Why Celebrate Father’s Day?
Father’s Day is our chance to show our dads how much their love and various parental sacrifices over the years have meant to us. This is the day to remember the times your dad supported you in your favourite sport, helped you with your homework, drove you to the movies to meet your friends, and every other little task which dads do for their kids.
Father’s Day was first celebrated in the early 20th century in the USA. A number of people around the world raised the idea of creating a day to honour dads that would complement Mother’s Day. The loudest spokesperson was Sonora Smart Dodd, who lost her mother at an early age and was raised by her loving father. Sonora held Father’s Day celebrations in 1910, and in 1924 the U.S President announced an official Fathers Day.
Ways to Celebrate Father’s Day
- You can use Father’s Day to acknowledge all the important male role models in your life – for instance stepfathers, uncles, and grandfathers. Pregnant women can also make this a fun day for the father-to-be.
- Father’s Day is a great chance to get the whole family together – share a coffee, a meal, or a drink, and catch up on the family gossip.
- You could make a homecooked meal for your Dad: a breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and perhaps consider inviting the whole family around for a gathering. If your family is on the larger size, an outdoor BBQ, potluck, or picnic might be the best plan of attack.
- A drink is a nice way to catch up in the afternoon or evening. Maybe a pint down at the local pub, or a cup of something hot at a neighbourhood cafe?
- Spend the day doing something recreational that Dad loves – fishing, watching sport, playing golf, walking, biking, etc. There may be a music or sporting event coming up in the near future which you could shout dad to as a Father’s Day present.
- Greeting Cards give you the opportunity to pass on a personal message of appreciation. You can either buy a Father’s Day Card card with just the right saying, add your own message, or create a card from scratch.
- Special gifts are a lovely way to show your appreciation. See our Father’s Day Gifts article for more ideas, some of which won’t hurt your wallet.
Father’s Day Dates in New Zealand
Father’s Day in New Zealand is always the first Sunday in September.
This article was kindly provided by NZS.