“Dad,” “Father,” “Vater,” “Padre,” “Papà.” No matter the language, fathers—and affectionate names for fathers—exist in every culture. From biological fathers to father figures, people all over the world use Father’s Day to celebrate the presence of a father in their lives. Some countries have special traditions to celebrate dads, while others have no formal customs. If you’re looking for ideas to start some new Father’s Day traditions, then we have some great tips for you!
Rather than getting your Dad socks again or scratching your head about what to get him this year, you could truly surprise him with the gift of language. Your best bet is a subscription to Rosetta Stone where he’ll learn through dynamic immersion rather than tedious memorization. If your father is ambitious, let him become a polyglot with a subscription to all 25 languages Rosetta Stone offers!
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The history of Father’s Day
Although mentioned in European history as early as the 16th century, there’s little evidence about how Father’s Day was celebrated prior to the 20th century. The United States honored its first unofficial Father’s Day and Mother’s Day in 1908. In both cases, a woman proposed official holidays celebrating fathers and mothers: Sonora Smart Dodd and Anna Jarvis, respectively.
The first known origins of Father’s Day in the U.S. occurred in 1908 with a special service held in remembrance of a West Virginia mining disaster which killed 362 mine workers—many of them fathers. In 1910, Sonora Louise Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, urged the Spokane Ministerial Association to celebrate a Father’s Day similar to the newly created Mother’s Day celebration. She convinced the local pastor to hold a service honoring fathers in Spokane on June 19 (the third Sunday of the month).
Dodd worked to obtain national recognition for fathers, but didn’t get to see the fruits of her labor until 1966, when President Lyndon B. Johnson declared the holiday official. Six years later, Richard M. Nixon confirmed it would be celebrated on the third Sunday in June.
The history of Father’s Day in the U.S. is quite different from the ancient origins found in Europe. Traditionally, strong Catholic countries like Italy, Spain, and Croatia, celebrate Father’s Day on March 19th, which corresponds to the Feast of St. Joseph. This refers to Joseph the father of Jesus and the celebration honors the head of the household. Even now, many countries celebrate both Father’s Day and the Feast of St. Joseph at the same time.
When is Father’s Day in 2024?
This year, Father’s Day is on June 16 in the United States and many other countries like Canada, Argentina, Czech Republic, Panama, Qatar, Hungary, and more! A handful of countries celebrate Father’s Day on the third Sunday of July. Countries like Italy and Portugal celebrate this holiday on March 19. Most Scandinavian countries celebrate it in mid-November, but many Arab countries celebrate Father’s Day on January 25, which coincides with the birthday of Imam Ali, an important figure for some Muslims.
Father’s Day traditions around the world
The history of Father’s Day is different in many countries and each has their own unique traditions to celebrate dads. From beer-filled carts to cakes and special prayers, Father’s Day traditions are fun to learn about. You might even decide to adopt one or two of these traditions or realize they’re not so different from how you celebrate.
Germany
Germany celebrates Männertag (Men’s Day) on Ascension Day, a public holiday that falls 40 days after Easter. Young and old men may go for a hike before dragging a wagon full of beer through the town for an afternoon of drinking together.
This tradition harks back to the Middle Ages when men were pulled in carts to the center of the village and celebrated. The man with the most children would receive a prize–usually a ham. Nowadays, many German men take the next day off from work to nurse their hangovers as this day rivals the amount of drinking that happens during Oktoberfest.
Costa Rica
Like many countries, Costa Rica celebrates Father’s day on the third Sunday of June to adopt the U.S. custom of celebrating fathers. Children often make handmade gifts for their fathers. But the big event is a large family gathering with plenty of food. They may eat gallo pinto (rice and beans dish) or casado (meat, vegetables, and plantains) while children perform a skit or song and dance.
France
La Fête des Pères did not begin in France until the 1950s, and the modern celebration was initiated by a lighter company called Flaminaire. The idea was to give dads the give of a lighter for his cigarettes. Within a couple of years, the government declared the third Sunday in June an official holiday. Today, rather than cigarette lighters, it’s common to give books, chocolate, or homemade gifts such as drawings along with cards.
>> Learn 100+ French words for any situation!
India
Occurring on the third Sunday in June, पिता दिवस की शुभकामनाएँ (Father’s Day) tends to be celebrated in the major cities of India. The holiday has been adopted from the U.S. celebration, so customs may be similar since they also recount the same origin story as the U.S.
Indian fathers usually receive gifts such as books, shirts, flowers, or cards. Many urban families in India spend the day with Dad by baking him a cake or preparing a meal. Younger children might make homemade gifts. The day has additional meaning in Nagaland and Kerala in the northeast where special prayers are commonly said in church for fathers.
