It is a day of celebration: the family gathering at the dining table before an array of sumptuous dishes, Dad sitting at the top end of the table, and the rest of the family sitting beside him with smiles of appreciation on their faces. Everything in life is set aside. This is the day of love and respect: when Dad is treated like a king. It is the day for celebrating the greatness and wonders of being a father.

For many years, Father's Day has been celebrated throughout the world from one generation to the next. Our expressions of celebration may differ from one family to another, but it is all the same when it comes down to our father's happiness on this very day. The amount of value each person places in Father's Day may also vary depending our degrees of celebration: just a card for father or a huge party for him. No matter the differences, we all acknowledge it is indeed Father's Day.

The question is: is, in fact, Father's Day -- or any holiday -- truly celebrated, or is it just another day? Commercials, banners and shopping stores all promote Father's Day through their sales and bargains on gifts. They remind us that the holiday is arriving and thus trigger the thought of giving and the question as to how we'll celebrate.

Think about how much we are reminded. Then imagine a world without these promotions to remind us. Do we take this holiday for granted? In fact, picture a world in which there is no set date for Father's Day. Would Father's Day still exist? And if so, how would we know when Father's Day is?

The idea of a world without promotions to remind us of Father's Day or a world simply without a day by that name leads to an answer as to whether or not Father's Day is a holiday or just another day. Often it may seem that it is a holiday everyone celebrates. This is a special day of the year as we stop to appreciate our dads. But does everybody recognize Father's Day?

Another angle of looking at Father's Day as a holiday or just another day is a scenario in which we take out the promotions. Do we value Father's Day so highly that we can remember that it occurs on June 17? Ask yourself is this possible. Would there be a Father's Day in our lives if there weren't a set date for it? If yes, then Father's Day is a holiday to you, and not just any ordinary day.

Contemplate how much respect and appreciation and love you show to your father on a daily basis. Is there a part of your mind that is close to 100 percent certain about the nature of your day-to-day relationship with your father? Do you feel that such a holiday does not need to exist? If so, you may question yourself if Father's Day is a holiday or just another day to you depending on how you feel about your dad. If you are unsure, your answer is that Father's Day is just another day and you might work on understanding and appreciating this day more if you care and value for your father.

Depending on our relationships with our fathers and our acknowledgement and respect for Father's Day, each one of us will have a definite answer as to whether this is a true holiday or simply another day to us. Whatever your answer, the essence of Father's Day is to show our love, respect and appreciation for a very important person, and to celebrate what our fathers have done, how much they mean to us, and the influence they have had on our lives. It is up to each one of us to decide how we want to commend this day we called Father's Day. Whether it is a holiday or just another day to you, Happy Father's Day to all the fathers in the world!