The UAE is marking Father's Day on Tuesday and, to celebrate the occasion, Google has unveiled its annual Doodle to the Mena region, as Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan also pay homage to dads.
The Doodle is an illustration of a father and child's hands, circling through various skin colours to mark the diversity of Google's reach. They are holding hands, painting together and one shows an elderly hand on a walking stick, with the younger placed on top.
It is the same Doodle that has been used throughout the world over the past few weeks, as various countries celebrate Father's Day on different days.
Information on the illustrator is not being shared but the Google reach is, with a map showing it is visible across the region, from Morocco to Oman.
On May 26, it was visible in Germany, while on June 5 it was seen in Lithuania and Switzerland, and on June 19 it was in the UK, India, parts of Africa and South America, to name a few.
It is similar to the Doodle used on Mother's Day this year, as it showed a rotating series of illustrations of a child and mother's hands in pastel and earthen hues. They hold hands, read braille, wash under a tap and tend to a plant.
Scroll through the gallery below to see more regional Google Doodles
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A Google Doodle celebrating Egyptian actress Karima Mokhtar's 89th birthday. All images: Google -
Egyptian writer Ihsan Abdel Quddous -
Kuwaiti actor and comedian Abdulhussain Abdulredha's 83rd birthday -
UAE National Day 2022 Google Doodle. -
Ousha Al Suwaidi was a poetess from the United Arab Emirates. -
Prof. Hamed Abdel Fattah Goher was an Egyptian oceanographer, scientist and TV presenter. -
Tunisia's Tawhida Ben Cheikh was a pioneer in women's medicine. -
Google Doodle of Egyptian actor and director Nour El-Sherif honours him on what would have been his 75th birthday. -
Google celebrates Syrian-Egyptian composer and actor Farid Al Atrash with a Google Doodle to mark what would have been his 110th birthday. -
Children's author Notaila Rashed is honoured with a special Google Doodle to mark her 86th birthday. -
Egyptian actress, producer, writer and filmmaker Bahiga Hafez was born 112 years ago, on August 4. -
The Google Doodle for January 20, 2020, celebrates Mufidah Abdul Rahman, Egypt's first female lawyer. -
A Google Doodle on June 10, 2019, celebrates Egyptian author Ahmed Khaled Towfik. -
Google Doodle honours Persian mathematician, poet and astronomer Omar Khayyam on what would have been his 971st birthday. -
Mary Mounib was a renowned actress in the Egyptian cinema scene. Her 114th birthday is marked in a Google Doodle on February 11, 2019. -
Egyptian poet Gamila El Alaily is honoured in a Google Doodle on March 20, 2019. -
Syrian artist Louay Kayali is the subject of Google's doodle on January 20, 2019. -
Egyptian-French singer and actress Dalida is honoured on her birthday by Google Doodle, on January 17, 2019. -
Egyptian actress Hind Rostom is celebrated in a Google Doodle on her 87th birthday, on November 12, 2018. -
Ibn Sina, one of the greatest thinkers of Islam's golden age, is honoured on August 7, 2018. -
A Google Doodle honours Saudi musician Talal Maddah on what would have been his 78th birthday, on August 5, 2018. -
A Google Doodle gif marks Egyptian actor Omar Sharif's birthday on April 10, 2018. -
Egyptian poet Farouk Shousha is honoured by Google on what would have been his 82nd birthday, on January 9, 2018. -
Google celebrates Lebanese singer Sabah's 90th birthday on November 10, 2017. -
Egyptian painter Inji Aflatoun's Google Doodle pays homage to her style of bold brushstrokes. -
Google celebrates the birthday of Algerian painter Mohammed Khadda, who was born on March 14, 1930. -
Lebanese singer-songwriter Melham Barakat is honoured by Google on his birthday.
Why is Father's Day celebrated on different dates?
While Father’s Day did not become an official holiday in the US until the 1970s, the first event to honour fathers was held in 1908, organised by Grace Golden Clayton in Fairmont, West Virginia.
Clayton organised a special event for the children of the victims of the 1907 Monongah mining disaster, which killed 361 men, 250 of which were fathers.
However, it was former US president Lyndon Johnson who issued the first presidential proclamation honouring fathers in 1966, declaring the third Sunday in June Father’s Day. Six years later, his successor Richard Nixon established the day as
a national holiday, writing it into US law.
Several countries joined the US in celebrating Father’s Day on the third Sunday of June, including the UK, Canada, Chile, France, Greece, Georgia and India.
While China now celebrates Father’s Day in line with the UK and the US, it was originally held on August 8, as the Mandarin word for eight is “ba”, making the eighth day of the eighth month “ba ba”, which is a term used colloquially in the country for “daddy”.
In Australia, Father’s Day is marked on the first Sunday of September, which coincides with the first Sunday of spring, while in Germany, Father’s Day, or Vatertag, is marked on a Thursday, 40 days after Easter.
In Brazil, Father’s Day is marked on the second Sunday of August, chosen in honour of Saint Joachim, the patron saint of fathers, who according to Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox traditions, was the father of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
In Italy, Bolivia and Croatia, Father’s Day is marked on March 19 to coincide with the Roman Catholic celebration of Saint Joseph’s Day.
Regional Google Doodles
There have been numerous Google Doodles paying homage to people and events in the region over the past few years.
Most recently, the life of doctor Saniya Habboub was celebrated, commemorating her graduation from medical school on June 10, 1931.
Born in 1901 to a Lebanese leather merchant and Turkish mother, Habboub was one of the first female doctors from Lebanon to study medicine abroad, in the US.
When she returned to Beirut she opened her own practice, inspiring other Lebanese girls and women to pursue an education of their own, according to Google's description.
The Doodle could be seen on devices across the Mena region.
Celebrities who have welcomed children via surrogacy — in pictures
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Socialite Paris Hilton and her husband Carter Reum have welcomed a baby boy via surrogacy, she announced in January. AFP -
Actress Rebel Wilson welcomed a daughter, Royce Lillian, via surrogate in November 2022. Getty Images -
'The Tonight Show' host Jimmy Fallon and his wife Nancy Juvonen's daughters Winnie Rose and Frances Cole were born via surrogacy in 2013 and 2014 respectively. Reuters -
Power couple Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are parents to two daughters, Sunday and Faith. While Kidman gave birth to Sunday in 2008, Faith was born via a surrogate in 2011. AFP -
Funnywoman Kristen Wigg and her husband Avi Rothman welcomed twins through surrogacy in December 2021. Getty Images -
Actress Gabrielle Union and NBA star Dwyane Wade had their daughter Kaavia James Union Wade via surrogacy in November 2018. Union has been open about her journey after several pregnancy losses. AFP -
Star couple Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick have three children. Their first was born when Parker was 37. When she was 43, the couple decided to use a surrogate and had twins Marion and Tabitha in 2009. AFP -
Actress Elizabeth Banks and sportswriter and film producer husband Max Handelman have two sons, Felix and Magnus Mitchell, born via surrogacy. AFP -
Actress Ellen Pompeo had her second child, Sienna May, with husband Chris Ivery, via surrogacy in October 2014. They welcomed their third, Eli Christopher, in 2016. He is presumed to have been born via a surrogate, too, according to reports, though the couple have not officially commented on this. AFP -
Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas made headlines by announcing the arrival of their first child through surrogacy on Instagram. AFP -
Model and TV host Tyra Banks and her former partner Erik Asla are parents to son York, who was born in 2016. After years of trying to become pregnant, the couple turned to gestational surrogacy to have a child. AFP
