Fathers Day
June has a lot of holidays, but the one that first comes to mind for most people is Father's Day. Although you may think that Father's Day is a commercially made holiday, it's not.
Father's Day Overview
June has a lot of holidays, but the one that first comes to mind for most people is Father’s Day. Although you may think that Father’s Day is a commercially made holiday, it’s not. The earliest record of any kind of celebrations of fathers and fatherhood dates back to 4,000 years ago during Babylonian times. While digging through the ruins of Babylon, a message from a young boy named Elmesu was found inscribed in clay. The message wishes his father a long and happy life. Though this can be considered the beginning of Fathers Day in a way, it wasn’t really the beginning of “official” Father’s Day – that came much later in time.
In modern times, Father’s Day was started by a woman with the name of Sonora Dudd in Washington State. In the year of 1909, Sonora Dudd was attending a service for Mother’s Day and came up with the idea of a holiday to honor fathers. Initially, she wanted to start Father’s Day to honor her own father.
Sonora Dudd’s father served in the Civil War and raised her as a single parent. As an adult, Sonora was aware of the sacrifices that her father had to make. He was such a great father, she wanted to make sure there was a national day to recognize him and all the fathers. Sonora picked June as the month for Father’s Day because this is when her father’s birthday was. The first Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19, 1909.
Although the idea of Father’s Day came about in 1909, it was not brought up again by a national figure until 1924. In 1924, President Coolidge decided he really liked the idea of Father’s Day, but nothing officially was done about this. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson officially made Father’s Day a holiday. He signed a proclamation and the third Sunday of June became the official day to celebrate fathers. And then in 1972, President Richard Nixon created a law that made Father’s Day a permanent holiday. For many younger people today, Father’s Day has simply always been a fact of life, and though it doesn’t rival Mother’s Day as far as a large commercial holiday, it is still observed with respect and does its fair share of increasing gift and greeting card sales.
Besides the secular holiday of Father’s Day, many Catholics call St. Joseph’s Day their Father’s Day. This day falls on March 19th. They call it this because Joseph was the father of Jesus, the main figure in Christianity.
Flowers
Since the initial celebration of honoring fatherhood in 1909, there have been flowers that represent the day. This flower has traditionally been the rose. Roses come from the shrub of genus Rosa. Today, they can come in the colors red, white, yellow, peach and pink. For the tradition of Father's Day, a red rose symbolizes that your father is still living. A white rose symbolizes that your father has passed on.
The lily is also considered a Father's Day Flower. This tradition originally came from J.H. Berringer, who also honored Father's Day as early as 1912. He chose the white lilac as the traditional flower for the celebration.
Father's Day Around the World
It is common to think that whatever country you reside in is the only place that a particular holiday is celebrated. But this, of course, is most often not the case. Being from the United States, it may seem as if we are the only country that celebrates the holiday Father's Day. But this holiday is celebrated all over the world. And while most countries celebrate the day in a similar manner, each unique culture will have its own specific flavor and way of honoring fatherhood.
As far as the specific date of Father's Day, this varies around the world. In Australia, the holiday is celebrated on the first Sunday in September. In Canada, it is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. In the United Kingdom, it is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. In New Zealand, Father's Day is celebrated on the first Sunday in September. In South Africa, it is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. In Belgium, it is called St. Joseph’s Day and is celebrated on the second Sunday in June. In Brazil, it is celebrated on the second Sunday in August. In Bulgaria, Father's Day is celebrated on June 20th. In Chile, it is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. In Denmark and Finland, the holiday is celebrated on the second Sunday in November. In Germany, it is celebrated on Ascension Thursday, which is forty days after Easter. In Japan, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. In Portugal and Spain, it is called St. Joseph’s Day and is celebrated on March 19th. In Thailand, it is celebrated on December 5th. And In India, it is celebrated on the third Sunday in June.
In regards to how the holiday is celebrated, each culture has their own specific way of honoring fatherhood. It seems that in most cultures the celebration is similar, giving gifts and cards with thanks and love. Also, giving small parties and honoring the father with a festive dinner is very common. One of the countries that seemed to have different customs in relation to Father's Day was India. In India, the idea of Father's Day is very new. Although India as a culture has been open to observing a specific day to honor dads, it was not until recently that the celebration became a reality. Currently, millions of people in India honor the holiday of Fathers Day. Because it is a very recent tradition, though, the celebration is much more limited than in other countries. In urban areas, it is much more popular due to the aggressive advertising of the holiday.
Crafts
Whether you are a child or an adult, fathers always appreciate a gift on Father’s Day. For children, there are many gifts that you can make that your father will love and cherish. Many times children will make gifts at school for their fathers, but many projects are safe and easy to do at home as well. Mothers and their children will often do secret projects for Father’s Day, which gives the children a wonderful secret to carry around, and a lot of pride when they are able to hand their lovingly crafted gifts to their dads.
On the internet, there is a wealth of information for different craft ideas. Here are some sample ideas for you and your children. With some quality paper and markers and/or crayons, your child can create a wonderful picture of their father and label it “World’s Best Father.” With lamination paper and craft paper, your child could decorate and create a placemat with their father’s favorite sports team. Or, they could make a collage with pictures from the family and also make a beautiful placemat for their dad. Your child could make a t-shirt with whatever theme they choose. Some sample ideas for the t-shirt could be having a picture of the child with their father pressed on a t-shirt and put a special message on it. Or you could put real footprints from your child with a nice message on the t-shirt. If Dad likes to cook, you could buy a plain apron from a crafts store and decorate it. Or you could buy a basic clay jar and your child could decorate it for their dad. Your child could get a basic picture frame and decorate it. Truly, there are limitless craft ideas and crafts are great for children to make as gifts. Your child can have fun making it, and their father will love that he is appreciated and loved. For most parents, gifts that are made by their children are the most precious of all, and this includes Fathers Day gifts for dads.
