Biologically, everybody has two parents. However (and sadly enough), there are millions of families in which one of the two is not around for various reasons. And although it seems that mothers are the remaining parents in most cases, there are a lot of fathers who deserve appreciation¹ as well!

A BIT OF HISTORY
Fatherhood has been celebrated for centuries though the forms have differed. In Europe the Catholic Church adopted March 19 as the day on which fathers were honoured as it was St. Joseph’s Day. The idea was brought to America with the first settlers too. However, outside the Catholic Church there wasn’t much interest in celebrating fatherhood. There were several attempts to establish the occasion officially, but people felt that mothers deserved thanks more and that Father’s Day was just a ridiculous attempt² to provide some justice for men. What is more, the idea was supported by various businesses from its beginning, so it seemed that this occasion would be a celebration of commerce rather than a serious celebration of fatherhood. It wasn’t until 1972 that Father’s Day was officially recognized as a national holiday in the United States! It is celebrated on the third Sunday in June.

A BIT OF THINKING
Father’s Day should stress unique relationship between a male parent and his children. It is believed that men cannot deal with kids as well as women can. There are several ways fathers could improve.

LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING LIST and number the issues 1 to 5. Number 1 should be the most serious problem with fathers.
-He is just not there.
-He is not interested in his kid’s life and problems.
-He is abusive³ (verbally, physically or sexually).
-He is an addict⁴ (alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc.)
-He is not able to provide⁵ for his family.
Now compare your ideas with the person sitting next to you. Discuss the similarities and differences. Be careful as this topic might be quite sensitive to talk about!

A BIT OF POSITIVE ATTITUDE
Although there are men who fail as fathers, there are still many men who make wonderful father figures for their kids. They are kind, loving and caring. They spend time with their children. They are ready to give up their own comfortable lives to make their kids happy. Some of them raise their kids alone as single parents. These dads deserve special appreciation. Wish your wonderful father a happy Father’s Day then!

Miroslava Dubanová

VOCABULARY: 1 uznanie – uznání; 2 smiešny pokus – směšný pokus; 3 ten, kto zneužíva – ten, kdo zneužívá; 4 závislý; 5 postarať sa – postarat se