Father's Day in Finland
Father's Day is celebrated on different dates worldwide. Father's Day has been officially celebrated in Finland since 1987; the second Sunday in November is the Finnish way of celebrating it.
This day is celebrated in similar ways everywhere. Also, in Finland, it is common to give homemade gifts organized by the school together with kids, buy suitable presents, or do activities to do on Father's Day. It is essential for foreigners living in Finland to learn about rules and regulations on parenting, values, local culture, and history because of the impact it has on our lives.
The history of Father's Day is rooted in the US.
Men who have assumed parenting roles, such as foster-, step-, adoptive, biological, and other father figures who play different roles in our lives, should be honored. Indeed, we know that fathers contribute to family and society. Therefore it makes sense to have Father's Day celebration in the calendar, and it is so wonderful to give significant value to this holiday.
However, it is interesting to know that Father's Day is a holiday inspired by Mother's Day. It was created by an American woman called Sonora Smart Dodd, whose mother died in childbirth. Sonora was raised then by her father; therefore, from her experience, she knew well that fatherhood merits acceptance and acknowledgment. However, it took work to establish Father's Day as a holiday and make it recognized and celebrated as much as Mother's Day, and it rapidly became a popular holiday.
Finally, in 1972 Father's Day was established as a national holiday in the United States and reached worldwide attention.
In Finland, father's day is celebrated in November
Father's day is celebrated worldwide in summer, but in 1940, the Nordic countries, excluding Denmark, decided to move Father's day to the second Sunday in November. This is to set it apart from Mother's Day and boost sales during a much quieter period before the Christmas holidays.
Father's Day became an official public holiday and flag day in Finland in 2019.
Why dads in Finland are amazing
Did you know that fathers in Finland enjoy a parental allowance and parental leave? This depends if your child is born under the old or new act, which entered into force on August 1, 2022. You will find dads in playgrounds playing with kids, cooking for the whole family, and pushing strollers from one place to another. Finland is said to be one of the few countries whose fathers spend more time with their school-aged children than mothers. Finland is the second most equal country, according to the Global Gender Gap report 2022.
Happy father's Day celebration
It is certainly nice to see that Father's Day has been created in history and given attention as well as Mother's Day celebration.
So, let us keep this opportunity a joyful time to spend with family, father, mother, kids, and possibly friends. The best gift we could give each other is love and respect for every family member's hard work, including beloved fathers who have a unique role in what they provide for families to have a more comfortable life.
"To be the father of a nation is a great honour, but to be the father of a family is a greater joy." - Nelson Mandela