While Mother’s Day has become a widely celebrated and prominent annual event, the observance of Father’s Day pales in comparison.
This discrepancy in the significance and widespread observance of the two parental holidays can be attributed to varied factors, including biological connections, societal perceptions, and deep-seated cultural biases.
Father’s Day is an annual day celebrated across the world to honour and recognize fathers and father figures. It is typically celebrated on the third Sunday in June, and this year, it falls on 16th June, 2024.
However, the day is often overshadowed by the much more widely celebrated Mother’s Day. Many argue that Father’s equally deserve the noise, drama, celebrations and recognitions as usually witnessed on Mother’s Day. Unfortunately, such desire is yet to materialize.
In this article, I seek to explain, not justify, why I believe the Father’s Day does not come with so much pump and pageantry. In my view, there are seven key reasons for which Father’s Day has not achieved the same level of widespread celebration and prominence as Mother’s Day. Here they are;
- Biological connection
The biological connection that children share with their mothers, occasioned through the umbilical cord during gestation and further reinforced by breastfeeding and physical contact, contributes to a profound, innate bond that children develop for their mothers.
This natural, biological link serves as the foundation for a lasting maternal relationship, which in turn makes the celebration of mothers on Mother’s Day feel more intuitive and widespread.
In contrast, fathers do not inherently share the same level of biological connection with their children. The lack of direct physical and physiological experiences, such as carrying the child in utero or providing nourishment through breastfeeding, deprives fathers of the same natural opportunities to forge an equally strong, biological bond with their offspring.
As a result, the cultural and emotional significance associated with Father’s Day does not enjoy the same level of widespread excitement and observance as Mother’s Day.
This disparity in the biological relationship between children and their mothers versus their fathers has played a significant role in shaping the differing levels of emotional resonance and prominence between the two parental holidays.
The maternal bond, rooted in the shared biological experiences of pregnancy, childbirth, and early childcare, holds a deeper, more instinctive significance in the minds and hearts of both children and society at large.
However, the paternal relationship, while no less important, lacks the same primal, biological foundation, making the emotional impulse to celebrate fathers on Father’s Day a more complex and challenging endeavour.
This inherent difference in the parent-child dynamic has contributed to the uneven observance and prominence of Mother’s Day over Father’s Day across various cultures and communities.
- Men are seen as self-sufficient
The muted nature of Father’s Day celebrations compared to the more boisterous observance of Mother’s Day can be attributed to societal perceptions and gender-based stereotypes about the emotional and psychological needs of men and women.
Fathers and male figures are often viewed as self-sufficient, resilient individuals who do not require the same level of external validation and emotional reinforcement as their female counterparts. There is a prevailing notion that men possess an inherent strength and self-reliance, allowing them to derive a sense of fulfillment and happiness from within, without the need for extensive external praise or recognition.
In contrast, women, and by extension, mothers, are often perceived as requiring more overt display of affection, appreciation, and encouragement from their social environments.
This deep-seated belief that women have a greater need for external validation and emotional support has translated into the more widespread and enthusiastic celebration of Mother’s Day over Father’s Day.
The assumption that men are more self-content and less dependent on external validation has resulted in a muted and understated observance of Father’s Day, as society deems it less necessary to shower the same level of public accolades and celebrations upon fathers.
This gender-based disparity in emotional and psychological needs has become ingrained within the collective psyche, shaping the differing levels of emphasis and enthusiasm surrounding the two parental holidays.
The contrasting approaches to Father’s Day and Mother’s Day celebrations reflect the deep-rooted gender biases and societal perceptions. While both paternal and maternal roles hold immense value, the prevailing notions about male and female emotional needs have contributed to the uneven observance and prominence of these two important parental holidays.
- Celebration is feminine
Traditionally, certain artistic and expressive elements like celebrations, noise, flowers, colours, aesthetics, drama, and poetry have been associated with femininity.
These elements are often seen as more befitting of Mother’s Day celebrations, where they are used extensively to create a memorable and sentimental atmosphere.
In contrast, Father’s Day celebrations tend to lack these traditionally “feminine” trappings. The day is often marked in a more subdued, pragmatic manner, without the same level of sensory indulgence and emotional expression.
This disparity stems from long-standing societal norms and gender stereotypes that have relegated artistic pursuits and emotive displays to the female domain, while positioning masculinity as more stoic and utilitarian.
This imbalance in the way we commemorate motherhood versus fatherhood has contributed to making Mother’s Day a more vibrant, evocative, and ultimately more memorable occasion.
The abundance of floral arrangements, melodic serenades, and poetic tributes elevates the maternal celebration, imbuing it with a sense of heightened significance and sentimentality.
However, Father’s Day may feel comparatively plain or understated, lacking the same level of creative expression and aesthetic flourish. This discrepancy reflects the larger cultural biases and gender-based expectations that have long shaped our understanding of parental roles and the attributes we associate with them.
Addressing this imbalance and recognizing the equal value of both maternal and paternal contributions could lead to more inclusive and meaningful celebrations of parenthood in all its forms.
- Cultural Biases
Throughout history, motherhood has been widely regarded as a more central and sacred role within society, in contrast to the perception of fatherhood.
