What is Father’s Day?
The third week of June is annually celebrated with showering the love and spreading heartfelt greetings towards the Father or the male parental figure in people’s lives. Honoring that paternal bond and fatherly love is what Father’s Day is about.
But this goes out to everyone, even those who feel Father’s Day is not for them. Father’s Day is not defined by blood relation or by having a biological father. For all individuals with single parents, be it a mother or a grandparent, this day should be dedicated to celebrating them and their existence because they have given their all to play the role of a father for you.
In other words, Father’s Day is credited as a holiday where you can spend time with your Father or parental figure, take them for a fun-filled outing, or gift them something like an ode to their love. We are all aware of how much fathers have done to bring up and fulfill all our needs and wants, even if it meant sacrificing their own wants.
But how did this Father’s day come to be?
A Brief History of Father’s Day
So once upon a time, let’s just say centuries ago, the Eastern Orthodox Church used to keep the second Sunday before the Nativity as the ‘Sunday of the Forefathers’ that was meant to pay tribute to Jesus Christ’s ancestors. This day was celebrated by a feast which used to fall in the second or third week of December.
Father’s Day in Medieval Europe
However, certain historical sources state that Father’s Day originated in Catholic Europe during the Middle Ages at the beginning of the 16th century. The day was taken as St. Joseph’s Feast, referred to as the fatherly Nourisher of the Lord, and celebrated on the 19th of March just three months before the actual date on which it is celebrated today. Now how did it reach the Americas?
The Birth of Father’s Day in America
It was brought to the land by none other than the Portuguese and the Spanish. Fast forward to the 20th century, a man named Grace Golden Clayton came up with the idea of having a memorial in honor of men who were fathers to someone and lost their lives in a mining accident in the United States. This is considered as the first glimpse of celebrating a type of Father’s Day in the USA.
However, it became an established holiday equivalent to that of Mother’s Day when Sonora Smart Dodd pitched the idea to Spokane Ministerial Alliance. The cause was that she and her siblings were raised by the war veteran father alone and felt that just Mother’s Day exists to celebrate the role of a mother in a family. Similarly, Father’s Day should also exist to commemorate single fathers that raise their children alone.
Initially, she pitched her Father’s birthday, the 5th of June each year; however, the Spokane Ministerial Alliance chose the 19th of June as the day to recognize fathers and paternal bonds. This day was sealed in history in 1966 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the presidential agreement. However, the celebratory part became popular and a nationwide observance in 1972.
Now that we have had a detailed lesson on the forgotten history of Father’s Day and its birth, let’s look into how it is celebrated in the modern era.
How is Father’s Day Celebrated?
All over the world, the celebrations of Father’s Day vary according to the continents and different cultures. Within the United States of America, people celebrate with their father figures in life from small meaningful to grand gestures. Towards the end of the 20th century, retailers and businesses jumped on the bandwagon and began offering personalized or hand-crafted gifts.
Starting from a Happy Father’s Day greeting card (ASIN #B086FXCN9Y), e-gift cards (ASIN #B094Q7RNLV), beard grooming kits (ASIN #B091GHDZQN), care packages, or throwing a celebratory surprise with his friends and family.
Not Every Country Celebrates it On the Same Day as 19th of June
In other parts of the world, such as Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji, Father’s Day is celebrated on a completely different month and day; the first Sunday of September. But that is probably because historically, these countries did not take well to Father’s Day at the beginning of the 20th century, and their oceanic traditions differ from those of other parts of the world.
Did you know that Bolivia is the only country that celebrated Father’s Day on the same day as St. Joseph’s? The country did not differ and remained true to the medieval European heritage.
In Asian countries such as China, India, and Pakistan, Father’s Day is not nationally recognized and is not even considered a public holiday. Yet many families and children celebrate under the Western world’s influence, often on the same date as the one kept by the American president Lyndon.
Significance of Father’s Day
It is no secret that fathers also have an important role to play in our lives just like our mothers. This day makes them feel special that makes them feel recognized and heard in society. Every person gets a chance to cherish their Father, take out time to spend with them, and rejoice in having their parental guidance. That means it is an opportunity to appreciate your Father and to forge a closer relationship with him.
Our Final Thoughts
By now, you would have become proficient on all there is to know about Father’s Day and how you can use different gestures to make your Father feel appreciated on this day. We’d recommend using gifting with a combination of some activity to cheer up your Father and make him feel special on this day.
After all, fathers are like the roots of a tree.
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