Happy Father’s Day: 4 Ideas for Extraordinary Gifts to Baba (Dad)

posted on: Jun 17, 2015

I lived most of my life in the Middle East, where we used to celebrate mother’s day beginning of spring; March 21. We never had a special day to celebrate father’s day, because it was not part of the culture. But recently, after moving to the US, the idea of celebrating Father’s Day became more familiar, and a bigger part of our lives in June.

On Mother’s Day, choosing a gift is easy; I would usually get some flowers with chocolate, a bottle of perfume, or take my mother to dinner. Thinking about a gift for dad was a real challenge, probably because I am not used to the idea of Father’s Day (besides, my father’s birthday is in May, so I would bring him a gift anyways for his birthday, so choosing a second gift becomes a struggle)

So, what do fathers like in general? I usually think of some gifts like a wallet, a tie, a pen, or an electronic device. But in the last few years, and because my dear father is growing old, I thought these things are not satisfying for him anymore. He does not care anymore for those materialistic gifts, but he would rather go with things that are nostalgic and act as a reminder of all the great things he has in life.

Here are the four ideas for such Father’s Day gifts:

1. A Framed Family Photo: when your father grows old, he would like to be reminded always of the great family he has. This family includes his sons, daughters, and their children. Look through your photo albums and pick a family picture that has everyone in it, and put it in a frame. Or you can create a photo collage of pictures for the whole family, put it in a fancy frame, and present it to your father for Father’s Day.
2. The Favorite Dish: What does your father like to eat? Think of the most favourite dish from back home that would awaken senses and bring back old memories. Surprise him for dinner by inviting family and friends, or by simply making a special meal for him and mom.
3. A customized T-shirt: Thanks to technology, nowadays you can create a design and send it online for any shop to print it on a T-shirt. The gift can be a number of other customized items as well, such as the mugs, caps, and notebooks.
4. A Letter of Love: Sometimes all what your dad needs is words of how important he is in your life, and how he helped build this family and grow bigger and bigger. Words will stay forever and create an even stronger bond between you and your father.

Do you have any other ideas that you want to share with us? Send us a message on Facebook or tag us on Twitter, and we will make sure to add your ideas to the list above.

Samya Ayish                                                                                                                                                                                               Contributing Writer                                                                                                                                                                                                 Arab America