Father's Day in Belgium (12/06)

In Belgium, Father's Day is celebrated annually on the second Sunday in June.

This holiday began to be celebrated only in the 20th century — in parallel with Mother's Day. The main motive of the day — is to emphasize the role of the father in raising the child and in the formation of a new personality.

There are many theories about the appearance of this holiday. The most common — idea of celebration belongs to American Mrs. Dodd (John V. Dodd), whose father, a Civil War veteran, raised six children alone.

The holiday, according to Mrs. Dodd, was supposed to be a dedication to all fathers. And so it happened. True, instead of June 5 (the day of the death of the enthusiast’s father), the third Sunday of June was approved as the official date of celebration in the United States and a number of other countries. And today is Father's Day — is a good tradition in most countries of the world. Only to honor fathers have many countries established their national days.

In Belgium, various festive, charitable and educational events are held on this day to help single fathers; girls and women give their fathers and other close men in their lives — to grandfathers, uncles, brothers, husbands — small gifts — chocolate, homemade cards, flowers. By the way, the color of the bouquet also matters — it is customary to give red roses if the father is alive, and decorate the grave of a deceased man with white roses.

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