National Stepfamily Day is a holiday observed on September 16th every year. It recognizes the impact of blended families and promotes the celebration of stepfamilies. For years, stepfamilies have had to deal with negative stereotypes, even though approximately a third of people under the age of 18 in the U.S. live in a stepfamily.

Movies and television shows often portray blended families as dysfunctional or broken, but most of the time, this isn’t true. That’s why everyone in a blended family or who knows a blended family is encouraged to take part in this holiday and put an end to all those stereotypes.

The History of National Stepfamily Day

This holiday was created in 1997 by Christy Borgeld. It has been observed ever since to promote blended families and to eliminate the negative stereotypes that have long been associated with them.

Facts About Stepfamilies in the U.S.

To do our part to combat misinformation about blended families in the United States, we thought we’d take a few moments to list some of the facts we’ve learned about them.

• Every day in the U.S., 1,300 new blended families are formed.
• The average U.S. marriage only lasts 7 years.
• Over half of all U.S. families are remarried or re-coupled.
• About half of the millions of children under the age of 13 in the U.S. are living with one biological parent and that parent’s current partner.

Observing National Stepfamily Day

National Stepfamily Day can be observed simply by sharing tips with other people about successfully managing blended family life. This can be done in person, or people can share their photos and experiences of blended families online using the hashtag #NationalStepfamilyDay.