Father’s Day 2020: History, significance and celebrations

The third Sunday of June is celebrated as Father's Day in most parts of the world. Father's Day is a celebration of fathers, honouring fatherhood, paternal bonds and the role fathers play in society.

This day was first proposed in 1909 to complement Mother's Day celebrations.

On this day, children acknowledge and appreciate their fathers and father figures, who play an important role in their lives, be it emotionally, mentally or even financially. On this day, children understand the importance of the role of a father in one's life.

This day also acknowledges the contribution of fathers to their own families and society at large.

Children buy or make presents for their father or father-like figure, write and draw cards, spend the day engaging in activities that can be enjoyed with one's father, be it hiking, fishing or just sitting around watching some television.

In countries including Portugal, Spain, Croatia, and Italy, Father's Day is celebrated on March 19. And even though this is a western tradition which started in the US, it has gained a lot of prominence in Asian countries.

In 1910, Father's Day was celebrated on June 19. Sonora Smart Dodd had heard about how Anna Jarvis had founded Mother's Day in honour of her mother and told the pastor of her church that there should be something similar to celebrate fathers too.

Sonora's father was Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, a single parent from Arkansas who raised six children.

Sonora was hoping that Father's Day celebrations would be held on June 5, which was her father's birthday, but the church's time constraints ended up changing this day and the celebration was deferred to the third Sunday of June.

Disclaimer: This article first appeared on hintustantimes.com, and is published by special syndication arrangement