About Daughters' Day
Daughters' Day is an informal family day on which Indian parents and grandparents tell their daughters what they mean to them. In India it is kept on the fourth Sunday of September, which in 2027 is Sunday, 26 September 2027. No government or UN body has declared it, and it is separate from the UN's International Day of the Girl Child on 11 October.
Daughters' Day has no ritual, no puja and no official standing. It is a Sunday in late September when Indian families post photos, cook a daughter's favourite meal, or a father who rarely says such things writes a few lines. That informality is the point.
Where did Daughters' Day come from?
Nobody has a clear record. Indian news coverage of the day says its exact beginning is unknown, and a Ukrainian fact-checking team that traced the various "Daughters' Days" around the world found that none of them is official or on the United Nations list of observances. In India the day is often credited to greeting-card retailers in the 2000s, but there is no primary source for that either.
What is clear is the Indian date: the fourth Sunday of September, which falls between 22 and 28 September. A Sunday suits a family day, since most people are at home. Other countries use other dates, which is why your feed may show Daughters' Day wishes at odd times of the year.
| Day | Date | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Daughters' Day (India) | Fourth Sunday of September | Informal family day; not a holiday or government observance |
| National Daughters Day (US) | 25 September, by common use | Informal; no federal status |
| Daughters' Day (Russia, Ukraine) | 25 April | Informal; spread online from about 2017 |
| International Day of the Girl Child | 11 October | UN observance created in 2011, on girls' rights |
| National Girl Child Day (India) | 24 January | Government of India day since 2008, run by the Ministry of Women and Child Development |
The two girl-child days are about policy: schooling, safety, child marriage, health. Daughters' Day is about one family and one daughter. For the public observances, see International Day of the Girl Child and National Girl Child Day.
Why the day caught on in India
Part of the appeal is the old saying it answers. For generations, daughters in many Indian homes were called paraya dhan, someone else's wealth, held in trust until marriage. A day for saying "you are ours, and we are glad" pushes back on that quietly.
The numbers explain the edge to it. The government's Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign was launched in Panipat, Haryana, on 22 January 2015 because too few girls were being born relative to boys. Official figures released for its eleventh year put the sex ratio at birth at 930 girls for every 1,000 boys, up from 918 in 2014-15. Most families who post on Daughters' Day are not thinking about statistics, but the day sits against that background.
How families mark it
There is no set way. The common ones:
- A meal she chooses, at home or out, with the rest of the family doing the cooking or the paying.
- A letter or a long message, often from a father, saved and reread for years.
- Old photos in the family WhatsApp group: the first day of school, the first bicycle, the hostel move.
- For young daughters, some parents use the day to open or add to a savings account in her name, such as the government's Sukanya Samriddhi scheme.
- Grandparents calling, which many granddaughters remember longest.
Daughters-in-law are increasingly included. A mother-in-law who writes "you are a daughter to us too" means it kindly, but some women hear pressure in it. A plainer line about something she has done for the family, or simply about her, is safer.
Be gentle with families for whom the day is hard: parents who have lost a daughter, couples hoping for a child, daughters estranged from their parents. A public post is fine; a direct "Happy Daughters' Day" to them may not be.
What to write to a daughter
The best Daughters' Day messages are small and exact. "You are my pride" is nice to read. "I still have the card you made me in Class 2" stays with her. Talk about who she is now, not only about the baby she was.
Happy Daughters' Day, beta. I don't say it enough, so here it is in writing: I'm proud of you, and not only for the marks. For how you treat people.
Happy Daughters' Day. You're the first person I call with good news and the last one I want to worry. Eat properly this week.
Happy Daughters' Day from home. Your room is exactly as you left it, except your father has started keeping his files on your desk. Come and evict him soon.
Happy Daughters' Day. You argue better than both of us now, and we're secretly impressed. Keep asking why.
Happy Daughters' Day, our gudiya. You have your Nani's laugh and your Nanu's stubbornness. Both are gifts.
Happy Daughters' Day. Thank you for the way you look after all of us, and for teaching Mummy ji video calls. We're lucky to have you in this family.
Beti Diwas ki dher saari badhai, meri laado. Tum ho to ghar ghar lagta hai. (Many congratulations on Daughters' Day, my darling. With you here, the house feels like home.)
बेटी दिवस की ढेर सारी बधाई, मेरी लाडो। तुम हो तो घर घर लगता है। (Many congratulations on Daughters' Day, my darling. With you here, the house feels like home.)
Do
- Mention one specific thing: a habit, a win, a memory, something she is building.
- Write to her as the adult she is, if she is grown.
- Include daughters-in-law, nieces and the girls you mentor if you're close to them.
Avoid
- Avoid comparing her with a son or saying she is "as good as a son".
- Avoid lines that praise her mainly as a future wife or as the family's honour.
- Don't tag a grieving or childless couple in Daughters' Day posts.
Fathers often find Daughters' Day easier than Father's Day, because they get to do the writing.
How to wish someone on Daughters' Day
A Daughters' Day message is a note from a parent or grandparent, so it should sound like one. Name something she did, says or is working towards, or a memory only the two of you share. Keep it warm and specific rather than grand. Leave out lines that praise her as the family's honour, compare her with a son, or speak of her mainly as someone's future wife. For a grown daughter far away, a short line and a phone call often say more than a long post.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi.
When is Daughters' Day in each year?
Daughters' Day falls on a different date each year. In 2027 it falls 1 day earlier than in 2026.
- 2026may vary by location
- 2027may vary by location
- 2028may vary by location
Frequently asked questions
Is Daughters' Day an official day in India?
No. Daughters' Day is not declared by the Government of India or the United Nations, and it is not a holiday. It is an informal family day that Indians mark on the fourth Sunday of September.
Why is Daughters' Day on the fourth Sunday of September?
Daughters' Day in India settled on the fourth Sunday of September by custom, not by any official decision, and its exact origin is not documented. A Sunday suits it because families are usually at home together.
Is Daughters' Day the same as the International Day of the Girl Child?
No. The International Day of the Girl Child on 11 October is a UN observance about girls' rights, created by the General Assembly in 2011. Daughters' Day is an informal family day in late September for parents to celebrate their own daughters.
When is Daughters' Day in the US?
In the United States, National Daughters Day is usually marked on 25 September, though like the Indian day it has no federal status. Indian families abroad often follow the Indian date, the fourth Sunday of September.
What can I give my daughter on Daughters' Day?
Most Indian families keep Daughters' Day simple: a meal she chooses, a handwritten letter, or time together. Parents of young girls sometimes open or top up a savings account in her name, such as a Sukanya Samriddhi account.
Can you wish a daughter-in-law on Daughters' Day?
Yes, many families now include daughters-in-law on Daughters' Day. A line about something specific she has done, or about her as a person, usually lands better than telling her she has replaced a daughter.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .