On Father’s Day in Germany, which always falls on Ascension Day, men traditionally head out into the fields with a hand cart full of beer and schnapps -- and get drunk.
But now Family Minister Ursula von der Leyen has had enough."I think it is awful. Men who want to be far away from their children are the final straw," the mother of seven told Bunte magazine’s online edition on Wednesday, a day before Father’s Day.
"A father should not be drunk in front of his children ... I am in favour of reinventing Father’s Day as a day when (fathers) enthusiastically play with their children," she said.
Her husband, Heiko von der Leyen, "gets Father’s Day flowers and presents and gets special attention on this day," she said.
The tradition, which is prevalent particularly in eastern Germany, dates back to the end of the 19th century.
Source-AFP
SPH /B
