Father’s Day Dates Around The World
Just like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day is also an important and meaningful day to celebrate. It is an opportunity to recognize fathers for their contributions to their families and to society. Father’s Day in India is observed on the third Sunday in June and in 2024 Father’s Day will fall on 16th June.
Fatherhood is both a demanding and gratifying endeavor. Father’s Day is an occasion to thank every person who has embraced the challenging role. The timing of the celebration varies, and so can the customs and language attached to it. Despite the difference, the meaning of that day has not changed. Each country sets its own dates for Father’s Day and has some of its own traditions in showing love to Dad at home and in the community.
Dates of Father’s Day celebration
The dates of Father’s Day celebration are not the same everywhere it varies from country to country. Father’s Day was first celebrated on June 19, 1910. It was invented in the United States by Sonora Smart Dodd from Spokane, Washington as a way to celebrate her own father who was a veteran of the Civil War and widower who had raised six children.
The idea was taken up by Dodd’s church, and on June 19, 1910, all of the churches in the Spokane Ministerial Alliance marked the first Father’s Day. US President Calvin Coolidge was the first to promote the idea of Father’s Day in 1924. US President Lyndon Johnson signed a proclamation in 1966 declaring that the third Sunday of June should be designated Father’s Day while President Richard Nixon signed a law to allow for permanent recognition of Father’s Day in 1972.
Ritual celebrations of fatherhood can be found within many civilizations. One that endures comes from Catholic Europe in the Middle Ages, where a religious observance has long been held on the Feast of St Joseph – 19 March. Portugal, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Honduras, and 7 other countries celebrate St. Joseph’s Day, March 19.
Although the practice of honoring fathers on the third Sunday in June began in the United States of America, it is now used as a Father’s Day in more than 50 countries around the world. Countries like France, Netherlands, Argentina, India, Chile, Canada, Japan, Singapore, Pakistan, and United Kingdom celebrate it on June third Sunday.
The third Sunday of June coincides with the Summer Solstice – the longest day of the year – meaning this time, fathers are really cashing in. For several Middle Eastern countries, the Summer Solstice is always Father’s Day.
In Germany, Father’s Day is referred to as Vatertag and is celebrated on the sixth Sunday after Easter. It involves drinking lots of beer and eating traditional food. Unsurprisingly, it can be a quite raucous affair.
However, some countries like Spain, Portugal, Italy, Honduras, and Andora use March 19 to celebrate Father’s Day as that is also the feast day of St Joseph, Jesus’s father on earth.
In New Zealand, Australia, and Sweden they celebrate Father’s Day on the first Sunday in September. It coincides with the start of Spring — the perfect season to market dad gifts like sporting, camping, and fishing items.
In Taiwan, Father’s Day is not celebrated on March 19th, nor in June, but on August 8th! The pronunciation of the number 8 in Chinese is “ba”. This pronunciation is very similar to the word which means “father”. Father’s Day is therefore celebrated on the 8th day of the 8th month of the year and it is also called “Day of Baba”
Father’s Day in Thailand is also the king’s birthday, which is December 5. It is traditional to carry out good deeds to mark the day, with many people giving blood. This also celebrates the day with fireworks. The tradition is to wear yellow, the color of Monday, the day of the week the king was born.
In South Sudan, Father’s Day – which was first celebrated in 2012 – is celebrated on the last Monday of August.
In Mozambique and Seychelles, Father’s Day is celebrated on June 16.
In Brazil, Father’s Day (Dia dos Pais, in Portuguese) is celebrated three months after Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday of August.
In Bulgaria, there are two Father’s Days. First, there’s the traditional celebration on St. Joseph’s Day, which is 26 December in the Orthodox calendar. Then, they also celebrate the American version, on the third Sunday in June.
The date of Father’s Day in Nepal varies according to the lunar calendar. It is usually celebrated at the end of August or at the beginning of September. This day is the opportunity to spend time with our fathers, but it is also a day to pay tribute to the deceased father by praying in temples.
In Russia, Father’s Day overlaps with their Defender of Fatherland Day. February 23rd is celebrated as the Defender of Fatherland Day. So, while fathers are honored by their families, many fathers also march in military parades in their hometown on the same day. This day has evolved into a more popular celebration where all men are honored.
While in the People’s Republic of China, and South Korea there is no official Father’s Day. While South Korea celebrates Parent’s Day on May 8th each year.
In Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia, people dedicate this day to going out with family and spending time together. Traditionally, people in the U.S. also pay tribute to grandfathers, stepfathers, foster fathers, uncles, or other father figures.
Father’s Day is celebrated all over the world, in different ways, on different dates, but the meaning is the same for everyone: share our love and gratitude with our fathers those who love and support us at every step of our lives. Sending love to Dad doesn’t need to be restricted to Father’s Day, but it’s great he has a special day too!
