Father's Day Around the World

It’s likely that you’re familiar with the Father’s Day celebrations in your own country, but what about Father’s Day around the world? In this blog post, we will find out if Father’s Day is a worldwide event, how many countries celebrate and when Father's Day is held in different countries. We’ve also included a helpful table where you can search for Father’s Day dates in countries all over the world. 

Read on for all you need to know about Father’s Day celebrations around the world.

Is Father’s Day a worldwide thing?

Father’s Day is a relatively recent invention, the origins of Father’s Day dating back to the USA in the early 1900s, but despite having a history of little over 100 years and only becoming official in the 1970s, the celebrations have spread worldwide.

Father’s Day is marked in many countries and continents. Some countries have created their own national traditions, but most follow suit with the USA and treat their dads and grandads with Father’s Day gifts and greeting cards.

How many countries recognise Father’s Day?

Father’s Day is currently celebrated in over 110 countries worldwide at different points throughout the year. There is not one internationally agreed date that Father’s Day is celebrated on; it varies from country to country, as we will explore in our complete guide below. However, June is the most popular month to hold Father’s Day celebrations with the majority being on the third Sunday in June, the same as in its founding country, the USA.

Is Father’s Day in Europe?

Father’s Day is widely celebrated across Europe, and it was actually in Roman Catholic Europe that the first celebrations of fatherhood began in the 1500s. To this day, in many European Catholic countries such as Spain, Italy, and Portugal, Father’s Day is celebrated on 19th March, St. Joseph’s Day in the Catholic calendar. St. Joseph was the husband of the Virgin Mary and foster father of Jesus Christ; he is therefore recognised as the patron saint of fathers.

Many European countries, including the United Kingdom, hold Father’s Day on the same day as the USA, but the dates vary throughout Europe. For example, many Scandinavian countries, such as Sweden, Finland, and Norway, celebrate Father’s Day on the second Sunday in November in an attempt to boost the economy in an otherwise quiet spending month. In Germany, Father’s Day is tied in with Ascension Day, celebrated on the 40th Day of Easter.

Which countries don’t celebrate Father’s Day in June?

As mentioned earlier, June is the most common month when Father’s Day is celebrated, but not every country holds it in June. We have already discussed that many European countries celebrate Father’s Day in either March (in Catholic countries) or November (in Scandinavian countries).

In some countries in the Southern hemisphere, such as Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji, Father’s Day is held on the first Sunday in September. This is thought to evenly space it from Mother’s Day celebrations in May and also because Australia and neighbouring countries already hold a number of other national celebrations in the first half of the year.

Some other countries have traditions of their own; for example, in Bulgaria, Father’s Day is held on the 26th of December (more commonly Boxing Day) because, in the Bulgarian Orthodox church, the 26th of December is also St. Joseph’s Day, the patron saint of fathers. In Taiwan, Father’s Day is celebrated on the 8th of August. This is because in Mandarin Chinese the pronunciation of the number eight is bā, which is very similar to the word for dad: bà. Therefore the eighth day of the eighth month (8th August) would be pronounced bā-bā and is a pun for daddy or papa!

When is Father's Day celebrated around the world?