Today, Monday June 22, is the day after Father’s Day in the U.S.
But not everywhere.
There are fathers everywhere, of course, but they are celebrated at different times of the year, if they are celebrated at all.
Spain, Portugal, Italy, Croatia, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Bolivia, Honduras, Angola and Mozambique celebrate Father’s Day on March 19 — St. Joseph’s Day. Reportedly, St. Joseph was an excellent carpenter, but not the biological father of Jesus. That honor goes to Our Father in Heaven.
Yes, even God in Heaven is a father, which means He and I have that in common. Assuming my ex-wife Darlene was telling the truth about our kids.
Certain Nordic countries celebrate fathers on the second Sunday in November.
Over in the UK, Father’s Day fell on the Summer Solstice. So 20,000 people gathered at Stonehenge to watch the sunrise on the longest day of the year.
Some dressed for the occasion.
Whether they also celebrated Father’s Day is not entirely clear. Maybe they were exhausted from all the singing and dancing.
I find it a curious coincidence that today, June 22, is also the day after Summer Solstice. I just think the people who design the annual calendar could have put some space between the two celebrations.
One of my daughters sent me a text message yesterday. “Happy Father’s Day, Pops!”
No one has ever called me “Pops” before. Nor is it likely to happen again, if I have anything to say about it. But it’s the thought that counts. Exactly what that thought might have been, I have no idea.
As some readers of my columns already know, I live with my cat, Roscoe. Roscoe does not celebrate Father’s Day. In fact, he’s typically in a dark mood on Father’s Day.
When Darlene and I picked him out at the animal shelter, the nice lady told us that they could neuter Roscoe for $25. The operation was relatively painless, she assured us, and would make Roscoe a lot less likely to father unwanted kittens in our surrounding neighborhood. He would also be less prone to wandering off to distant neighborhoods in search of temporary romance, should the female cats in our own neighborhood prove frigid.
But that’s not what I wanted to focus on today. Father’s Day and Summer Solstice have both come and gone.
But today, June 22, is National Kissing Day.
Unlike Father’s Day, which focuses mainly past achievements, National Kissing Day looks to the future. Better health, for one thing.
Kimata (2003) reported that 30 minutes of romantic kissing significantly decreased skin wheal responses to Japanese cedar pollen and house dust mite, and reduced plasma levels of neurotrophin-3, neurotrophin-4, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and nerve growth factor. Kimata (2006) later reported that 30 minutes of kissing reduced production of allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) in atopic patients, relative to non-clinical controls.
According the Medicinnet.com, there are at least 16 health benefits to kissing. Reviewing that list, I’m pretty sure they’re talking about “romantic kissing” rather than, say, kissing a lottery ticket for good luck — because one of the listed health benefits is that it burns calories.
Kissing needs to be approached with some seriousness, however, to burn any calories. Or so Medicinenet tells us.
At the bottom of the list, at Numbers 15 and 16:
- Compatibility assessment: Kissing can help you determine physical compatibility with a potential partner.
- Increased sex drive: Kissing is an important part of foreplay, which can increase arousal and make sex a more rewarding experience.
Which, of course, leads us right back to Father’s Day, a year later.
Underrated writer Louis Cannon grew up in the vast American West, although his ex-wife, given the slightest opportunity, will deny that he ever grew up at all. You can read more stories on his Substack account.