Being born on Father's Day I am bound to honor this holiday at least every seven years by it falling on my birthday. This year it falls on the holiday of Juneteenth, so I thought both of these might be appropriate subjects to talk about. Have a Happy Father's Day all of you dad's out there. Blake4d
Father's Day a Modern Holiday For New And Old Traditions
Do you know the history of Father's Day? Maybe you know something about it, but are you sure that what you know is the truth? Actually there are a lot of questions about Father's Day. Father's Day is not as simple as you think.
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.
It was a day for people to show their appreciation for fathers and father figures. Father figures may include stepfathers, fathers-in-law, guardians, and family friends.
And although not a religious occasion , a number of traditions are prevalent in the countries celebrating the day across the world.
Here are some of the countries where it is celebrated:
It is probable that modern Father's Day as we know it began 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. Yet many Australians observe Father's Day on the also on the first Sunday of September.
December 5th is Father's Day in Thailand. This is the day the present King of Thailand was born and, as the Thais think of him as the Father of the Nation, it's appropriate to celebrate all fathers on this day.
In Canada, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. In recent years, it has become an occasion on which not only biological fathers, but all significant male figures in a child's life are honored.
In England, this day falls on the third Sunday of every June.
But in most of the countries around the world, like USA, UK, India, Canada, China, France, Greece, Japan and even Hong Kong, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June.
Here are some of the most universal and important ways anyone can celebrate Father's Day:
If you are small children at your home, you can make the day even more special, by asking the little ones to sing songs and rhymes for their dad.
Be it a luncheon, lunch or dinner, dining with dad is an important tradition observed by all the people alike, on Father's Day. People may cook food for their father or take them to their favorite restaurant.
Writing letter to their dad is a very old tradition, observed on Father's Day. Email and phone messages are a nice thing even if they medium has changed thru the centuries.
One of the very popular Father's Day traditions is giving gifts, but spending time with the significant man in a family get-together is another popular tradition.
With Father's Day falling close to Midsummer this year, it is a wonderful change to incorporate this spirit of this holiday into the rites of Summer...in Phoenix , Arizona or anywhere around the world. Happy Father's Day.
Juneteenth a Day of Freedom
Juneteenth...it is called.
Many Americans do not know anything about the origins of this holiday.
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, with an effective date of January 1, 1863. Texas was resistant to the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth commemorates June 18 and 19, 1865. June 18 is the day federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take possession of the state and enforce the emancipation of its slaves. When the last of the American slaves were given legal freedom. That day has since become known as Juneteenth, a name derived from a portmanteau of the words June and nineteenth.
June 19, 1865, legend has it Union General Gordon Granger read the contents of 'General Order No. 3' in Galveston, Texas:
" The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere."
Today is recognized as a state holiday in 36 states of the United States.
These are Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and the District of Columbia.
(It is nice to see that Juneteenth is a Phoenix, Arizona holiday, with all the problems we have had with MLK day and other issues in our state over race relations in the last century and current one)
Traditions include an enunciated public reading of the Emancipation Proclamation. The events are celebratory and festive. African American families use this opportunity to retrace their ancestry to the ancestors who were held in bondage for centuries, exchange artifacts, debunk family myths, and stress responsibility and striving to be the best you can be.
Such is the legacy of an American holiday, be you Pagan, Christian, or any other religion. Black, white, red, yellow, or brown...all of us can celebrate the spirit of Juneteenth.
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