Dad, Pops, Papa, Daddy, Dada: A handy guide to celebrating your dad in 2020.
Dad, Pops, Papa, Daddy, Dada: A handy guide to celebrating your dad in 2020.
Dads have got to be the easiest to celebrate. Just get them a bottle of their favorite, something for the grill, or the ugliest pair of socks you can find and you’re golden. But a nasty virus and social distancing have thrown a spanner in the works this year, making gifting and celebrating Dad plain awkward. That’s why we’ve put together this handy guide to celebrating Father’s Day in 2020, so you can make Dad feel special—despite the times.
Where Does Father’s Day Come From?
Father’s Day in the USA dates back to the early 1900s, when it was first proposed by a social activist named Anna Jarvis in 1908. In the same year, a memorial service was held to honor the more-than 300 men who died in a mining explosion in West Virginia.
Father’s Day gained momentum after this, when another woman, Sonora Smart Dodd, held a celebration to honor fathers, most especially hers, who was a single parent to six kids and a Civil War veteran. Father’s Day only became an official national holiday in 1972, when then-President Richard Nixon declared it so.
The Father’s Day Gift That Stood the Test of Time
Ties are to Father’s Day what flowers are to Mother’s Day. Ties have been the ultimate Dad gift since Father’s Day gifts became a thing. The reason neckties became so popular? They were affordable and, unless your dad was the Hulk, any necktie you chose would fit him, unlike a pair of shoes, or a shirt, or even a hat. A century later, neckties are apparently still the most popular Father’s Day gift, so they really have stood the test of time.
The Changing Role of Dads
Dads are worth celebrating. Even though gender roles are slowly changing for the better, dads remain not just an important figure in family life, but have a huge role to play in reforming outdated stereotypes about masculinity and fatherhood. In just the last 20 years alone the role of fathers has been turned upside down—by men themselves—in pursuit of a fairer, more equal home life, workplace, and future for their children.
Many dads today have taken the place of the archetypal “stay-at-home mom” and, as stay-at-home dads, are spearheading childcare in the home. They’re actively involved in raising their children, taking on their fair share of domestic duties, advocating for women in the workplace, are woke about things like mansplaining, and also want to smash the patriarchy.
The modern dad is a refreshingly human departure from the stereotypical dad of yesteryear, whose role as breadwinner made him an absent and distant figure who showed little humor or interest in domestic life. Today’s dad might still be a grump sometimes, but he’s around, involved, and is becoming increasingly vocal and active about creating a better, more equal world for all.
When Do We Celebrate Father’s Day?
In the USA, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June each year. This year, that falls on the 21st of June. While Father’s Day is considered a national holiday in the USA, it’s technically not a public holiday. (Karen may have to have a word with the manager about this.)
