Father's Day
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Father's Day | |
| Observed by | Many countries |
|---|---|
| Type | Historical |
| Date | Varies regionally |
| Related to | Mother's Day |
Father's Day is a celebration inaugurated in the early twentieth century to complement Mother's Day in celebrating fatherhood and male parenting, and to honor and commemorate fathers and forefathers. Father's Day is celebrated on a variety of dates worldwide and typically involves gift-giving to fathers and family-oriented activities.
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[edit] Dates
The officially recognized date of Father's Day varies from country to country. This section lists some significant examples, in order of date of observance.
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First Sunday of June |
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June 5 (Constitution Day) |
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Second Sunday of June |
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Second Sunday of July |
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Last Sunday of July |
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Second Sunday of August |
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First Sunday of September |
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New Moon of September |
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First Sunday of October |
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Second Sunday of November |
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*In China (under the title of Republic of China, still under Nationalist rule at the time), Father's Day on August 8 was first held in Shanghai in 1945.
[edit] International history and traditions
[edit] Germany
In Germany there is no such thing as Father's Day [7][8] as celebrated throughout the western world. There are two terms and/or events of an older origin that while similar in name, have entirely different meanings. Männertag, is always celebrated on Ascension Day (the Thursday forty days after Easter), which is a federal holiday. Regionally, it is also called men's day, Männertag, or gentlemen's day, Herrentag. It is tradition to do a males-only hiking tour with one or more smaller wagons, Bollerwagen, pulled by manpower. In the wagons are wine or beer (according to region) and traditional regional food, Hausmannskost, which could be Saumagen, Liverwurst, Blutwurst (Blood Sausage), vegetables, eggs, etc.
Some parts of Germany (such as Bavaria) call this particular day "Vatertag", which is the literal equivalent to Father's Day.
[edit] Roman Catholic tradition
In the Roman Catholic tradition, Father's Day is celebrated on Saint Joseph's Day, commonly called Feast of Saint Joseph, March 19, though in most countries Father's Day is a secular celebration. [9]
[edit] Taiwan
In Taiwan, Father's Day is not an official holiday, but is widely observed on August 8, the eighth day of the eighth month of the year. In Mandarin Chinese, the pronunciation of the number 8 is bā. This pronunciation is very similar to the character "爸" "bà", which means "Papa" or "father". The Taiwanese, therefore, usually call August 8 by its nick name, "Bābā Day" (八八節).
[edit] Thailand
In Thailand, Father's Day is set as the birthday of the king. December 5 is the birthday of current king, Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX).
[edit] United States
In the United States, the first modern Father's Day celebration was held on July 5, 1908, in Fairmont, West Virginia[10][11] or on June 19th of the same year, in the state of Washington[12]. Today, Father's Day is celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of June.
In West Virginia, it was first celebrated as a church service at Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South, now known as Central United Methodist Church. Grace Golden Clayton, who is believed to have suggested the service to the pastor, is believed to have been inspired to celebrate fathers after the deadly mine explosion in nearby Monongah the prior December. This explosion killed 361 men, many of them fathers and recent immigrants to the United States from Italy. Another possible inspiration for the service was Mothers' Day, which had been celebrated for the first time two months prior in Grafton, West Virginia, a town about 15 miles (24 km) away.
Another driving force behind the establishment of the integration of Father's Day was Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd, born in Creston, Washington. Her father, the Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, as a single parent reared his six children in Spokane, Washington. She was inspired by Anna Jarvis's efforts to establish Mother's Day. Although she initially suggested June 5, the anniversary of her father's death, she did not provide the organizers with enough time to make arrangements, and the celebration was deferred to the third Sunday of June. The first June Father's Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, WA, at the Spokane YMCA.
Unofficial support from such figures as William Jennings Bryan was immediate and widespread. President Woodrow Wilson was personally feted by his family in 1916. President Calvin Coolidge recommended it as a national holiday in 1924. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson made Father's Day a holiday to be celebrated on the third Sunday of June. The holiday was not officially recognized until 1972, during the presidency of Richard Nixon.
In recent years, retailers have adapted to the holiday by promoting male-oriented gifts such as electronics, tools and greeting cards. Schools and other children's programs commonly have activities to make Father's Day gifts.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Se instituye el Día del Padre, Decreto Número 13 (1960-02-09). Retrieved on 2008-06-07. (Spanish)
- ^ a b Sesiones ordinarias 2004 Orden del día nº1798: Día del Padre. Institúyese como tal el día 24 de agosto de cada año.. Cámara de Diputados de la Nación (2008-11-07). Retrieved on 2008-06-07. “la presión de diversos grupos determinó el “olvido” de incluir esta disposición en el calendario escolar a partir de 1957, y la omisión fue aprovechada para imponer el tercer domingo de junio como el Día del Padre norteamericano, en homenaje a mister John Bruce Dodd (...) instituir el día 24 de agosto como el destinado a la celebración del Día del Padre en homenaje al general José de San Martín, padre de la patria.”
- ^ Principales efemérides. Mes Junio. Unión de Periodistas de Cuba. Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
- ^ "Día del Padre une a familias piuranas (sic)", El Regional de Piura, 2006-06-19. Retrieved on 2008-06-08. "El Día del Padre se celebra cada tercer domingo de junio"
- ^ Calendario Cívico Escolar. Dirección Regional de Educación de Lima Metropolitana. Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
- ^ 17 de Junio, Día del Padre en El Salvador. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de El Salvador (1969-05-08). Retrieved on 2008-06-07. “Asamblea Legislativa de la República de El Salvador. 08 de mayo de 1969” (Spanish)
- ^ "Father's Day and Vatertag", About.com.
- ^ "Don't get drunk on Father's Day, German minister urges", yahoo.com.
- ^ Kerry Tilby (June 2007). Fathers Day. Kiwi Families. Retrieved on 2008-05-23.
- ^ Barth, Kelly. "First Father's Day service in 1908", Dominion Post (Morgantown, West Virginia), June 21, 1987. Retrieved on 2006-11-07.
- ^ Smith, Vicki. "The first Father's Day", Martinsburg Journal (Martinsburg, West Virginia), June 15, 2003. Retrieved on 2006-11-07.
- ^ Father's Day (United States). Retrieved on 2008-05-30.
