Father's Day in the USA: history and traditions of celebration
'16.06.2017'
Source: Calend.ru
Father's Day (Father's day) Is one of the most touching holidays of the year. In the USA he celebrated on the third Sunday of June. In 2017, the holiday falls on June 18.
On this day, it is customary to visit their parents, to give fathers postcards, souvenirs and to congratulate fathers at the family dinner party. On this holiday, Americans have a special relationship with roses - red is given to living fathers, and white roses are intended for fathers who have passed away.
The idea of creating a holiday for children who want to express gratitude to their fathers came from Spokane, Washington (Spokane, Washington). A woman named Sonora Smart, in marriage to Dodd (Sonora Smart Dodd), in 1909, in the church during the service dedicated to Mother's Day, I thought that after the death of her mother and five other children, her father, William Jackson Smart, was raising her father.
Sonora wanted her father to know what a special person he was for her, how much she loved and appreciated him. After all, her father sacrificed everything in order to fulfill all his parental duties and was in the eyes of his daughter the most courageous, unselfish and loving person. Sonora appealed to the local authorities with a proposal to establish a new holiday, they supported her and were going to arrange 5 festivities on June - the birthday of William Smart, but there was not enough time to prepare them, and the holiday was postponed to 19 June.
Soon the holiday became popular in other cities of the state. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge spoke in support of the Sonora Dodd Initiative. He believed that this holiday would help strengthen relations between fathers and their children and at the same time remind fathers of their parental responsibilities. In 1956, a Congress resolution was adopted on the need to establish such a holiday.
In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed a proclamation declaring the third Sunday of June as Fathers Day. But the male members of the US Congress did not dare to formally establish a holiday, since the congressmen feared that they could be caught in bias. Only in 1972, did President Nixon officially legitimize Fathers Day. So, Father's Day appeared as an expression of love and gratitude that her daughter dedicated to her father. Roses are Father's Day flowers: the red ones are worn if the father is alive, and the whites are if the father is dead.
Local authorities of some cities on the eve of the holiday provide financial assistance to single fathers.
Following the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, China, Japan, Ukraine, and Russia began to celebrate Father's Day on the third Sunday of June.
How is Father's Day celebrated in other countries?
In Australia and New Zealand, Father's Day is celebrated on the first Sunday in September. Brazilian dads accept congratulations on the second Sunday in August. In Thailand, Fathers Day is celebrated on December 5 - the birthday of the king of the country. In Germany, Fathers Day (Father's Day) Legally introduced in 1936, and was immediately tied to the feast of the Ascension of the Lord. In 2011, the inhabitants of the country celebrated the 2 Fathers Day in June.
On Fathers Day, men gather in companies and travel to nature without wives. The most popular are hiking and cycling (excursions), you can also sit in the open-air bar with a beer. However, with increasing equality between men and women, the custom is gradually transformed into a family outdoor recreation.
Lithuanians celebrate Fathers Day on the first Sunday of June. In 2011, the holiday was given official status. In Estonia, Sweden and Finland, Fathers Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of November.
The holiday has been celebrated in Estonia since 1992. On the eve, themed matinees are held in kindergartens, and concerts for dads in schools; children give dads homemade cards and gifts (usually cut out of paper and painted ties or cars). On Fathers Day, flags are flown. It has also become a tradition for the security forces to hold demonstration and educational performances as part of the free-of-charge family holiday “Fathers Day for All Children”, where children, together with their dads, can take part in various competitions and get better acquainted with male professions. Among the participants in the competitions there are also pupils of orphanages, over whom policemen, rescuers, border guards or military personnel take patronage on this day.
In Italy, Portugal and Spain, the fathers of families receive congratulations on March 19. In Italy, Fathers' Day is traditionally timed to coincide with St. Giuseppe's Day and is, in fact, the main holiday of Italian men. On this day, they congratulate and give gifts to all men in Italy, but pay special attention to fathers. Italians choose gifts for their beloved dads very carefully. A bottle of certainly expensive wine is considered a traditional present on this day. Moreover, the drink must necessarily correspond to the character of the person to whom it will be presented. In Italy, a special recommendatory list of wines is compiled specifically for this date. In addition to a bottle of an elite drink, it is considered a good form to present some kind of male gift - a perfume, accessory or piece of clothing. Italians prefer to spend the evening of this day in the company of their fathers at dinner at home or in a restaurant.
Wonderful family holiday Father's Day not only reminds men of their parental responsibilities, but also helps strengthen the relationship between fathers and children.
