You may know that Grandparents Day is a real holiday in the United States, signed into law by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. You may even know when Grandparents Day is celebrated -- on the first Sunday after Labor Day. But do you know how and when grandparents are feted in other countries?

Poland may have been the first country to officially recognize grandparents. In 1964 a popular magazine proposed that Grandma's Day be celebrated on January 21.

(The Polish term for the holiday is Dzien Babci.) The celebration caught on, and Grandfather's Day (Dzien Dziadka) was soon added, to be celebrated on January 22. On these days Polish children often honor grandparents with cards, small handmade gifts or flowers. See also Polish names for grandmother and Polish names for grandfather.

Canada recognized the holiday in 1995 and celebrates on the same day as the United States. The UK celebrates Grandparents Day on the first Sunday in October. The UK holiday was created in 1990 by the charitable organization Age Concern (now Age UK).

Australia is a latecomer to Grandparents Day. The holiday was first celebrated in Queensland on the first Sunday in November in 2010. The other Australian states and territories have been joining in, and the celebration has been moved to the last Sunday in October. New Zealand has no official Grandparents Day, although some calendars show October 27-November 1 as Grandparents Week.

Italy has celebrated Buona Festa dei Nonni since 2005.

It is celebrated on October 2, a date when Catholics also celebrate guardian angels. See also Italian names for grandmother and Italian names for grandfather.

Taiwan's Ministry of Education designated the last Sunday in August as Grandparents Day. Learn about grandparents in Asian families.

Other countries that celebrate Grandparents Day, according to the National Grandparents Day website, include Estonia, celebrating on the second Sunday in September, and France, celebrating on the first Sunday in March. See also French names for grandmother and French names for grandfather.

I could not confirm reports of Grandparents Day celebrations in other countries. Those reports may refer to private celebrations held by schools, senior citizen centers or other entities. If you have information about Grandparents Day in other countries, email me.