World Day: Father -The Superhero

‘A father is a son’s first hero and a daughter’s first love.’

• Children are emotionally attached more to a mother but fathers provide a feeling of physical, mental and financial security

Tasneem Hossain | Bangladesh

Father and mother, both play a great role in the development of a child. Fathers make great sacrifices but their roles have always remained underrated. They love their children with their hearts but their expressions are different.

Father and mother are two important pillars of a family and children need both of them during their formative years.  Both contribute immensely to the welfare and development of children but, today on Father’s Day, let’s focus on father’s contribution towards the children.

Fathers, like mothers, help in the development of a child’s emotional well-being. An affectionate and supportive father helps greatly in a child’s cognitive and social development; promotes inner growth and strength; instills an overall sense of well-being and self-confidence.

Their contributions start, even before the child comes to this world, just like mothers but in a different way. When mothers are expecting, fathers give mothers mental comfort and all kinds of support to have a safe delivery, which help in the healthy growth and birth of a healthy child.

Though, fathers are no longer the sole providers, they provide financial security for the family. They sacrifice their own needs to fulfill the basic necessities of the children and family. They love them and nourish them with whatever resources they have. They forget about their own comfort. Their priority is their children and the family.

In absence of a mother, fathers put their heart and soul to take care of the baby just as a mother would.

‘A dad is someone who wants to catch you when you fall. Instead he picks you up, brushes you off and lets you try again.’ —Unknown

Fathers may seem rough and tough, but they discipline the child solely with the purpose to prepare the child to cope and handle external dangers like bullying and violence and to succeed in life. They teach their children how to stay calm under stress and how to deal with difficult situations; guide them to be tough and take charge; motivate them to be assertive and give support to recover from disappointments, solve problems and set boundaries. Frankly speaking, children obey rules and boundaries at home set by fathers more, as most of the mothers are soft hearted and they sometimes bend to the children’s whims.

Fathers give children the much-needed direction to become independent adults. Their involvement makes them more likely to excel and succeed in the future. Studies show that children who grow up with their fathers are 39% more likely to excel academically; display better psychological well-being and lower levels of delinquency.

When a child observes the sacrifices and hard work of the father, the child also becomes inspired and makes him the ideal of life. His presence in the family determines a child’s happiness and success, as presence of both parents are required for the child to have a sense of belonging.

A father is a superhero to a child. Sometimes, fathers’ attitudes differ according to the gender of the child.

Father’s influence on their daughters is immense. As fathers shower love, respect and care for the daughters, it teaches daughters how a man should treat them. A girl’s ability to trust and interact with men is also determined by the relationship she has with her father.

For boys, their father is their role model. His values pave the way to their future, his actions inspire their integrity and his patience influences their character. If a father is caring and treats people with respect, the young boy will grow up having empathy, compassion and respect.

Studies show that when a child has a healthy relationship with a father figure, they have improved psychological health, as well as better quality relationships throughout their lives. They are generally more secure and happy in their teenage years; have higher levels of self-esteem and confidence; and develop more stable relationships with other men in their adulthood.

The invaluable influence of fathers on the child’s psychological and physical wellbeing needs full recognition. Unfortunately, eulogizing fathers and Father’s Day is yet to gain popularity, as much, as it deserves.

Father’s Day is a dedicated day to honor and show appreciation for the positive role a father plays on the children’s  and families’ lives. . It’s more than just a tradition – it’s a heartfelt event that celebrates the love, sacrifices, and support fathers provide every day.

Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June every year in celebration for all the fathers around the world. This year, 2025, it falls on 15 June.

Father’s Day was created by two women. Its seeds were sown on July 5, 1908 when a Sunday sermon was organised in West Virginia church in memory of 362 men who had died in 1907 December explosions. The sermon was an outcome of the efforts of Grace Golden Clayton, the daughter of a reverend. While missing her father, who had died in 1896, she wanted to honor the many fathers who had died in the mining accident in U.S. history. Though this service was the first to honor fathers, the idea wasn’t promoted.

Later, in 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd, one of six children raised by a widower, tried to establish an official event identical to ‘Mother’s Day’ for fathers. She started gathering support for the idea and proposed June 5, 1910, as the designated day, the birthday of her father, American Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart. The idea received strong support, but the ministers of Spokane, Washington needed some extra time to prepare sermons on the subject of fathers. Thus, the first Father’s Day was observed on June 19, 1910 (the third Sunday in June), and became an annual event there.

