Father's Day

Celebrating Father's Day in France

One of the main celebrations of Father’s Day is giving gifts and chocolates to fathers as well as spending the day with them. Children also give their fathers poems written specifically written for Father’s Day and many also give their fathers books. Roses are the symbol for Father’s Day, so many men receive flowers or people place roses on their graves. Red roses mean that the father being celebrated is alive while white roses symbolize that the celebrated father is dead.

Tips for Traveling to France during Father's Day

While traveling, remember the color of roses for Father’s Day because you don’t want to accidentally gift the wrong color. Also be sure to check hours of restaurants and businesses as some may have different hours, but most don’t typically change their hours as they can make a fair bit of money by being open.

History of Father's Day

The traditions and customs known today most likely originated in the United States of America over a hundred years ago. But it wasn’t until 1972 that Father’s Day became an actual holiday in the U.S. to be celebrated on the third Sunday of every June. Father’s Day rapidly expanded into other English-speaking countries and France eventually created their own Father’s Day as well.

Historians say that Father’s Day in France can actually be traced through Catholic traditions as March 19th was called Saint Joseph’s Day (after Joseph, who was the adoptive father of Jesus and the husband of Mary) and was the day that fathers would be honored. This was the only real Father’s Day in France until a salesman named Marcel Quercia came along in 1946. Quercia had a company named “Flaminaire” that mainly dealt with gas lighters. He wanted to promote the gas lighters in France and eventually stumbled on the idea of linking the lighters to fathers as this would make his products seem more essential instead of being novelties. “Flaminaire” ended up founding Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June of 1949 and it gained so much popularity that Father’s Day became official in 1952.