In many parts of the world, the third Sunday in the month of June is celebrated as Fathers Day. It is a day to celebrate and honor fathers and fatherhood. Fathers play an important role in every culture and society, just like mothers. It was in 1909 that this day was first proposed to complement Mother’s Day.
This special day is to acknowledge and appreciate all fathers and father figures. The contribution of a father to family and society is immense. On this day, children buy or make gifts for their father. They may buy or draw a greeting card or get a nice gift for the occasion. They may also spend the day doing things that can be enjoyed with their Dad, like playing games, hiking, fishing, etc.
India, like the US, celebrates Father’s Day on the third Sunday of June. But in other countries like Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Croatia, Father’s Day is celebrated on March 19. Despite the fact that this is a Western tradition that began in the United States of America, it has been eagerly adopted in India as the tradition of respecting and honoring parents is deeply ingrained in Indian culture.
History
This day was founded in the USA at the Spokane, Washington YMCA in 1910 by a lady called Sonora Smart Dodd. In 1910, Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19. Sonora came to know that Anna Jarvis founded Mother’s Day in honor of her mother. She told her church pastor that something on similar lines was needed to celebrate fathers too. Sonora’s father was William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran. He was a single parent from Arkansas who had raised six children single handedly. It was Sonora’s hope that Father’s Day would be held on June 5, which happened to be her father’s birthday, but the Church had some time constraints, and so the celebration was deferred to the third Sunday of June.
Father’s Day is an occasion to remember the importance as well as the challenges of fatherhood. Fathers and their efforts remain pretty much in the background compared to mothers, whose sacrifices for their children are endlessly spoken about. While mothers are seen as loving, caring, and nurturing, fathers are associated with discipline and authority. So children are generally more attached to the mother. In most cultures, fathers are expected to be rather aloof, unemotional, and strict with their children.
But fathers have a soft side too. This is beautifully portrayed in the story of the prodigal son in the Bible. It is a very moving story about fatherhood and the relationship between a father and his son. It reveals that fathers, too, are capable of unconditional love.
Fathers are usually the main breadwinners in a family, and they work hard to provide for their children. Society has conditioned fathers not to express their emotions, so they seldom express their affection openly. But things have changed now, and fathers are becoming more involved in parenting, often voluntarily. In fact, once they learn that they are going to become fathers, many men seem eager to embark on the journey towards parenthood, along with their wives. More and more men are availing of paternity leave offered by employers to help their wives with the baby. They also make time to play with their children despite their busy schedules.
The definition of “family” is evolving too. There are men who assume the role of a godfather or “father figure” to children who have no biological father. Many kids today are being raised by single parents, either a father or a mother. Single fathers, in many cases, have proved to be as loving and caring as the mothers. Modern men seem to be more in touch with their emotions, and this helps them to connect with their children better.
We have always glorified our mothers, but we need to glorify our fathers too. And Father’s Day is the ideal day to honor and appreciate the men who gave life to us, provided us with everything, and protected us from harm. As we get ready to celebrate this special day and the special person who we call Dad, we need to remember that he loved us no less than our mothers did, even though it was “tough love”. He may have spanked you when you were naughty and scolded you when you got poor grades, but he also taught you to stand up for yourself. He always had your back and protected you when you were in danger. Now he may be old, weak, and grumpy, but once, he was your hero. And on Father’s Day, it’s time to remind him that he will always be your hero, even if his eyesight is dimming and his body has become frail and shrunken.
Fathers Day 2021 is on June 20, a Sunday.
