Throughout my lifetime, I’ve experienced Father’s Day in many ways. I’ve lived years with a single mother and the absence of a regular father figure. I’ve had years celebrating the presence of multiple father figures in my life and mourned the loss of a father on a day centred around celebration.
I’ve seen the holiday through many lenses, but never have I questioned the validity of Father’s Day itself, nor pondered the naming convention of the special day for dads.
While Father’s Day was first celebrated in 1910, thanks to the efforts of a Spokane-based woman who was raised by a widower, it wasn’t officially recognized as a national celebration until 1972. Today, Father’s Day is celebrated (in one form or another) in over 70 countries. Unfortunately, the end may be near for the dad-centric day.
Father’s Day was first put into question in the 1920s and 1930s, when a movement arose to dissolve Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in favour of a more inclusive holiday, pushing for a change to “Parent’s Day.”The Great Depression derailed this effort, and advertisers and retailers stepped up their efforts to keep each day.
In recent years, the commercialized holiday has become a dart board for political correctness, and some believe the cynics are taking it too far.
Dr. Scarlet, an Australia-based activist with a doctorate in early childhood studies, pushed for a politically correct plan to rename Father’s Day to “Special Person’s Day” last August, aiming to cater to kids without dads. Her theories were met with mixed reviews.
A U.K. charity pushed to have the day renamed to “Positive Male Role Model’s Day,”refusing to participate in a pro-Father’s Day protest until the name change had been made.
And even here in B.C., a school in Mission issued a note to let parents know their kids would no longer be producing crafts to celebrate Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. The note read: “In an effort to celebrate diversity, inclusivity, and also to nurture our students who are part of non-traditional families, we have decided to encourage those celebrations to take place at home. Due to this, the children will not be making gifts at school to make on Mother’s and Father’s Day. We feel each family knows the best way to celebrate with their own family.”
I’m all for celebrating families of all backgrounds, but I don’t think celebrating fathers devalues the roles of the other important caregivers that grace the lives of children. I don’t believe that anyone celebrates Father’s Day with an agenda to shame same-sex parents or single out the moms who are parenting solo, it’s simply a day to recognize the dads who are making an impact in the lives of so many, or to remember those who have passed.
Perhaps instead, Father’s Day presents an opportunity to have an open discussion about the different types of families that exist, and if people don’t want to recognize the day for dads, they certainly shouldn’t feel any pressure to participate.
Can we please put political correctness aside and give fathers the fanfare they deserve on this one day of the year? Because as with birthday parties, the celebration isn’t about you, it’s about the person being celebrated.
Bianca Bujan is a mom of three, writer, editor and marketing consultant.
