Father’s Day is almost upon us again, but what is it and why does it exist? Father’s Day is an occasion for celebrating fathers and grandfathers, stepfathers and other paternal relationships and their positive influence in society. It is celebrated on the third Sunday in June, but this is quite a recent tradition. The traditional date in Catholic Europe used to be March 15th and had been since the Middle Ages. The American date in June was adopted not long after the Second World War.
A typical Father’s Day normally involves sons and daughters spending time with their paternal family members, visiting them and giving a card and/or gift or taking them out for a meal, as a way to say thanks for all they do. Shops make a lot of effort to advertise gifts for this occasion, just as they do for Mother’s Day. Popular gift ideas include socks, ties, gardening tools, food hampers, luxury items, alcohol or slippers. Why not make an extra special effort this year with some designer clothing? Consider a Bugatti Short Sleeve Shirt from https://www.ejmenswear.com/men/bugatti/short-sleeve-shirts
Many of the more common gifts for Father’s Day have familiar slogans like ‘World’s Best Dad’ or ‘Top Dad’ and personalised gifts have become very popular recently, partly due to the cheap process of print services. Now you can buy t-shirts, coasters, mugs, calendars, mouse mats and ties with photos of family members on them. The idea being that dad can take these items to work with him and have a loving reminder of his kids every day! A more traditional idea occurs in the weeks leading up to Father’s Day, when children at school, playgroup and community groups spend time crafting handmade cards and gifts for their dads.
Families often celebrate together by going out for the day to somewhere that interests dad, going to a restaurant for a nice meal or having a weekend break away somewhere. This is sometimes organised just for the male members of the family and can be a wonderful time for bonding and memory-making.
Where does Father’s Day come from?
Many believe that the origins of the celebration are rooted in pagan sun worship. In the ancient religion of paganism, the sun was seen as the father to the entire universe. As Father’s Day sits so close to the summer solstice, it is often thought to be linked.
However, in recent times, the idea of Father’s Day that we recognise originates from the United States. Sonora Smart Dodd, an American woman took her inspiration from Mother’s Day and wanted to plan a similar day just for fathers. The date of the third Sunday in June has been used for the day since June 1910. The same date was adopted in the UK, unlike Mother’s Day, which is still celebrated on different dates between the two nations and has a very different history.
