Lehtikuva - Martti kainulainen

While there remains some commercial aspects to Father’s Day in Finland, gift-hunting is much less emphasised than in many other countries.

ACROSS Finland fathers will be wondering what colour tie they will be getting this year. This is because this coming Sunday, 8 November, is Isänpäivä or Fars Dag, Father’s Day in Finland. Ideally he is treated with breakfast in bed, small gifts (such as the semi-traditional tie) and a meal with family.

Father’s Day dates back to America in the early years of the twentieth century, where various cities promoted it as a way to honour fathers, much as the existing Mother’s Day honoured mothers. As early as 1913 the American Congress debated a bill to create a Father’s Day holiday.

Although originally a local affair, various commercial associations such as the Associated Men’s Wear Retailers sought to promote the holiday nationally as a way to increase sales. In fact, in many nations such as the English-speaking Canada, United Kingdom and United States the holiday is in June, as far away from the commercially fruitful season of Christmas as possible.

Other nations soon followed suit. Sweden began promoting the idea in the middle of the twentieth century and the idea caught on across much of the Nordic region. Today Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden all celebrate Father’s Day on the second Sunday of November.

While there remains some commercial aspects to Father’s Day in Finland, gift-buying is much less emphasised than in English-speaking nations. Some enterprising retailers have Father’s Day sales, but the push to shop for the perfect gift is much less apparent in Finland than in many other countries.

Young children in kindergarten are encouraged to make their fathers cards and perhaps small gifts. Cars and sports are favourite motifs. Also many kindergartens invite fathers to drop off their kids early on the Friday before Father’s Day in order to enjoy some coffee and eat breakfast with the kids.

To further drive home the fact that Father’s Day is not an exclusively commercial holiday, stores will be closed this Sunday even though Finland is now on the winter shopping schedule. It is also an official flag day, so expect to see the flag of Finland waving.

David J. Cord - HT