Today I got an olive tree and had talgiatelle pasta for lunch. What’s wrong with that? For many of you it was just a Monday, and you were all probably working, if you are lucky enough to have a job, but in Spain it was Father’s Day. It was always is on March 19th. Why today and not the same Sunday as the final round of the United States Golf Championship?
Very simple. It’s Saint Joseph’s Day, and that’s the day they choose to honor us fathers in this country. The reason is simple, and I get the feeling I am repeating myself but I’m too lazy to check my old posts: St. Joseph was the father of Jesus, and therefore…
Except that he was really only the foster father, so to speak. So, it’s kind of ironic that the man who apparently had little to do with siring the son of God, but who nonetheless stoically accepted the task of rearing him, should be the man chosen to represent all dads in the country, but I guess there is enough of a relationship there to go with it. Plus he was such a good guy too.
My daughters courageously tackled the daunting challenge of cooking breakfast for me this morning. I suggest you make sure the house is insured against fire before saying ‘yes’ and then sit in the living room and relax. Mostly. They did a great job! They got an A+!
Then it was two gifts you would have to live in a Mediterranean country to appreciate fully: the sweetest olive tree you ever saw and a wonderful gift card to visit the winery of my choice. A terrific day together, lunch out included.
You see, the big winners on this day are the restaurant owners as it is, along with Mother’s Day, one of the biggest days of the years for them. You can rest assured they appreciate parents more than anyone.
Interestingly enough, I read that day is used in the singular form “Father’s” instead of “Fathers’” to make it more personal as well as suggest that you are honoring your father that day and not all fathers of the world. This is reasonable enough because you might not feel that someone like Charles Manson might be as deserving of a steak dinner with his family as other fathers.
This year there was the added bonus of having it fall on a Monday. That means a shorter week. God bless you, Joseph!
Thanks Ana and Clara for the wonderful day! Love you.
