Writing and Editing Services
  Rosebud Communications
  • Home
  • About
  • Projects
    • Clients
  • Rose's Red Pen Blog
  • A Rose in Oz Blog
  • Photos Down Under
  • Contact

Father's Day

8/30/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
While my friends and family celebrated Father’s Day months ago, I’m doing my gift-shopping now. The United States and the United Kingdom both honor dads in June, but Australia waits until early September. (Australia celebrates Mother’s Day in May like much of the world.) Different sources date the first celebration of Father’s Day in Australia to 1935 or 1936. An article from the Western Herald in 1964 dated the celebration to 1935 and explained that it was now officially designated as the first Sunday in September throughout the Commonwealth.   

Various theories explain why Australia celebrates Father’s Day in September. I call my two favorites the Empty Calendar Theory and the Retail Therapy Theory.

The Empty Calendar Theory

According to this theory, Australia’s spring calendar is too crowded. There’s the long weekend for Easter, ANZAC Day, and the Queen’s Birthday. There’s also Mother’s Day, Labour Day, and May Day.

Dads need their own space, so Australians wait until September to celebrate.

The Retail Therapy Theory

This is the retail version of the Empty Calendar Theory. Retailers prefer their holidays spaced out because consumers need some recovery time after all the spring holidays mentioned above.

Also, when Father’s Day falls in September, it’s at the beginning of spring Down Under. Retailers can market gifts for Dad like camping, fishing, and sporting equipment—all big sellers with the coming of warmer weather.

This year, we decided to embrace the Australian way of celebrating Father’s Day. Next year, my husband promised, he’s lobbying for celebrating both in June AND September.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Rose Ciccarelli is an American writer and editor living in Canberra, Australia.

    Archives

    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018

    Categories

    All
    Daily Life
    Events
    History
    Holidays
    Nature
    People
    Places

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.