Honoring dads on Father’s Day

Saint Joseph’s Day: Father’s Day in Spain. For Spanish people, Father’s Day takes place on March 19th. It takes place during Saint Joseph’s Day: Saint Joseph is the legal father of Jesus, so it was the perfect match to celebrate Father’s Day. Do you want to know about the history of this holiday in Spain? Manuela Vicente Ferrero (Dehesa de la Villa, Madrid), a school teacher, organized Father’s Day with her students in 1948. She thought that dads deserved a special day, following the tradition of Mother’s Day. She chose Saint Joseph’s Day as the date for it because of three main reasons: first, because Saint Joseph was a devoted father and a humble person. Second, because he is depicted in the Bible as the embodiment of hard work and, as such, he is the patron saint of laborers. In the third place, because Spain has traditionally been a Catholic country. During this first Father’s Day, Manuela organized a kid festival, a mass, and more activities. The students made some handicrafts for their daddies as well. It was a huge success, so many other schools celebrated Father’s Day in the following years. Galerías Preciados and El Corte Inglés, two department store groups, also liked the idea. They saw their opportunity to increase sales, so they launched several marketing campaigns to promote Father’s Day.

Celebrating Father’s Day in Germany: Vatertag and Männertarg. Father’s Day is a very cherished date in Germany. It has the status of a public holiday, so people don’t need to go to work that day–at least in most cases. Father’s Day is celebrated during Ascension Day, which takes place 40 days after Easter. This is so because it was the date when Jesus Christ went back to God, that is, to his father. This tradition began as a religious one, but by the 18th century it turned into a family day (Vatertag) to honor fathers, even with rewards. For example, the father that had the higher number of kids won a prize. Step by step, this tradition was also known as Männertag, Men’s Day, and it involved not only fathers, but also men in general. During this celebration, fathers (and men) are allowed to be a little bit mischievous. They hang out outdoors, hike, have some beers, and have fun! Of course, they also receive gifts and lots of attention.

Dia dos Pais, the Brazilian Father’s Day. Brazilians celebrate Dia dos Pais (Father’s Day) the second day of August. The date was chosen by a journalist and his consultant, Roberto Marinho and Sylvio Bhering: they wanted it to coincide with St. Joachim, patron saint of grandfathers, parents, married couples, and family. They chose that day to increase newspaper sales during that very period of the year, and they actually succeeded. As in many other countries, fathers receive a lot of gifts during this day: ties, perfume, clothes, tools… Kids also make drawings for them at school. Another common Brazilian tradition is to hold a family gathering to have a big home-made lunch together. They cook great meals to make fathers happy. Luckily, Father’s Day always took place on Sunday, so most dads around the country don’t have to work that day. They can simply enjoy that day with their families.

Father’s Day in Thailand. Did you know that Thai people celebrate Father’s Day in December? They break tradition, as many other countries prefer June or even March, as in the case of Spain, to gather fathers, sons, and daughters. In Thailand, they have merged three different holidays into one: Bhumibol Adulyadej’s birthday (a late king of Thailand that reigned for 70 years), Father’s Day and Thailand’s National Day. In the past, before king Bhumibol Adulyadej passed away, people honored him with candlelit events, together with other festivals. But let’s talk here about the traditions related to fathers. Thais give canna flowers to their fathers and grandfathers during this day. Of course, they also receive more gifts (ties, books, perfumes…) Another usual thing to do is to take daddies and grandpas to lunch. Is there a better way of connecting with your family than having lunch or dinner with them and talking about life and memories? Sùk-săn wan pâw! (or, in English, “happy Father’s Day!”)

Men’s Day in Russia: Defender of the Fatherland Day. February 23rd is a special day for Russians: they celebrate Defender of the Fatherland Day. This day is seen as Men’s Day rather than Father’s Day, and women give gifts to their fathers, brothers, sons, husbands, friends, and co-workers. To understand the origins of this day, it’s necessary to know some events linked to the Russian Civil War. The first milestone was the very first mass draft into the Red Army in Moscow and Petrograd, that took place in 1918. During the next year, in 1919, the Russians decided to celebrate not only the success of this first mass draft, but also the establishment of the Red Army. After this first festivity, the government changed the name of the holiday to Soviet Army and Navy Day in 1949. It was renamed again in 2002, becoming Soviet Army and Navy Day. To celebrate this holiday, the Russians prepare many activities: there are processions, concerts, (militar) parades, fireworks, and people lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to honor Russian veterans.