More on the globalization of Father's Day

Just received this from Columbia University's Sree Sreenivasan in an emailed update from SAJAForum, a daily news blog by the South Asian Journalists Association:

"It's Father's Day in the U.S., but I am in India right now, where it's not as big a deal. In fact, I didn't even realize it's celebrated at all. But, according to one site (which needs an editor), Father's Day is 'celebrated by millions of people in India.'"

Here's the full description of Father's Day in India from Sree's referenced site:

"The concept of celebrating Father's Day is very new in India. The idea of celebrating Fathers Day has been imported from western countries mainly US, perhaps less than a decade ago. However, it is remarkable to note that the idea of observing a day in honor of fathers has been appreciated by Indians to a large extent. Today, millions of people in India observe Father's Day on the third Sunday of June by expressing gratitude for their father or men who are like father. Father's Day celebration in India takes place in the same way as in UK or US though in a limited way. Awareness about Fathers Day festival is much greater in metropolitan cities and bigger towns due to the greater exposure of people to the western cultures in such places. But thanks to the rigorous advertising campaign launched by card companies and gift sellers the idea of celebrating Father's Day is fast catching on with people in smaller towns and cities of India. Just as in UK and US people in India too, celebrate Father's Day by expressing gratitude and love for Papa. Children gift cards, flowers and other gifts of love to their dad to show their affection. Dining in restaurants or going out for picnic or movie is another common way of celebrating Fathers Day in India. Several schools and cultural societies in India organize cultural programs on Father's Day. The idea behind such programmes is to inspire children to pay due respect to their dad and take care of them. Fathers are also encouraged to spend quality time with their children and instill in them noble values and manners."