by Jo James, a freelance writer based in the UK.

Surveying the vast array of greetings cards on offer for Father's Day, you could be forgiven for thinking that the whole concept of such a day was just another brilliant marketing coup for the big card companies, but rest assured the truth is more comforting.

The long-running survey on the Expat Focus homepage on what expats miss most about home (cast your vote now if you haven't already!) confirms that "Friends and Family" tops the list by a long margin. With Father's Day in the UK fast approaching on Sunday June 20th, we felt it might be interesting to look at Father's Day celebrations across a range of popular expat destinations.

The dates may vary widely, but there is a Father's Day tradition in many countries throughout the world: in Germany it falls on May 20th, Swedes celebrate it in November, "Down Under" in Australia and New Zealand it happens on the first Sunday in September, while Spain, Belgium and Italy have theirs on March 19th.

In Italy, this date is also recognised as the feast of St Joseph. Joseph is the patron saint of fathers (and carpenters) - as Christ's earthly father, he is of course an excellent role model for fathers everywhere. Wooden altars are made to honour the saint and pastries (cuccadati) are prepared as part of the feast.

The third Sunday of June is Father's Day in the UK, France, Holland, the USA and Canada, along with most of Asia. The history of Father's Day dates back to 1909, when Sonora Louisa Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, USA was listening to a sermon about Mother's Day and wondering why there was no corresponding day for fathers. Her own father, William Jackson Smart, a veteran of the Civil War, had devoted his life to raising his children after his wife died in childbirth with their sixth child. Sonora Dodd wanted to honour her father for his loyalty and selflessness, so she decided to lobby the local authorities in Washington to declare an official day to remember fathers for their contribution. She had wanted it to be the first Sunday in June (William's birthday), however the resolution was not passed until the third Sunday of June in 1910. Initially, Father's Day was only recognised within the Washington area, but it gained momentum over time - in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson made a presidential proclamation declaring the third Sunday of June as Father's Day, an occasion to honour and thank fathers and father figures everywhere.