Fathers day origins
Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2020 10:11 am
As with so many customs, the roots of lots of special days have been sort of lost in time. KB's post about solstice and all brought back thoughts of some stuff I had researched a while back.
Fathers day came from our agrarian roots, and developed in several cultures, one of them being the ancient Celts that populated so much of Europe. And yes, the cultures that built Stone Henge celebrated a day for dads and danced around the Maple Pole and slew a dragon or two each year. (Dragons died out because of Saint George and his ilk getting carried away, along with the paucity of princesses, their main food source.)
The tradition came strongly to the new world. Maple pole dancing traditions came over with the pioneers, and thats why we have a male leaf on our flag, but most Canadians dont know this, the meaning has mostly been lost.
I digress, but back to fathers day origins. It was always a day for the kids and mom to celebrate father. The reason for this celebration, coming in mid to late June was that this was haying season. Without putting up hay, the family could starve the next winter, there not being enough hay to feed the milk dragon. (Just like our beef and dairy animals, they had different sorts of dragons, some domesticated. The army even trained some to breathe fire at the enemy. They were called dragoons.)
The original name was Fodders Day. And the reason everyone else celebrated it was because the old man was out in the field sweating his bag off putting up hay. Hay is also anciently known as fodder. And when the old man was putting it up, the kids and mom didnt have to, hence a celebration was had.
The real story and the name fodders day have been lost in the mirky flow of time. It is now called Fathers Day, and the old man is out mowing the lawn in commemoration, even thought most dont know the connection. And the kids and mom lay about as in ancient times.
Happy Fodders Day 2020.
Fathers day came from our agrarian roots, and developed in several cultures, one of them being the ancient Celts that populated so much of Europe. And yes, the cultures that built Stone Henge celebrated a day for dads and danced around the Maple Pole and slew a dragon or two each year. (Dragons died out because of Saint George and his ilk getting carried away, along with the paucity of princesses, their main food source.)
The tradition came strongly to the new world. Maple pole dancing traditions came over with the pioneers, and thats why we have a male leaf on our flag, but most Canadians dont know this, the meaning has mostly been lost.
I digress, but back to fathers day origins. It was always a day for the kids and mom to celebrate father. The reason for this celebration, coming in mid to late June was that this was haying season. Without putting up hay, the family could starve the next winter, there not being enough hay to feed the milk dragon. (Just like our beef and dairy animals, they had different sorts of dragons, some domesticated. The army even trained some to breathe fire at the enemy. They were called dragoons.)
The original name was Fodders Day. And the reason everyone else celebrated it was because the old man was out in the field sweating his bag off putting up hay. Hay is also anciently known as fodder. And when the old man was putting it up, the kids and mom didnt have to, hence a celebration was had.
The real story and the name fodders day have been lost in the mirky flow of time. It is now called Fathers Day, and the old man is out mowing the lawn in commemoration, even thought most dont know the connection. And the kids and mom lay about as in ancient times.
Happy Fodders Day 2020.
I'm so glad you told us, now I know the truth about fodders day!