Japan
Japan celebrates Chichi no hi on the third Sunday in June when fathers may receive flowers, fancy food, sake, or sweets. Other gifts include clothes, sports items and cologne. It’s common for families to share a meal on this day, usually consisting of shrimp or crab, either at home or at a restaurant.
Italy
In Italy, Festa del Papà is celebrated on St. Joseph’s feast day, which is March 19. In some areas, school-age children compose original poetry for their dad and create homemade cards or drawings. True to the Italian culture of gathering over meals, families celebrate with a big Italian meal, which might be meatless since it’s Lent season.
But Italians make up for that with delicious seafood and lavish desserts. Since the celebration overlaps with St. Joseph’s Day, zeppole di San Giuseppe (St. Joseph cream puffs) are quite popular. Aside from these culinary pleasures, Italian dads usually receive small gifts.
>> Do you know the many ways to say “thank you” in Italian?
Philippines
Many families in the Philippines are known for their strong Catholic values, so Father’s Day is an important holiday there. Though the holiday was introduced through American culture and celebrated on the third Sunday of June, the day has taken on a distinctly Filipino flavor.
Families work hard to make Dad his favorite dish and prepare Philippine delicacies like lechon (spit-roasted pork), kare kare (a peanut-based stew) or adobo, which is a special sauce for meat. Then, after offering some small or homemade gifts, Filipinos are known to take dad out to his favorite activity like a sports event. There’s a solemn aspect to Father’s Day though: It usually includes a prayer of thanks.
Sweden
Most Swedes celebrate Fars Dag on the second Sunday in November. The tradition seems to have started at the turn of the 20th century. Fathers often receive cakes and presents, such as books or ties on this day, and the joke goes that older dads tend to have a lot of ties.
Children may make crafts for their dad at school, and there are sometimes public events to honor fathers and father figures in Sweden. Families often go out to dinner or make their father a special meal of Baltic herring filets paired with a treat like apple pie or strawberries. Later, they take him to his favorite activity such as seeing a performance or going fishing.
How to say “happy Father’s Day” in other languages
Perhaps you’d like to wish the father in your life a “happy Father’s Day” in the language of his parents or a unique language. Or you may be traveling in another country on this holiday and want to know the history of Father’s Day there and how they say those special words. Whatever your motivation, check out this list of 25 ways to say “happy Father’s Day” to someone you care about!
| Language | Translation |
| Arabic | (Eid ‘ab saeid) عيد أب سعيد |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 祝你父亲节快乐！(Zhù nǐ fù qīn jié kuài lè) |
| Dutch | Gelukkige vaderdag |
| English (American) | Happy Father’s Day |
| English (British) | Happy Father’s Day |
| Farsi (Persian) | روز پدر مبارک |
| French | Joyeuse Fête des Pères |
| Gaelic (Irish) | Lá na nAithreacha sona duit |
| German | Alles Gute zum Vatertag |
| Greek | ευτυχισμένη ημέρα του πατέρα(Eftychisméni iméra tou patéra) |
| Hebrew | יום האב שמח |
| Hindi | पिता दिवस की शुभकामना(Pita divas kee shubhakaamana) |
| Italian | Buona Festa del Papà |
| Japanese | 幸せな父の日(Shiawasena chichi no hi) |
| Korean | 행복한 아버지의 날(Haengboghan abeojiui nal) |
| Latin | Laetus dies patris |
| Polish | Szczęśliwego dnia ojca |
| Portuguese (Brazil) | Feliz dia dos pais |
| Spanish (Latin America) | Feliz Día del Padre |
| Spanish (Spain) | Feliz Día del Padre |
| Swedish | Trevlig farsdag |
| Russian | С днём отца |
| Tagalong (Filipino) | Maligayang Araw ng mga tatay |
| Turkish | Mutlu Babalar Günü |
| Vietnamese | Chúc mừng ngày của Cha |
>> Learn about the history of Mother’s Day around the world!
Honor dad with the gift of Rosetta Stone
Fathers are honored in all sorts of ways on Father’s Day in nearly every country of the world. On this special day, we honor our biological fathers and anyone who acted as a father figure in our lives. For some, an uncle, grandfather, or close family friend takes the place of a father. For others, a neighbor may be their father figure.
Standard gifts like ties or shoes are fine for the father in your life, but if you really want to honor your dad with a present he’ll remember, we suggest giving the gift of language. Maybe Dad wants to travel to his parents’ homeland and speak with long-lost relatives. Or perhaps he’s always wanted to learn a foreign language. Whatever his motivation, we have the answer: TruAccent language learning available 24/7 to sound like a native.
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