As the 16 th of June comes closer, fathers silently anticipate the day while children start
dreading it. This day fills children with doubt about whether their gifts would be well
received and fathers with excitement about what their children have in hold for them. You
guessed it , I’m talking about Father’s day.
Father’s day is a festival celebrating fathers, paternal bonds and the influence of fathers on
society. The tradition was said to be started from a memorial service held for a large group
of men who died in a mining accident in Monongah, West Virginia, The United States of
America in 1907. It was first proposed by Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Washington in 1909
and to be celebrated in the United States annually on the third Sunday in June.
Although several other countries celebrate this festival as well, some celebrate it on
different dates and all in different ways.
Here are a few of the unique and different ways in which each country celebrates fathers day-
1. BRAZIL
Father’s Day is held on the second Sunday in August in honour of St. Joachim, the father of Mary.
2. RUSSIA
The Father’s Day equivalent in Russia is a celebration that has evolved from a military commemoration to an unofficial tribute to all men. On February 23, “Defender of the Fatherland Day” parades celebrate the Russian Armed Forces while men can expect to receive small gifts from men receive gifts from the women in their lives.
3. FRANCE
Father’s Day in France is held on the third Sunday in June and can trace its recent history to a company that makes lighters and marketed them as gifts for smoking fathers. Today, lighters are typically replaced with drawings or small gifts. But the idea of honouring one’s father can also be linked to the much older celebration of Saint Joseph on March 19
(other countries, like Spain, still observe Father’s Day then).
4. THAILAND
The Southeast Asian country celebrates mothers on the birthday of Queen Sirikit on Aug. 12—and fathers on the birthday of the widely admired King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The King gives an annual speech, while tradition has it that Thais give their fathers and grandfathers the Canna flower, which is considered to have a masculine association.
5. AUSTRALIA
Australia celebrates Father’s Day on the first Sunday in September, which is also the first Sunday of spring there.
6. MEXICO
Just like it does for Mother’s Day, Mexico puts on more festivities to honour its fathers than its northern neighbours. On the third Sunday in June, though it’s not an official holiday, Mexicans give gifts to their fathers and celebrate with food and music. Some also participate in the 21 kilometer race in Mexico city, the “Carrera Día del Padre 21K Bosque
de Tlalpan.”
7. GERMANY
Germany does things a bit differently. On the 40th day of Easter, Ascension Day, German men have a tradition of celebrating Father’s Day by organizing hikes and other gatherings—and making sure to be well-supplied with food and alcohol.
8. CANADA
An American import, Father’s Day in Canada is an unofficial celebration held on the third Sunday in June.
9. INDIA
Father’s Day in India is still an emerging holiday and, by those who observe it, is celebrated in much the same way and on the same day as in the United States.