A special day for dads all over the world, where we celebrate our old man for all that he has done in our lives. Countries all over the world celebrate Father’s Day with varying traditions and dates, though many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June.

In Hong Kong, while Father’s Day is not a public holiday, it is still widely celebrated on the third Sunday of June. And daughters and sons of dads in Hong Kong put in every effort to make sure that their old man enjoys this special day where fatherhood and paternal bonds are celebrated. Other than the traditionally masculine gifts of electronic tools and male clothing, greeting cards and even flowers that pop up during this celebration period, restaurants all over the HK territories also offer great deals for families that dine in, with no shortage of bookings.

Origins

The first recorded observances of Father’s Day celebrations in the United States were in the early 20th century. In 1908, a church in Virginia conducted a one-time service celebrating fathers after a mine explosion killed numerous fathers in the town. And in 1910, after attending a Mother’s Day celebration at a local church service in Washington, a lady named Sonora Smart Snodd suggested to YMCA to create a similarly special holiday to honour fathers as well. But it was only in 1972 did the President of the United States permanently established the third Sunday in June as a day to celebrate fatherhood and paternal bonds. And today in America, families gather to celebrate their dads with gifts and greeting cards, and schools also usually have activities to hand make such presents.

Regardless of the date of Father’s Day, the spirit of honouring the important father figures in our lives is the same everywhere. Here are some of the other ways that this special day is celebrated in different countries!

Taiwan

Over here, Father’s Day is widely observed on the eighth day of the eighth month of the year. This is mainly because the pronunciation of the number eight and ‘father’ sounds very similar in Mandarin Chinese (both as pronounced as “ba” but with different intonations), and that is why 8th August is sometimes referred to as “Baba Holiday”.

Germany

In Germany, Father’s Day is always celebrated on Ascension Day (40 days after Easter) and is also referred to as gentlemen’s day, Herrentag. Traditionally, groups of males do a hiking and drinking tour with wagons that are full of food and wine or beer that is popular in the region. Of course, many just treat it as an opportunity to get drunk, and alcohol-related traffic accidents have always recorded spikes on this day. Needless to say, it is celebrated very differently from other parts of the world.

South Korea

For the Koreans, both fathers and mothers are honoured on Parents’ Day, celebrated annually on 8th May. Various family events organised during this period focuses primarily on the parents, and the most popular gifts to parents are carnations, which express admiration, love and gratitude.

How do you usually celebrate Father’s Day? Share us your stories in the comments section below!