The campaign to celebrate the nation’s fathers did not meet with the same enthusiasm as Mother’s Day, possibly because, as one florist explained, ‘fathers haven’t the same sentimental appeal that mothers have.’

Many men disliked the idea of domesticating manliness with flowers and gifts. They considered it a commercial trick to sell more products, often paid by the fathers themselves. Mother’s Day was officially recognized in 1914 and President Woodrow Wilson called Mother’s Day a way to recognize ‘that tender, gentle army—the mothers of America.’ So, men in the early 1900s considered such a tribute as being unmanly.

Interestingly, during the 1920s and 1930s, a movement arose to abolish Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in favor of a single holiday: Parents’ Day. The idea being that both parents should be loved and respected together.

However, during the Great Depression, sellers tried to commercialize the day to make money during financial hard times. Shopkeepers tried to boost sales for men with gifts such as greeting cards, neckties, hats, socks and other sporting goods.  When World War II started, people began to use Father’s Day as a way to pay respect to American troops.

Father’s Day did not become a national holiday for many years. The first bill was introduced in Congress in 1913. Though, President Woodrow Wilson encouraged the idea, it did not pass.

After long 58 years of official declaration of Mother’s Day, President Richard Nixon signed Proclamation 4127 on May 1, 1972, declaring Father’s Day as a national holiday, to be celebrated annually on the third Sunday. The first official celebration was on June 18, 1972. He wrote on the document, “Let each American make this Father’s Day an occasion for renewal of the love and gratitude we bear to our fathers, increasing and enduring through all the years.’

Though, most of the countries celebrate Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June each year, it’s celebrated, in some different countries on different dates, often based on religious or cultural significance.

In Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, Father’s Day has been popularized by Western influences.

In Catholic countries like Spain, Italy and Portugal, it’s celebrated on March 19th, which is the Feast of St. Joseph who is the patron saint of fathers.

The Taiwanese celebrate the day on August 8 as the Chinese for eight is ‘ba’, while a colloquial word for father is ‘ba-ba’ .

In Thailand, it’s celebrated on former King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s birthday, December 5.

In Australia, it’s held on the first Sunday of September; in Norway, Sweden, and Finland, on the second Sunday in November.

Russia’s Father’s Day began as a military celebration and has evolved into the country’s modern Father’s Day. Because of its military roots, the holiday is called Defender of the Fatherland Day and celebrated on 23 February.

Father’s Day celebrates and honors the importance and value of fatherhood. On this day, we thank fathers and father figures for the sacrifices they make, for embracing the responsibility of nurturing and raising children, and for their devotion to their families. There are countless ways to celebrate Father’s Day 2025. It ca be a relaxing quality time sharing meals with family. Also, activities like fishing and sports, which fathers enjoy, giving personalized gifts, or handmade crafts, personalized video message or video calls are ways to show him appreciation and love. The gifts don’t have to be extravagant, those may be simple given with care and sincerity.  It’s a way to let him know that we love him, respect him for what he has done for us and that he continues to inspire us every day.

Children are emotionally attached more to a mother but fathers provide a feeling of physical, mental and financial security. He is the symbol of love, passion, friendship, affection and security. They are motivators, teachers, protectors and guide. They make their life complete.

We all love our fathers but we sometimes fear them. Fathers may look tough and less emotional but they love you and love being loved.

Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there!

Go tell you father, ‘Father I love you. Thanks for being there for me.’

This article was first published on bddnews24.com, Bangladesh

References:

1. Aldrich, Jennifer, When Is Father’s Day in 2023? Here’s Everything You Need to Know, Country Living, April 23, 2023
2. Father’s Day around the world in 2023, Office Holidays.
3. Scot, Aurelia C. The Forgotten History of Father’s Day, ALMANAC,9 June 2023
4. History. Dot com Editors, Father’s Day 2023, HHistory, May 15 2023

______________

Tasneem Hossain is a multilingual poet, columnist, op-ed and fiction writer, educator, translator, and training consultant. She writes poems in English, Urdu, and Bengali. As an op-ed writer, she has authored over 130 articles. Her articles deal with day to day life events and deals with personal development issues; and creates awareness about social and human rights issues. Several of her articles and poems are utilized as teaching material in universities and academies across various countries; some have been referenced in university research papers by academics. She is author of three poetry collections—Grass in Green, The Pearl Necklace, and Floating Feather and a book of articles ‘Split and Splice’, she also leads an international poetry project and group called Life in Lyrics. Additionally, four more books are currently in progress

Read: Chasing the Northern Lights