More romantic than Father’s Day with less pressure than Valentine’s Day, Husband Appreciation Day is observed on the third Saturday in April. We love this little known holiday dedicated to the men in our lives who show up for us in bold and subtle ways every day of the year. It’s fun-loving spirit gives us lucky spouses an opportunity to be creative and thoughtful in how we show our appreciation to our partners.
Every day they’re out there, caring for their families in a million different ways. Things have changed over the years, and Husband’s roles have changed with it. What hasn’t changed is the appreciation they deserve for all their tireless efforts. Husband Appreciation Day reminds us to take a little time each year to celebrate these wonderful men and everything they do.
For as long as there have been wives, there have been husbands, and these two companions have worked together to maintain their families and homes. Of course, the role of husbands in families has changed over the years, but they aren’t any less (or more!) worthy of that appreciation!
Traditionally, if such a thing can be said to exist, husbands were the bread winners of the family, going out to work each day to bring in the money needed to support their families.
Looking back even further the husband was the hunter of the hunter-gatherer set, so bringing home the bacon was even more literal than it was when it merely referred to the money they earned to buy the bacon!
Now, anyone who lives in today’s world (that’s all of us) knows that the reality of the single-earner family is no longer true to our day to day existence. Instead, it is typical that both partners work, (or more partners in poly relationships), or in some cases it’s the wife that is the bread-winner, bringing about the term ‘house-husband’ for the stay at home male partner.
The most important role of a husband isn’t the money they bring in or even the work they do taking care of the home in the case of a house-husband. But the love and support they give to their partners. This emotional element is so much more important than anything else they do, and they are as tireless in this as in all other things.
There’s a ton of ways to celebrate the man in your life, from the simple love note hidden in their lunch or left somewhere where they’ll find it throughout their day.
You can plan a special dinner, or get them that special thing they’ve been denying themselves to make sure the families needs are met. Whatever you do, just be sure to let the man in your life know how much they mean to you, and how much you value everything they do every day.
Since the earliest recordings of marriage, husbands, across many cultural and religious traditions, have been established as the protectors and providers of their wives and families.
Certain religious traditions believe it is the husband’s role to provide physical or even spiritual protection to their wives. Such protection can extend to one wife for a lifetime or multiple wives at once. The role of husband has traditionally been one of honor with the man leading the household in financial and other family planning decisions.
Major culture shifts over the past three decades have changed how many of us see, feel, and practice marriage. Many marriages are seeing more equality between husbands and their wives with husbands taking on more domestic tasks like cooking, cleaning, and child care while wives take on full time jobs and bring in as much, if not more money than their husbands. Other couples have abandoned gender roles completely as new norms of secularism, spirituality, same sex marriage, and gender nonspecific identities become more interwoven into our cultural fabric. Through our ever evolving history one thing remains true: we love our hubbies.
Aside from some of the ideas above, you can also show your husband appreciation by:
– Giving him a compliment
– Encouraging the kids to write notes or make cards for him
– Cook his favorite meal
– Give him a day or night out with the guys
Yes! Wife Appreciation Day is the third Sunday in September. It has similar traditions to Husband Appreciation Day.
There are a lot of ways to show your husband appreciation. While a thoughtful gift is nice purchasing something isn’t necessary. For some of us quality time or loving words are just as, if not more, important. For this holiday it really is the thought that counts.
The word husband has Old English and Old Norse roots from the Middle Ages roughly translating to “a householder”.
In the early ages of marriage, husbands were expected to protect not only their wives and children, but the servants and livestock of their homes as well.
While most Western cultures have adopted the wedding ring as a symbol for marital status, husbands around the world have different markers - like beards for the Amish or a tallit of the Jewish faith - to show they are taken; and some, like Muslim husbands, are likely to not have any adornments at all.
An uncommon practice once depicted in a work by French novelist François Billetdoux, husband selling is when a wife sells her husband to another woman; thereby solidifying her divorce from him and his new marriage.
While the practice of polygamy, one husband having more than one wife, can be seen in more than 400 societies around the world (monogamy is only seen in 186), polyandry, the practice of a wife having more than one husband, is far less common and seen in a little more than 50 societies world wide.
Fill a basket, box or other fun container with some of his favorite things. Get creative and give it some thought. Some of his favorite throwback candy from when he was a kid, tickets to watch his favorite sports team, and an assortment of his favorite craft beers is a great place to start.
Offer to join him in one of his favorite hobbies or pastimes. Even if it isn't really your thing. It will make him feel good knowing his partner is taking an interest in something that means so much to him. If you and your hubby love all the same things then it’s a perfect time to try something new. Take an outdoor hike, try that new restaurant you’ve been talking about, go to an escape room, or throw some axes at a range.
Sensual touch isn’t just for the bedroom and you don’t have to go “all the way” to send the message to your spouse that you’re grateful for all he is and all he offers. Work in some extra hand holding, cuddles, kisses, even smiles and long gazes in his direction, as you move about your normal day. After all 80% of communication is nonverbal. So use what you’ve got to make it loud and clear you choosing him was one of the best choices you’ve ever made.
Every culture has a slightly different take on the role of marriage and the responsibilities of a husband. We love looking back at all these traditions and finding the commonalities of love, family, and unity at the heart of them.
While our love for our husbands is felt everyday (for the most part) we don’t always have the opportunity to demonstrate that love in fun and creative ways. On this day we get to express our love in a unique way, and give our man the extra attention he deserves.
It can be nice to reminisce on all the plot twists that brought us to our marriage. We particularly love reliving some of our favorite memories cuddling with our husbands on the couch while looking at old photos.
