Father's Day in Austria and Belgium Date in the current year: June 9, 2024

Father's Day was introduced as a similar to Mother's Day holiday. There are different legends about the origin of the holiday, but the one that features Sonora Dodd is the most believable and widespread. It is said that Father's Day was created by Sonora Dodd to honor her father, the veteran of Civil War, who alone reared his six children. Miss Dodd introduced the holiday after Mother's Day received national recognition in the USA. She chose the day of her father's death as the day of the celebration, but at some point the organization and celebration were delayed.

Many countries chose their own dates to celebrate Father's Day. While most countries celebrate it on the third Sunday in June, Austrian and Belgian governments preferred it to be the second Sunday in June. It's not a public holiday, that is why no special events are organized on federal level. At the same time children at schools learn to make handmade gifts for their fathers.