Did you know just as we have Mother’s Day celebration worldwide, we also have Fathers’ Day? There are different stories of how this day came about. As soon as Richard Nixon signed it into American law in 1972, it became a global phenomenon.
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Over 111 countries in the world currently celebrate it. While the majority celebrate it on the third Sunday of June, about six countries have different dates they choose to celebrate it. Fathers’ Day is an observance holiday just like Mothers’ Day. This means we do not officially declare a national public holiday for that day in Nigeria.
Father’s day was set aside as a time to honour the unsung heroes in society. It is the perfect time to celebrate the role of male parenting, i.e. fatherhood, and the role of fathers in society.
Unfortunately, the popularity of Fathers’ Day does not translate into any commercial success as Valentine’s Day or even Mother’s day. This has caused men to claim they are not being appreciated enough. While that is an issue for another day, we want to look into ways of celebrating fathers’ day.
Try any of these ideas:
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Spend Quality Time With Your Dad
No matter how old they are, dads always appreciate it when their kids come back to enjoy their company. Today is the perfect day to spend quality time with your dad. Quality time speaks of making every moment special like doing what you know your father loves. If your dad loves being outdoors, drive him to the waterfall, golf course, or mountain range for a hike.
Give a treat at the Spa or hire a masseuse/masseur to come home and give him a massage. If he loves fishing, take him to the nearest lake or river to your home and go fishing. You can rent a boat and just enjoy the cruise with him. Even if it is NTA network news he enjoys watching, sit with him and share the moment with him. He’ll hardly forget the gesture.
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- Give Your Dad A Food Tour
There is an old African adage, ‘the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’. Take your dad to a posh restaurant and buy him a meal, e.g. Chinese rice with prawn sauce, Lebanese Kibbeh, waffles, eggs and sausage breakfast, etc. If he prefers African dishes, get him a meal from a classy place with tasty Africana dishes.
Buy him that hot goat meat pepper soup he enjoys, or his favourite African meal. Or you can switch it up and get him a meal from another culture which you know will be tasty with a lot of assorted. Get him something to eat that he won’t forget in a hurry.
- Appreciate Your Dad With Words
Men like to form Macho as if saying the words, ‘I love you’ is only for women. Please call your dad today and tell him you love him. Send him an SMS or WhatsApp message, telling him how much he means to you.
If your dad appreciates cards, buy or make a card for him. Let your wife and kids or siblings write something meaningful to him. You can even make a video with any of these video apps with family pictures from memory lane and a song dedicated to fathers. Birthdays aren’t the only days or times to appreciate your Father. Whether you appreciate him verbally, with poetry/written words or graphics, make sure you do it more often than on just this one day.
- Do Something For Your Dad
Fathers have specific chores handed to them by default. Such as cleaning the yard, taking out the trash, fixing the car, etc. On Fathers’ Day, switch up the routine. If you are old enough to drive, take the wheel or get someone to act as his chauffeur for the day. Take up his chores for that day so he can take a nap or relax.
Fatherhood is much more than biology. So if there is a father figure in your life, reach out to him today. If you know your Father’s presence in your life is worth acknowledging, then you should have plans to celebrate him on Fathers’ Day.
From all of us at Connect Nigeria, we wish all the fathers a Happy Fathers’ Day!
Featured Image Source: iStock
Got a suggestion? Contact us: editor@connectnigeria.com
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This article was first published on 20th June 2021
ann
Ann Esievoadje is a freelance writer who is passionate about encouraging a reading culture and personal development. She has authored two books, The Quilt (fiction) and Being Mummy and Me (non-fiction). She manages Pulchra Publishing which offers a content creation/editing, transcription, different forms of writing (including Ghostwriting) service and her blog, Life Love and Anything Goes at annesievoadje.blogspot.com.ng. You can reach her at annesievoadje@gmail.com
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