Gifts
As children get a bit older, buying small gifts for Father’s Day may be a bit more appropriate. Good gifts to give for Father’s Day are nice ties, candy or chocolate if your dad has a sweet tooth, fleece sweatshirt or jacket, gift certificates to their favorite store, etc. Also, it is always a nice gesture to take your father out to a nice restaurant to show him how much you care about him. It helps to think about what your father likes to do, such as fishing or woodworking, and buy a gift that will help him enjoy his hobby even more.
And even as an adult, it is a nice gesture to send a gift on Father’s Day. Although it can be difficult to find the time and energy to celebrate yet another holiday when you’re a grown up, it is always appreciated. Depending on how close you are to your parents as an adult, buy your gift accordingly. If you are very close, it may be appropriate to spend a decent amount on your father. I’m not saying you have to spend thousands of dollars, but $50 is probably sufficient. Buy him something that he enjoys such as fishing gear, some good books, golf clubs. If you run out of ideas, you can always ask your mother what your father wants or needs at the moment. Now, if you are not very close to your dad, you may want to buy something more generic and less costly. Get him a gift certificate or bring him out to dinner. The bottom line is you want your father to know he’s loved, but you want to get an appropriate gift. And, of course, if rarely see your father, a card may be sufficient.
Father's Day Cards
Although I am the biggest culprit when it comes to buying cards last minute, it is best if you buy a Father’s Day card a few days before the holiday. I say this for two reasons. One, almost all of the decent and less corny cards will be gone and two, it’s never a nice feeling to have to rush out and buy anything for a loved one. It’s a much nicer experience if you can find a clever and well-written card at your own pace, without having to worry.
Besides buying a traditional card from the store, there are tons of creative and printable cards online. There are many sites and link for Father’s Day card, and this actually may be the best way to go. Hey, these cards are free and probably better than the ones you have to go out and get. This is a great option for children, and you will find that many of the card sites have different shapes and character cards that you can print out and work with. Also, you can send an e-card which is always a good option also. For internet junkies and just plain lazy people, e-cards work well.
Traveling
Father’s Day may be a great day for the whole family to plan a trip. Since the holiday is in June, the weather will most likely be nice and it’s a great way for the family to spend quality time together. What the destination will be depends on your family’s budget and responsibilities. Going on a nice day trip may be sufficient, or going on a week-long vacation may be an option for your family. Should this be a secret? That is up to you. This depends on whether or not your father likes surprises and will be able to take off time from his job on short notice. After giving it some thought, you may want to plan the trip as an entire family.
Some examples of good family vacations for father’s day are camping trips, going on a cruise, going to Disney World and many more that only your individual family can think of. Brainstorm and try to make the trip fun for everyone.
Activities
More than anything, your father will appreciate the time you spend with him on Fathers Day. Instead of emphasizing on getting a gift, you could think about showing ways of how much you love your father. For Fathers Day activities, you could fly a kite together or play games. Fathers in India especially enjoy this activity. Or if flying kites is not what your father enjoys, set up a game of his choice that the two of you can enjoy together.
Another idea for a Fathers Day activity is to have your father teach you a skill. What is your dad good at? Every father has some skill that they excel at, and they love to teach their children what they know. You may not think of it like this, but having your father teach you his special skill is a gift to him. He gets to spend time with you and pass on his knowledge to his children.
Or if your dad likes cooking, this is a great idea as well for a Fathers Day activity. Find a special meal the two of you can cook together and plan it out ahead of time. Pick out something you know he loves and bond over the stove. Or, instead of cooking together you could plan a dinner party for your father. This will take a bit of plan ahead time. Ask people he likes to spend time with to come and plan meals and foods that he enjoys. Have your mom and other siblings help out with the dinner party preparations. This can be a really fun time as long as you plan it ahead.
Another thing you can do to honor your father is write a poem for him. Poetry is so personal, it is always heartfelt and appreciated. This is definitely one of the most touching gifts you could give anyone.
Even if your father is not biological, make sure you honor the male figure in your life who means the most to you. If that is your step father, get him a card or a small gift. Your father does not have to be the person who gave birth to you. It is the male individual in your life that cares for you and loves you day in and day out. These people need to know they are appreciated also.
Importance of Fathers and Fatherhood
On a more serious note, it is important to stress how critical having an involved father is in the life of a child. The United States is the leader in the number of families with no fathers. 34% of families in the US are fatherless. This tragic phenomenon started around fifty years ago, when the Lyndon Johnson administration hired someone to look into the reasons for fatherless families. It was discovered that there were a large number of broken families with women dominating. This appeared to cause instability in the children that grew up in these families. But why does this occur?
Well, the American public did not want to believe the analysis. And more than that, they decided to put a policy into place where fathers who stayed with their families could not receive welfare benefits. So, with this law in place, it became low-income fathers versus low-income single mothers in regards to who receives money from the government.
Because of this law, the number of fatherless families went from 5.1 million in 1960 to 16.5 million in 1995. Unfortunately, feminists have misguided their attempts at asserting themselves when it comes to fatherhood. In recent years, there have been several articles written on the concept of fatherhood and questioning its importance.
Despite what feminists might say, most people still believe that having a father around is a good thing. Many studies have shown the beneficial effects of involved fathers. An example of these effects from the National Center for Educational Statistics is that children with involved dads are way more likely to be good dads themselves. They are also more likely to do better in school and enjoy it.
And in contrast, kids with uninvolved fathers have a higher rate of physical ailments, are more likely to abuse substances and girls are much more inclined to become promiscuous at an early age.
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