Father’s Day in Australia is celebrated on the first Sunday of September, unlike in the US and UK where it is celebrated on the third Sunday of June.
Gifts of chocolate, socks and other practical gifts or extravagances are commonly given to Dads on Father’s Day. Shouting Dad to a meal out or preparing a meal at home are also common activities on this day.
In many ways, Father’s Day is an American holiday that was first conceived and popularised there during the early twentieth century.
The cynical view of this holiday is that it was promoted in the US for purely commercial reasons along with the modern Mother’s Day which was also being popularised around the same time. It’s easy to have this impression when visiting any shopping centre or grocery store across Australia around this time of year.
However, Father’s Day and Mother’s Day also became socially and commercially successful because they were inherently positive and sensible observances at a time when nuclear families were the norm, and when governments and community leaders in places like the US, UK and Australia were looking for opportunities to encourage wholesome cultural and moral development amongst their populations.
Today, Father’s Day is significantly a consumption-based observance but also a celebration that many families take seriously as an opportunity to let dads know that they are loved and valued.
Is Father's Day a Public Holiday?
Father's Day is not a public holiday. It falls on the first Sunday in September and most businesses follow regular Sunday opening hours in Australia.
What Do People Do?
Many Australians celebrate Father’s Day by showing their appreciation for their fathers or father figures. Acts of appreciation are done in different ways and may include (but are not limited to):.
Handmade or purchased cards.
Presents such as gift baskets, chocolates, clothing, equipment for hobbies, or gift vouchers.
Breakfasts, brunches, lunches, or dinners either at home, at a restaurant, or at a café.
Father’s Day charity activities, such as fun runs or purchasing special gifts, to raise money for causes such as services for the visually impaired or research on prostate cancer.
Some families may prefer to visit places of worship together, like churches, synagogues or mosques.
Some fathers and father figures receive adventures or experiences as Father’s Day gifts. They may include a quad bike adventure, swimming with whale sharks, or abseiling. Some magazines and newspapers choose this time of the year to publish positive Father’s Day stories that focus on the challenges that some men faced and achievements that they made to provide the best for children in Australia. Many of these articles are published both in print and online. Television and radio programs may also have Father’s Day specials during this period.
Public Life.
Father’s Day is not a public holiday in Australia. It falls on a Sunday, which is a day off for many workers so many offices and stores are closed. However, some shopping precincts and stores, as well as restaurants, cafes and entertainment venues, may be busy on Father’s Day, especially in areas where Sunday trading is allowed.
There are some suggestions that the idea of Father's Day may originate in pagan sun worship. Some branches of paganism see the Sun as the father of the universe. Father’s Day in Australia occurs on the first Sunday of September. Father’s Day in some countries is on the third Sunday of June, which is close to the June solstice.
The idea of a special day to honour fathers and celebrate fatherhood was introduced from the United States. A woman called Sonora Smart Dodd was inspired by the American Mother's Day celebrations and planned a day to honour fathers early in the 20th century. The first Father's Day was celebrated in Spokane, Washington on June 19, 1910. Father’s Day has become increasingly popular throughout North America and other parts of the world over the years. Mother’s Day is also celebrated Australia on an annual basis.
Images of fathers or father figures, and the words “Happy Father’s Day” are often seen on marketing material, such as posters, postcards, and advertisements, to promote Father’s Day.
