Father’s Day traditions from around the world

In Thailand, Father’s Day is celebrated along with the birthday of the King Bhumibol Adulyade, on December 5. The King is very much beloved by the Thai people and considered ‘The Father of the Nation’. Tradition holds that everyone wears yellow on Father’s Day, the “official colour” of Monday, the day of the week the King was born. Here, children start the day off by presenting their fathers with a Canna flower, which is considered to be a masculine plant.

Flowers are an integral part of a Father’s Day celebration in Japan. Children also give their dads handmade beer glasses or a box of Japanese sweets. Lunch or dinner is almost always a dish of crab or prawns. Personalised champagne, beer bottles and sandals also comprise many of the gifts, and Japanese fathers enjoy gifts of perfume as well.

In Mexico, Father’s Day is celebrated with prepared meals and gifts to dads or father figures in appreciation of all that they do for their families. There’s a strong emphasis on family values when celebrating Father’s Day with a city-wide 21-kilometre race that takes place in Mexico City’s Bosque de Tlalpan, an area of open space used for hiking and jogging.

Originally, Brazilians celebrated Father’s Day on the day of St. Joachim, the patron saint of fathers. It’s a day to fill the stomach, where Brazilians hold huge feasts and all-you-can-eat barbecues, boasting skewers of roasted beef, pork, chicken and sausage, in order to celebrate.

India celebrates Father’s Day by expressing gratitude and love for fathers across the country. Children gift cards and flowers to their dads to show their affection. Dining in restaurants, going out for a picnic or movie is another common way of celebrating Father’s Day in India. Several schools and cultural societies organise cultural programs on Father’s Day too. The idea behind them is to inspire children to pay due respect to their dad and take care of them. Fathers are also encouraged to spend quality time with their children and instil in them noble values and manners.

Father’s Day celebrations in USA take place with alot of fun and enthusiasm. The day is observed as a time for family reunion, as children who live away from families take time out to celebrate the day with their father. Indulging dad with breakfast in bed and gifts like cards, flowers, chocolates and neckties is the traditional way of celebrating.

Father’s Day in Canada is not limited to celebrating one’s biological parent. Canadians wish happy Father’s Day to any male figures, friends and family, who are loving, affectionate or influential.

Again, similar to a typical Father’s Day celebration in the USA, South African children present their fathers with gifts such as flowers, cards, neckties and other novelties. People in South Africa often enjoy picnics on Father’s Day or spend the afternoon fishing in hope of securing a catch for dinner. The emphasis of the day is on celebrating the role of fathers in the lives of their children.

The natives of Kathmandu Valley in Nepal honour their fathers on the day of Gokarna Aunsi, which occurs in late August and September, depending on the lunar calendar. It simply means ‘day for looking at father’s face’ and begins on new moon day. On this day it’s traditional to respect fathers that are no longer with their families. Hindus go to the Shiva temple of Gokarnewor Mahadev and Buddhists go to Jan Bahal temple.

In Costa Rica, Father’s Day is celebrated on 19th March, the day of Saint Joseph and the third Sunday of June. In March, the idea is to give tribute to the saint, who gave his name to the capital of the country, San Jose.

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