Many cultures and religions have long revered the maternal figure, recognizing the vital importance of mothers to the family and community. This reverence for motherhood has led to a greater cultural emphasis and focus on honouring and celebrating mothers.
Conversely, the role of fathers has often been viewed as more physical, surface and peripheral, with no deeper connection. Traditionally, fathers have been seen primarily as the breadwinners and disciplinarians, rather than the nurturing, caregiving figures.
This cultural bias has presented a significant challenge in achieving the same level of cultural significance and widespread observance for Father’s Day as is enjoyed by Mother’s Day.
The deeply ingrained perception of motherhood as a more sacred and central role in society has its roots in various historical and cultural factors. Religious and social institutions have long upheld the maternal figure as the cornerstone of the family unit, emphasizing the mother’s role in nurturing, guiding, and providing emotional support to the household. In contrast, the father’s role has often been narrowly defined, primarily centered around providing financial stability and maintaining order within the family.
This cultural bias has created a disparity in the way society recognizes and celebrates the contributions of mothers and fathers. While Father’s Day has gained some recognition, it has struggled to achieve the same level of widespread observance and cultural significance as the more firmly established and revered Mother’s Day.
- Media and Commercial propellers
The media and commercial industries have played a pivotal role in propelling the widespread observance and prominence of Mother’s Day celebrations.
Greeting card companies, flower sale agents and companies, and other consumer-facing businesses have actively promoted and commercialized Mother’s Day as a major annual shopping event. This concerted marketing effort has been instrumental in cementing Mother’s Day as a deeply entrenched institution.
In stark contrast, the commercial marketing and promotional activities surrounding Father’s Day have been significantly more muted. While Father’s Day does generate substantial sales for certain products and services, it has not been subjected to the same level of aggressive commercialization and marketing as its maternal counterpart.
This lack of robust commercial promotion has hindered Father’s Day from achieving the same degree of ubiquity and cultural saturation as Mother’s Day.
The disparity in the commercial approach to these two parental holidays reflects the broader societal biases that have historically favoured the maternal role over the paternal one.
Retailers and marketers have recognized the immense emotional and sentimental appeal of Mother’s Day, and have capitalized on this by cultivating an elaborate consumer culture around the holiday.
In comparison, Father’s Day has received relatively less attention and investment from the commercial sector, limiting its ability to attain the same level of widespread significance.
This imbalance in commercial promotion and marketing has played a significant role in perpetuating the discrepancy between the observance and prominence of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
As consumer culture continues to shape societal norms and expectations, the lack of robust commercial support for Father’s Day has hindered its ability to achieve the same level of ubiquity and cultural saturation as the more heavily promoted Mother’s Day.
- Emotional Connection
Mother’s Day enjoys a profound emotional resonance and connection for many individuals, which has further bolstered its widespread observance and significance.
The maternal bond and the profound importance of mothers are deeply ingrained within human psychology. The feelings of love, gratitude, and appreciation for mothers tend to be more universally experienced and expressed compared to the emotional connection and reverence felt towards fathers.
This stronger sentimental pull helps drive the pervasive observance and celebration of Mother’s Day across various societies and communities. The maternal figure is often imbued with a sacred, revered status, with the role of motherhood being viewed as a cornerstone of family and societal well-being.
This psychological emphasis on the maternal relationship has fostered a powerful emotional impetus for the widespread commemoration of Mother’s Day.
In contrast, the emotional significance associated with Father’s Day, while still meaningful, is not as universally felt or enthusiastically celebrated. The paternal role has historically been perceived as more peripheral or secondary to the maternal one, with fathers often being cast in the roles of breadwinners and disciplinarians rather than primary caregivers and nurturing figures.
- Religious Influences
In some religious traditions, the role of the father has been less emphasized or highlighted compared to the mother. For example, in certain Christian denominations, the Virgin Mary is revered as a sacred maternal figure, while the importance of St. Joseph as a father figure is relatively muted.
Conclusion
I conclude this discussion with the conviction that Mother’s Day is more widely celebrated than Father’s Day for obvious reasons. I have personally observed attempts by fathers, especially in Ghana, to make Father’s Day a bit more prominent, but I readily concede that it will be extremely difficult to achieve the same level of observance as Mother’s Day.
Rather than trying to make Father’s Day celebrations at par with Mother’s Day, I suggest that fathers should instead focus on customizing and owning the day in their own unique way. I recognize that trying to outdo the Mother’s Day celebrations would inadvertently make that the standard by which Father’s Day is measured.
By developing more creative approaches to commemorating Father’s Day, I believe fathers can imbue the day with greater personal meaning and significance. This could involve finding ways to celebrate the day that align more closely with traditional expressions of masculinity, rather than emulating the often more emotive and expressive Mother’s Day festivities.
The underlying premise, from my perspective, is that the discrepancy in observance between the two parental holidays is rooted in deeper societal, emotional and biological factors, not a lack of paternal importance.
Embracing Father’s Day on its own terms, rather than in competition with Mother’s Day, could lead to a more authentic and meaningful celebration of the unique role and contributions of fathers.
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Writer: Daniel Fenyi
The writer is a licensed counselor, professional writer and conference speaker who guides young people through his writings. You can reach him via email [email protected]
