following sibling facts.

People Tend to Spend Significant Time With Their Siblings

According to recent research, people spend approximately 33% of their spare time with their siblings until they turn 11 years old. After the age of 11, they tend to hang out with their siblings for about 11 hours per week. Over time, this figure can shrink, however, as people get involved with their own families and careers.

First Born Children Tend to Be Taller

A recent New Zealand study of over 300 children has shown that first-born children tend to be taller than second-born children. This study also showed that second-born children tend to be taller than third-born children. So, does having an older sibling make a person shorter? We’re not sure, but the evidence seems to point in that direction.

Older Siblings Also Tend to Be Smarter

Another recent study of over 5,000 children has shown that older siblings tend to be smarter than younger ones. It is believed that this is because older children receive more parental support than younger children. And this support tends to pay off as older siblings are 16% more likely to pursue higher education than younger siblings.

Younger Siblings Tend to Have a Better Sense of Humor

So far, it seems like being an older sibling is pretty cool, and being a younger sibling tends to be less advantageous. Fortunately, we’ve found some information that might make things a little better for younger siblings.

It appears that younger siblings are a lot funnier. This isn’t according to us, however. It’s according to a YouGov study that examined the personality traits of older and younger children in British families.

Older children tended to feel they had to be more responsible, so they were less likely to cut loose and have fun. Younger children didn’t have the same expectations placed on them, so they were able to really cut loose with the jokes and have a good time.

Observing National Siblings Day

This holiday is fairly easy to observe. All that’s required is for a person to take the time to spend some time with their sibling. This can be done by having them over for dinner, throwing a special siblings-only party, or going through photo albums with their siblings.

And, of course, people can spread the word about this holiday using the hashtag #NationalSiblingsDay on social media. Not everyone celebrating this holiday will have living siblings.

In that case, this holiday can be used to commemorate the lives of lost siblings and to allow people to grieve their loss. People can leave flowers on their sibling’s grave or honor them in some other way. After all, this holiday is about honoring the sibling relationship, no matter what.