Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are days honoring parents, celebrated on various days in many places around the world. According to the SCFT website (Mother’s Day, Online), “the origin of Mother’s Day goes back to the era of ancient Greek and Romans. But the roots of Mother’s day history can also be found in the UK where a mothering Sunday was celebrated much before the festival saw the light of the day in US.” This is very interesting, because this help us understand the roots of Mother’s Day.
Father’s Day is a celebration inaugurated in the early twentieth century to complement Mother’s Day in celebrating
fatherhood and male
parenting, and to honor and commemorate fathers and forefathers. According to the SCFT website (Father’s Day, Online) however, “the celebration of the festival as it is seen today is a recent phenomenon and not even a hundred years old.” On the other hand “the festival of Mother’s day is celebrated across over 100 countries and is a hugely popular affair.”(Mother’s Day, SCFT online)
48 countries celebrate Father’s Day, for example, Argentina, Bangladesh, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, United States, Mexico and so on. On Father’s Day people thank their father’s for their esteemed efforts in bringing them up and caring for them. Father’s Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of June in most countries. However, Father’s Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of September in New Zealand and Australia.
1. In Japan
In Japan, it is common to send carnations on Mother’s Day but there is no custom of doing that in America. However, according to the Mother’s Day history website online 2008, many people do wear carnations on this day and if one is wearing a color carnation, it means that the person’s mother is still living and a white carnation means that the mother is no longer living. Maybe this somehow morphed into Japan’s carnation giving.
To find out what people usually give to their parents on Mother’s and Father’s Days, a survey was given to 20 KGU students. According to the results the following are popular Mother’s Day presents.
No. 1 Flowers. (9 people) On Mother’s Day thought it is common to present the carnations. The language of flowers is red is “Love the true”, Zeal”. White is “Love of purity, “Respect”. But recently flowers are not limited to the carnations, roses and daisies have also come to be presented willingly.
No. 2 Kitchen wear. (5 people) This present is good for housework.
No. 3 Take a trip together. (3 people) This is not to go far, but it is important to enjoy it with one’s mother.
No. 4 Jewelry. (2 people) This present is very good for women.
No. 5 Clothes. (1 person) Clothes are the safest gift, because they are always appreciated.
The following are popular Father’s Day presents.
No. 1 Good alcohol. (8 people) This is such a popular Father’s day gift. Japanese fathers love sake.
No. 2 Clothes.(6 people) Fashionable clothes are pleasurable for fathers.
No. 3 Necktie.(3 people) Necktie is such a popular Father's Day Gift that it has unofficially become the official Father's Day Gift.
No. 4 Pillow.(2 people) It is optimum for fathers who snore loudly.
No. 5 Accessories.(1 person) Accessories that may be given on Father's Day include belts, wallets and portfolio bags.
2. In New Zealand
According to the SCFT website, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in the month of May. This is the same day on which Japan celebrates its Mothers Day. There are 64 countries that celebrate Mother’s Day, including the USA, Australia, Brazil, China, Italy, Cuba, Denmark and so on. On Mother’s Day people of New Zealand thank their mothers for their esteemed efforts in bringing them up and caring for them.
Father’s Day is the First Sunday of September in New Zealand, but in Japan that day is Third Sunday of June. In New Zealand people eat breakfast in bed on some special days. Including father’s Day, you may think it is difficult to eat breakfast in bed, however it is a great luxury pay tribute to fatherhood in general.
According to the SCFT website, It is a way to “ children in New Zealand take advantage of Father’s Day to pamper fathers with handmade cards, flowers and chocolates.” Spending time with father by indulging in joyful activities is another popular way of expressing love and affection for father on Father’s Day in New Zealand.
To find out what people usually give to their parents on Mother’s and Father’s Days, a survey was given to 20 New Zealand’s host brothers or sisters.
According to the survey the following are popular Mother’s day presents.
No. 1 Flowers. (10 people) In New Zealand similarly it is common to present carnations, but in New Zealand of, people also present the daffodils. The yellow of daffodils means beautiful, envy, friendship and so on.
No. 2 Basket. (6 people) This present is important for people who reside in New Zealand, because this country has intermittent rain every day.
No. 3 Perfume. (2 people) Perfume like’s important for foreign women. They love fragrance and treat it very carefully.
No. 4 Jewelry. (2 people) This present is very good for women too.
No. 5 Books. (1 person) Books are a common present. We can see many people reading books.
On Mother’s Day presents of flowers and so on are good, but it is also good to tell the gratitude in words. The day is that we see mother’s pain of daily and expressing “Thank you” for mothers.
The following are popular Father’s Day presents.
No. 1 Necktie. (6 people) Necktie is such a popular Father's Day Gift that it has unofficially become the official Father's Day Gift.
No. 2 Sunglasses. (5 people) This country has a beating sun in the summer.
No. 3 Book. (4 people) Leisure is very important for this country. A book is an optimum present for usual busy fathers.
No. 4 Clothes and accessories. (3 people) These are traditional yet always appreciated. A formal shirt, a casual T-Shirt or a pair of trousers are common clothing gifts. Accessories that may be given on Father's Day include belts, wallets and portfolio bags.
No. 5 Movie or theatre tickets. (2 people) This means tickets for father’s favorite movie with just mom or the whole family included.
3. Conclusion
There was not a big difference between Mother's Day and Father's Day in Japan and New Zealand. I thought that expressing gratitude to parents for feelings is international and common though how to thank was not different. “Father's Day" and "Mother's Day" were as mentioned above born by the movement of one person's mind. These days spread before long on a nationwide scale and we should know this original outline more.
Mother's Day and Father's Day are very important days. It is because children can express gratitude to parents to the utmost by little money and knowing that they will also understands some day. It is a day when the gratitude to parents is expressible.