"Father's Day, in the United States, is a holiday (third Sunday in June) to honor fathers... Although it was originally largely a religious holiday, Father's Day has been commercialized with the sending of greeting cards and the giving of gifts."(History.com).
Pretty much it's a day like Mother's Day- a time to honor a parent, to celebrate father-(or mother-)hood and to recognize fathers' (and mothers') roles in society.
In Germany, however, Father's Day- or Männertag- is something quite different. It's a day of male bonding, complaining about women, and drinking. The children of the fathers are rarely involved unless they are innocent bystanders.
Let's compare a Father's Day in the US to a Father's Day in Germany...
In the US, Father wakes up to special breakfast or breakfast in bed. In Germany, Father sleeps in and wife and children ignore him.
In the US, Father is given the day off from usual chores or participates in special activity- usually with family. In Germany, Father leaves family at noon to wander or ride bike through forest with male friends.
In the US, Father is given presents and cards that say how much he is appreciated. In Germany, Father drinks as much beer as his liver can handle and complains about his family to his male friends.
In the US, Father and family might have a special dinner or spend the evening together. In Germany, Father stumbles home drunk as mother ushers children into the other room.
Anyhow, today I am going to hang out with my dejected women-friends and we'll sit around watching the men who are acting like our husbands, though we've been banned from actually stopping by, calling, or spying on our own husbands from 12pm on. Hopefully I can snap some funny pictures to post later :).
For another take on Männertag, here is an entry in the German wikipedia site:
Father's Day is all in from the north and east Germany by the so-called master batch marked. The participants (traditionally exclusively male - young and old) make this mostly a hike or a common exit, where much alcohol is often consumed (Father's Day tour). This one has more points than traditional common goal or one of touring restaurant to restaurant. When walking, are often handcart handcarts or wheelbarrows carried, the better to be able to transport beverages. For the trips are usually bikes (some with trailers), horse-drawn carriage carriages) or older tractors with trailers used (. The vehicles or cars are here in part on that day and used only for specially modified, such as special bicycle tandems or bikes with more than a dozen seats. Often with the companion lilac and birch branches decorated.
Due to the increased alcohol consumption and often carried out mass events (including, among others social trips, such as barbecue tours, trip to the fishing lake) there are, if you look at the statistics, on Father's Day a lot more fights than usual the other days. According to the Federal Statistical Office , the number of alcohol-related traffic accidents in Christ to three times the average of other days on Ascension and reached a highlight of the year. (de.wikipedia.org)
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