5 Thoughtful Father’s Day Gift Ideas

It is time again to honor our Fathers, this Sunday, June 20th, 2010. Mother’s Day was originated before Father’s Day which was inaugurated in the early 20th century and thought to be first celebrated on June 19th, 1910. Over 55 countries celebrate Father’s Day on different days of the year with gift giving and special ceremonies.

The United States celebrates Father’s Day on the third Sunday every June. This year celebrate “dad” with one or all of these thoughtful gift ideas that will tug at his heart strings and put a smile on his face.

1. Get dad a website. While this may seem like an oddball approach your dad may either need a website or have wanted one to launch a brilliant idea he’s saved for years. Even if your dad is not that tech savvy, he will appreciate the practicality of your gift. There’s many website solutions, but try a content management system because it will be easy for you to learn or have set up, and maybe even dad can learn too. A good place to start would be to find a domain name (www.?.com), try  godaddy.com and to develop the content management system start with WordPress.org.

2. Progressive dinner among relatives. If you have a large or even small family close by, a progressive dinner can be a great way to share a special day celebrating dad. A progressive dinner starts with the appetizer at one family members house, the entrée at another’s and finally dessert at the third home. By rotating to several homes to enjoy your meal you’ll get to catch up with the whole family. Try having close family members of dad ride in different vehicles every time you change destinations– it’ll make for a memorable day. Remember, have the food prepared in advance so no one is stuck in the kitchen!

3. If you’re not near dad this Father’s Day you can still show him how much you appreciate the love and support he’s given over the years. Instead of an ‘extra nice’ $4.99 greeting card get an empty card and write about some of your favorite memories together. Include pictures that commemorate the good times or send recent pictures of one of his favorite people– you!

4. Get him something that will be relaxing and uplifting like a one hour massage. A massage is a perfect way for dad to work off the stresses at the office and relieve tension or back pain. If you can splurge on dad this year pick a nice resort for his one hour massage and include a round of golf. Dad will definitely be at his prime after he’s relaxed with a massage and had a killer day on the green.

5. No no, not another tie– how about a nice shirt! Dad probably is less likely to go to one of the trendier clothing stores and spend bucks on a new shirt. Surprise dad by choosing something hip that still reflects his style that he will feel comfortable in. Even though dads don’t always let you know, they too feel good when they looking their best. Get dad a couple shirts or even make an outfit for a trendy treat, he’ll definitely think of you every time he puts it on. You can never go wrong with Burberry or Polo anything.

No matter what you give dad on Father’s Day most dads would probably agree that the time and thought is definitely enough appreciation. Just show dad that you care and make Sunday about him, because you know he probably made many of his years all about you. “My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.” – Jim Valvano

Photo from ‘Cobre Libre’ via Flickr