Thank you Father's Day

Tyrol’s retailers can rejoice over 17 million euros

Many fathers in Tyrol can look forward to presents on Sunday

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

It is clearly overshadowed by Mother's Day! Nevertheless, almost half of all families in Tyrol celebrate Father's Day on Sunday. Dad's day of honor keeps the tills ringing and brings in around 17 million euros for local retailers. When it comes to gifts, chocolates and beer are at the top of the list.

Chocolate, fine perfumes or a gift voucher? In case it's not on your radar: Sunday is Father's Day in Austria. Although it is still overshadowed by Mother's Day, it is now celebrated almost everywhere in the world - just not on the same day: in Germany, for example, dads are toasted on Ascension Day, in Italy on St. Joseph's Day on March 19 and in the USA on the third Sunday in June.

(Bild: Adobe Stock)

73 percent give presents to fathers, one in four to their partner
In Tyrol, too, more and more people are celebrating the fathers' day of honor. 48 percent of families will celebrate their dads with a small party. At least that is the result of a survey conducted by KMU Forschung Österreich. Father's Day is therefore also an important shopping occasion for retailers in Tyrol and has kept the tills ringing in the past few days. After all, 34 percent of men and half of women will surprise someone. In 73 percent of cases, the father will receive a gift, while 25 percent will celebrate their partner.

On Father's Day, countless drawings and homemade gifts will be given.

(Bild: Johanna Birbaumer)

Chocolate, beer and perfume are in vogue
People who gave gifts spent an average of around 40 euros. On Mother's Day, the figure was 50 euros. In total, Father's Day generates around 17 million euros for Tyrolean retailers.

Domestic textile crisis as the hour of birth

Like Mother's Day, Father's Day was "invented" in the USA. The initiative came from a woman in 1910 - Sonora Smart Dodd. The daughter of a veteran of the US Civil War, she and her five siblings had lost their mother at an early age. When the young woman sat in a church service to honor mothers, she finally had the idea.

Austria wanted to introduce Father's Day at the end of the 1920s, but it only became established after an advertising campaign by Helmut Herz in 1956. At the time, the domestic textile industry was in crisis and Herz wanted to boost consumption during the summer months with Father's Day.

A year earlier, the Viennese had noticed the drunken festivities on "Father's Day" in Germany in the media coverage and, when drawing up the advertising plans for the coming year, he thought about bringing Father's Day to Austria as a family celebration. To this end, not only was a Father's Day committee set up, but the campaign was also reported on the radio. However, Father's Day was not sold as a "new" festival, but as a family day that was now being celebrated more strongly again.

Incidentally, Helmut Herz was presented with a drawing by his son on the first Father's Day in 1956. From this, the founder developed the idea of organizing a large drawing competition. The children were to draw their father's profession. In the end, almost 80,000 drawings were submitted. He achieved his goal: to bring fathers and their children together!

And what are the Tyroleans' favorite gifts? 52 percent of those surveyed will spoil their dads with sweets. 27 percent prefer beer or spirits. "Perfumes or wine are given as gifts in 18 percent of cases," emphasizes the Chamber of Commerce. Only 11 percent want to score points with something homemade - whether it's handicrafts, cooking or baking ...