Events & Celebrations – June 21st
June 21st, 2009
Father’s Day Celebrations Around the World
No one who loves one’s father immensely and selflessly, would let Fathers Day go by, without grabbing the opportunity on this day to let the special person know, ‘how much he is cared for, loved and needed’. This is the very reason why, Fathers Day celebrations have gained immense popularity across the globe, and it is fast catching up with Valentine’s Day and Halloween. However, though it is by now a global festival, interestingly enough, Fathers Day across the globe is celebrated at different times of the year in different countries.
Fathers Day is celebrated in more than fifty countries all over the world on nineteen different days of the year. While the Fathers Day celebrations take place in Germany on Ascension Day, it is celebrated on the last Sunday of September in Australia and New Zealand. Austria, Ecuador, Belgium usually celebrates Fathers Day on the second Sunday of June. The second Sunday of August brings Fathers Day for Brazil and the second Sunday of July is Fathers Day in Uruguay.
However, the one day most widely chosen by most number of people for expressing their love for daddy dearest remains the third Sunday of June. Among these countries are USA, Switzerland, France, UK, Greece, India, Argentina, Cuba, Malaysia, and more. In Australia and New Zealand, Father Day will be celebrated on the first Sunday of the month of September.
To commemorate, honor and show love and respect to the person who means the most to us and who selflessly cared for our happiness and wellness, there need not be any specific date or an hour to say how important he is, but at the same time, a specific date certainly highlights the point of concern and gives us a special opportunity to make him feel special as he makes ‘us’ feel every single moment.
Although the days that are celebrated as Fathers Day across the globe are far too many in number, interestingly and understandably enough, the Father’s Day celebrations are celebrated largely on Sundays since fathers generally have employers or employees to take care of and therefore the best day to shower him with gifts is the day on which he doesn’t work.
If you still have not decided upon the celebrations, you must remember that it is just round the corner. Thinking of what to give? No matter which part of the world you are residing in, you can always present him with a bag of goodies or other material possessions, but a tight hug and a sweet kiss to tell him “you are there for him”, will surely make his day and make you feel more proud of having “The Best” father in the world. So be a part of the Fathers Day celebrations across the globe this year and take your dad on cloud 9.
National Aboriginal Day
National Aboriginal Day or First Nations Day (also known as the National Aboriginal Day of Prayer) is celebrated each year on 21st June, which is also usually the date of the Summer Solstice (not without significance to the indigenous peoples).
The day is about celebrating the gifts of indigenous people and giving thanks to God who has created the diversities of peoples of the world, and gifted Aboriginal peoples of Canada with many treasures of wisdom, spirit and vision.
It is a very new celebration, being inaugurated in 1996. It is celebrated across Canada in all churches. It is also the first of four “Celebrate Canada” days which take place in the space of 11 days, culminating in Canada Day on 1st July.
First Nations is a term used in Canada (and to some extent in the US) to describe the indigenous people of North America who are neither Metis nor Inuit in origin, and their descendants. Collectively, the Metis, Inuit and First Nation people are known as Aboriginal, First or Indigenous peoples, nations or bands.
First Nation people have been referred to by many other names including First Canadians, Native Americans, Indians, Aboriginal Americans, Native Canadians, Autochthones (a French-Canadian word) and Amerindians. Officially, if they are entitled to benefits under the Indian Act, the Canadian Government refers to them as Registered Indians.
Nearly all of the terms and names detailed above are controversial within some elements of the communities they are meant to embrace.
There remains much political and economic debate relating to the treatment of indigenous peoples within Canada, historically and through to this day.
Much has and is being done to rectify wrongs of the past and to establish fair and equitable solutions to long standing grievances.
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