Every February 1st is celebrated as Spunky Old Broads Day. This day illustrates that age is really just a number and that women can continue to be productive and energetic well into their golden years. In the past, women aged 60 or older were only seen as senior citizens and weren’t regarded as people who could still make a contribution to society.

Fortunately, that stereotype has changed dramatically as older people have shown that they are just as capable as their younger peers. So let’s take a moment to celebrate older women and the skills they bring to the game.

The History of Spunky Old Broads Day

This holiday was created by Dr. Gayle Carson in 2002. She was an international speaker, consultant, career coach, and writer of dozens of books and DVD programs. She was often asked why she had so much spunk, so she decided to create a whole holiday around it—a holiday that shows that older women can be at least as productive, if not more productive, than anyone of any other age.

Some Quick Facts on Aging

We can spend all day talking about Spunky Old Broads Day, but we thought it might be helpful for this article if we took a momentary break and laid out some facts that we know about aging and would like to now share with everyone. We think the following facts will highlight how older women can continue to live their best life.

• Older women continue to get better at the skills they’ve learned through a process called crystallized intelligence.
• Women (and men) tend not to get grumpier as they get older. It’s actually the reverse, and they tend to be able to handle their emotions better.
• Senior citizens often have more emotional intelligence than younger people.
• Although sex often declines after the age of 40, research has shown that sexual satisfaction usually improves as well.
• Unfortunately, how women smell and taste food does change.
• People’s sleeping patterns shift as they get older, usually resulting in people going to bed earlier and waking up earlier.
• Women over the age of 70 often have fewer migraines than they did when they were younger. Only 10% of women in this age group still report migraines.

Observing Spunky Old Broads Day

For women who are over the age of 50, this is a holiday to grab the bull by the proverbial horns, especially if they’ve been in a rut recently. It’s a day to learn how to live without regrets and experience life in all its glory. This is also a good holiday to show your older colleagues, friends, and family members the respect they deserve.