Father’s Day is a day that celebrates and honors fathers and fatherly figures and their influence in our lives. That is, you don’t solely have to honor your biological father on this holiday—you can celebrate grandfathers, stepfathers, adoptive fathers, male friends, brothers, and others you consider father figures.
In Ghana, the day has typically been of less interest in the past few years. Publicity had been low, and only a few people talked about it. However, in recent years, the day has been given a fair mention and publicity by the public, particularly through traditional (broadcast) and social media. The day has also witnessed several promotional and giveaway activities by businesses.
In a typical African context, most dads would like to see their roles as mandatory, hence little need to celebrate them. However, the enormous publicity that has characterized Mother’s Day occasions has made proponents of Father’s Day demand some form of balance in the celebrations of the other gender.
When is Father’s Day 2023?
This year, Father’s Day is on Sunday, June 18, which still leaves you some time to prepare your Father’s Day memes.
In all other years, the celebration is on the third Sunday of June in most parts of the world.
The history of Father’s Day
The history of Mother’s Day goes back to the 1860s, and Mother’s Day was declared a national holiday in 1914. Then the celebration of moms paved the way for Father’s Day. The history of Father’s Day goes back to 1908, when a church in West Virginia held a sermon to honor 362 men who had been killed the previous year in a coal mining explosion. This was the country’s first-ever event to strictly honor fathers, but it was just a one-and-done thing, at least in that community.
The following year, however, a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd started her quest to establish Father’s Day as a national holiday. Dodd was one of six children raised by their single father, and she thought fathers should be honored in the same way as mothers.
After she’d petitioned her local community and government for a year, Dodd’s home state of Washington celebrated its first official Father’s Day on June 19, 1910. Over the years, the celebration of Father’s Day spread from state to state, and after a long fight, it was finally declared a national holiday in 1972, when President Richard Nixon signed it into law. Now, we celebrate with funny Father’s Day quotes, dad quotes, father-son quotes, and even stepdad quotes for the bonus dad in our lives.
It took more than 60 years from the birth of the idea to Father’s Day actually being recognized as a federal holiday, and a lot happened to threaten the parent-celebrating holidays during that time. In the 1920s and 1930s, there was a national movement to get rid of both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and replace them with one “Parent’s Day.” Beyond that, some men didn’t even want a Father’s Day to begin with. They saw it as a “Hallmark holiday,” invented for the sole purpose of a commercial gimmick, and as many fathers were the sole breadwinners at the time, they didn’t particularly want their hard-earned cash spent on flowers and chocolates.
The Great Depression and World War II, however, helped boost the idea of Father’s Day. Struggling retailers pushed the gift-giving holiday during the Depression, and during the war, Father’s Day became a way to honor the many fathers serving overseas. By the time President Nixon signed the proclamation making Father’s Day a holiday, it was already a national institution.
Father’s Day is celebrated on different days in different countries. For example, in Europe, the United States, and the majority of other countries, the holiday is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. In many Catholic countries, especially in Latin America, fathers are celebrated on St. Joseph’s Day, which falls on March 19. In many Pacific countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji, Father’s Day occurs on the first Sunday in September.
Ways to celebrate Father’s Day
Now that you know the history of Father’s Day, you’re probably wondering how to celebrate with your dad. The key is to spend time together and participate in activities that entertain, delight, and bring you two closer. Some ways to celebrate Father’s Day include:
1. Hosting a dad-centric barbecue, complete with grilling staples like hot dogs and hamburgers. Whip up dad’s favorite dessert for a special treat!
2. Taking dad to his favorite restaurant, brewery, or winery for a special Father’s Day outing
3. Having your little ones make fun Father’s Day crafts for their dad, grandfather, and other father figures It keeps them occupied, and they get to create something from the heart.
4. Planning a movie marathon, complete with the best Father’s Day movies to watch together.
5. Dedicating a special Father’s Day poem to the No. 1 guy in your life Read it out loud or write it in his Father’s Day card for safekeeping.
6. Creating a dad-inspired playlist filled with sweet Father’s Day songs to play at your gathering
7. If you’re still stumped, don’t fret—simply ask your dad what he would like to do on his special day, then get to planning.
Dads are heroes and their impact in the lives of humanity cannot be ruled out. Everyone has “some father” to celebrate this day. So go ahead. Wish them a “Happy Father’s Day!”
Additional files were obtained from History.com
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