Fulfilling the role of a father is indisputably hard, whether working as the breadwinner and/or being responsible for the housework or childcare. Such efforts and strength showed by many fathers make them worthy of having their own special day.
In 1909, while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon, Sonora Smart Dodd realized the need for a celebratory day for fathers. A daughter of Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart who raised six children on his own, Ms. Dodd was the woman behind Father’s Day.
According to HISTORY, Ms. Dodd brought a petition before the Spokane Ministerial Alliance in 1910. She sought to recognize the courage and devotion of all fathers like hers on June 5, her father’s birthday. The local clergy liked the concept of a special Father’s Day service but could not pull it together quickly. Thus, they moved it to June 19, the third Sunday in June.
Though it took several decades before the official recognition of Father’s Day in the United States, its celebration remains significant until today.
Since its first celebration, the perspective towards fatherhood — and perhaps Father’s Day itself — becomes wider. Hence, for this year, there are various ways to honor many kinds of fathers on June 20.
Even if some establishments began to open recently, Father’s Day will still likely be spent indoors and with limitations. Nevertheless, with the presence of technological and digital tools, families can celebrate the special day with unique, exciting activities.
Adventures are possible even in a virtual setting, as suggested by online travel shopping company Expedia in its website. Gathering the family for a virtual trip will take a regular video call to the next level.
For dads whose interests are history and arts, take them to a virtual tour around museum or historical sites around the world.
Louvre, for example, lets art enthusiasts virtually visit the museum on its website. Artistic fathers can celebrate this day by admiring the wondrous galleries and architecture of this large museum.
Meanwhile, a virtual tour of Acropolis in Greece is also available online. Fathers and their loved ones can immerse with the ancient site and its prominent monuments.
Expedia also shared that families can book a virtual city tour to have a local guide who would show around his/her hometown through a video chat. Whether in Paris or Berlin, this video chatting experience is like a virtual vacation for the family.
For fathers who love to explore foods or drinks around the world, Expedia suggests taking a virtual cooking class or have a virtual brewery and distillery tour.
The whole family can learn making pizzas in the Italian way or try cooking a vegetarian Indian cuisine online. For dads interested in exploring distillery or brewery, give them a virtual tour of Buffalo Trace Distillery in United States, Glenturret Distillery in Scotland, or Patron Tequila in Mexico.
If families want to celebrate Father’s Day at home without spending much money, Holidappy, an online resource for holiday advice and expertise, gives suggestions for a free, “custom-made” expressions of love for fathers.
Treasure memorable events with your father by staging a Show and Tell at home. Impress dad with stories, expressing why those moments are special, and then show one or more items associated in those memories.
Recalling and performing a mimic of one’s own father’s unique habits or actions are also a fun way to cheer up dads on Father’s Day, according to Holidappy. Show a good, respectful humor like acting how they cook or speaking on a phone. Families can either give an actual presentation or a recorded video. But a video is ideal especially when fathers are away.
Games centering on dads is another enjoyable activity for Father’s Day. Families can have fun through a guessing game, in which someone asks the father of his favorite things. It would be a fun test of how much a child or a certain family member knows of their fathers’ interests and discover more about their favorites, too.
These virtual and indoor activities are some ways to honor and gift dads on Father’s Day. While some will plan this day with amusing celebrations, the Father’s Day may be different for some.
There are homes who observe Father’s Day as a memorial. The aforesaid website considered that a deceased father would still want the family to have positive experiences.
Members can cheer each other up on this day by celebrating precious memories, especially those with one’s dad. They can also recall the lessons their fathers taught throughout their lifetime. Keep those memories alive through telling or writing the stories for this and the next generation.
Focus on the love that the father gave, the online resource suggests. Remember the ways he expressed that love and how it created wonderful memories. As such love and memories outlive him, he thus deserves to be celebrated on Father’s Day. — Chelsey Keith P. Ignacio
