This year we celebrated Fathers’ Day in the most unique manner, isn’t it?
With our handmade sanitized cards, and fresh, homemade cakes, and self-inflated balloons, it was an unusual celebration. This year itself has been so unusual that yesterday felt extra special than any other previous years. Our fathers, our heroes have been bravely taking care of our health and hygiene like silent Messiahs. Even the fathers who are battling COVID-19 or have an infected family member, are only setting examples for us of how to be courageous and strong even in the most extreme of situations. And they are doing it with a smiling face. On this note, let us also look at some fun facts about Fathers’ Day and keep yesterday’s memories alive in our hearts for the rest of this remaining year. Fathers’ Day is celebrated at different times in different parts of the world. It is mainly celebrated within the months of March, May and June. In India, Fathers’ Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June. Not only indoors, but the entire universe celebrated this year’s Fathers’ Day in a unique way. Do you think it was just a coincidence that our first solar eclipse also took place on the same day?
Father-daughter duos are more popular and this fact will tell you why. The idea of Fathers’ Day was proposed by Sonora Smart Dodd of the United States. Her father, William Jackson Smart, was an American Civil War Veteran.
Apart from serving the country, Sonora’s father was a full-time father. He raised Sonora and her five siblings after her mother died tragically. Sonora had seen her father raise six children effortlessly while making the entire Nation proud. She couldn’t but become an admirer of her father and wanted to assign a day for all the brave, hard working fathers of the world.
Fathers’ Day was first celebrated in 1910 in America. In 1966, President Lyndon B. Jackson issued the first presidential proclamation honouring Fathers’ Day and assigned the third Sunday of June for its celebration. In 1972, President Nixon made it a permanent National Holiday.
In India, since ancient times, Fathers have been celebrated as friends, philosophers and guides. For example:
In Ramayana where Prince Rama leaves all his wealth and pleasures of courtly life behind on just one command of his father King Dasharatha.
Bhisma, another character from Mahabharata led a life of celibacy for the betterment of his father King Santanu.
Even in our history, we find Mahinda and Sanghamitra, children of King Ashoka, spread the religion Buddhism in neighboring countries of India.
And finally, we call Gandhi the ‘Father of our Nation.’
So you see, our Indian tradition has always celebrated fathers in its own way. Just like we celebrated them in our own way yesterday. How fun was your Fathers’ Day celebration?a