In the summer of 2005, the Italian Parliament established Grandparents' Day with the intention of emphasizing the importance of their role, choosing not by accident the anniversary of the "guardian angels" according to the saints' calendar. The centrality of their role was confirmed yesterday by a survey by Coldiretti, which revealed that in over one-third of Italian families (34%) it is the grandparents who save the domestic budget threatened by inflation that hits the shopping cart, directly with economic assistance, by caring for the children instead of hiring babysitters or after-school care providers or offering a hand at work. "Today we celebrate Grandparents' Day, a special occasion to honor the pillars of every family and society," wrote Giorgia Meloni, the premier, on social media. "Grandparents are living jewels who maintain the traditions and experiences that came before us. They are role models of knowledge and affection, and a source of inspiration for future generations. On this special day, we express our gratitude and affection to all grandparents, past and present. And I want to say to my grandmother, Maria, that I miss her – Meloni continues with a personal note – I miss her sayings, her wisdom, her work-scarred fingertips, her cheerful and bitter irony at the same time, and those eyes that are still as childlike as time has marked them. I miss everything about you, grandmother, and I will never cease being grateful to you. Happy Grandparents' Day to all!"
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