In any society, be it modern, medieval or ancient, fathers have had a significant position. There may be several relationships in a child's life but not a single one of these can be a perfect substitute of a father-child relationship. He is a guide, a philosopher and more than that, a dear and most reliable friend of the child after a certain age. A child is being helped by his father to set his or her aim in life. Then he helps us in selecting the just ways of attaining our goals in life. Again, when someone gets too tired of the weariness and doldrums of life, his/her father is always there to offer the shoulders of a friend where we can rest for a while.
There is every reason of celebrating such an important relationship and Father's Day has been designed for this purpose. It was an ancient practice of worshiping ancestors including father and mother. This tradition was maintained by the following civilizations. In the modern society, people started celebrating Mother's Day first. Gradually, the civilization understood the necessity of Father's Day too. Although the efforts were made in the early 20th century but it was in 1970s only when Father's Day was recognized officially in the US by President Nixon. Gradually most of the countries acknowledged Father's Day and started celebrating fatherhood.
Now the question is that how much significance does Father's Day get in the modern society. Firstly, while measuring its significance, we should not compare it with Mother's Day because it is a different occasion. A mother perform the divine right of giving birth to a child and then of nurturing him or her. This is obvious that mothers will get the special treatment. At the same time, it is also true that a father performs an important role in nurturing and raising a child and this role should also be acknowledged. In today's society, we acknowledge this responsibility through Father's Day.
The lifestyle of a father affects his child. If the child is a boy, he will surely try and adapt some important parts of his father's life-style. If a father can set good examples of leading life in a healthy way, the child is bound to follow the same. Anyone, with good ideas, proper education and a healthy lifestyle, is a treasure for every society. He can not only lead his life properly but can also help others to do the same and can shape the society in a positive manner. In this way a father can contribute in the development of a whole society.
All these and many more make a father very significant in today's modern society and because of this, celebrating this relationship and this responsibility is very significant today. Like any other part of the world, India also celebrates Father's Day with full enthusiasm. This enthusiasm is well expressed by different kind of gifts that are sent on Father's Day. GiftstoIndia24x7.Com believes in promoting this enthusiasm through its wide variety of Father's Day gifts.
The Roman Catholic Church celebrated Father's Day on Saint Joseph's Day, which is March 19th. Because this day falls during Lent, the Church could not celebrate it as a feast day. Many people felt that a secular holiday to celebrate fathers was needed.
The first modern Father's Day celebration was held on July 15, 1908 in Fairmont, West Virginia. This first celebration may have been inspired by a tragedy. In December, 1907, a mine explosion in nearby Monongah killed 361 men, most of whom were fathers. Then, on May 10, 1908, the first Mother's Day celebration was held in nearby Grafton, West Virginia. A woman by the name of Grace Golden Clayton suggested top her local pastor that their church should commemorate these fallen fathers with a celebration much like the one that had been dedicated to mothers.
Another advocate of Father's Day was Sonora Smart Dodd who was one of six children raised by a single father, Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart in Spokane, Washington. The first of these celebrations was held on June 19, 1908 (which also happened to be the third Sunday in June). Although supported by President Woodrow Wilson and Calvin Coolidge, Father's Day was not recognized as a holiday until 1966, when President Lyndon B. Johnson picked the third Sunday of June as the date for this celebration. It was 1972 when President Richard Nixon finally made it an official holiday.
In the United States, Father's Day is usually celebrated with a barbeque and other outdoor activities. Most people give their father gifts or gift baskets based on a subject that he likes such a golf or baseball. In other countries, the celebrations vary as well as the method in which these countries pick the date for Father's Day.
In Germany, Father's Day is celebrated on Ascension Day, which if the Thursday that falls forty days after Easter. The celebration consists of small wagons that are pulled by manpower and pulled to the location that has been chosen for the activities. These wagons are loaded with wine, beer, and traditional German food, such as liverwurst and blood sausage. After making a toast to the fathers who are present, the party then begins, running into the wee hours of the morning or even sometimes until the next day.
In Taiwan, Father's Day is not an official holiday but is usually observed on August 8th, which is the eighth day of the eighth month. In Mandarin Chinese (the language of Taiwan) the spoken word for the number ?eight? is very similar to the word for ?father,? both being slightly different pronunciations of the word ba. Thus, August 8th is usually known as Baba Day.
In Thailand, the celebration of Father's Day is based upon the birthday of the current king. Today, the king is Bhumibol Adulyadej, also known as Rama IX. He has been king since June 9, 1946, which makes him the longest ruling monarch in Thai history. Since his birthday is December 5th, this has been the date for Father's Day in Thailand for over sixty years. When the king passes away, it will be strange to most of his people to celebrate this holiday on another date as most of them have never observed it at any other time. There is speculation that December 5th may become the permanent date for Father's Day in Thailand in the future.
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