By Jonthan Feldstein
I know, fathers are difficult to buy gifts for. I am guilty too. I feel the pain of people who feel obligated to get the fathers in their lives something meaningful, but default to the often-boring Top Ten things that people get for their fathers.
• Cards – still the #1 purchase for many. Around 60% of people buy a card for dad.
• Food & drink – specialty foods, snacks, coffee, grilling items, chocolates, or favorite treats are also commonly purchased.
• Clothing – shirts, socks, hats, pajamas, and jackets remain very common gifts.
• Gift cards – they’re easy and flexible but not very personal.
• Meals or outings – dinner out, BBQs, brunches, or fun experiences are increasingly popular.
• Personalized gifts – photo gifts, engraved items, custom artwork, are trending upward.
• Grooming products – shaving kits, cologne, skincare, etc. remain common.
• Tools, hobby gear, and gadgets – especially for dads who like grilling, cars, outdoors, or tech.
• Electronics – earbuds, chargers, smart gadgets, and accessories are gifts many dads say they want more often than people buy them.
Among these broad categories there are lots of ideas, including the ability to personalize or give experience-based gifts which continues to grow because people are shifting away from “generic dad gifts” toward gifts connected to memories or hobbies. When I think of these “generic dad gifts” I immediately think well intentioned but terribly uncreative. Do the fathers in your life need a new garment of some sort? Food is nice, but odds are dad is not starving. Gift cards are an electronic version of greeting cards, albeit without paying someone to write generic thoughts that are meant to come across as sincere, but… well, are still generic.
Of course, grooming products subtly suggest that dad just doesn’t have it down. A new cologne is nice, only if he likes it, and actually wears cologne. You get the idea.
I was thinking about Father’s Day and what it really means. What’s the point of honoring our fathers beyond a gift of some sort, a gift card, or a regular card. In the commercialism of the day, I think the meaning gets lost. So I went to the source. The Bible.
The first source is the Ten Commandments. The Fifth Commandment is specific: “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” The original Hebrew word for “honor,” kavod, conveys weightiness, significance, and respect, emphasizing a lifelong responsibility to treat parents with reverence and care. This is part of why my parents never really did Mother’s Day or Father’s Day because our obligation was every day. They probably also didn’t particularly want or need the kind of gifts from the Top Ten list.
Biblically, we honor our parents because we have to. That makes it one of the most important commandments, because God knows that not every parent-child relationship is always paved in gold. But the true sense of honoring someone is reflecting back to them the positive attributes that you feel about them.
Continuing with a Biblical view of how we view our fathers, one word that comes to mind is anointed. So I started to think about what that really means and the Biblical examples, not an overused adjective in common conversation. While there are many examples, the verse that comes to mind that’s perhaps the most descriptive is Samuel pouring a horn of oil, a pint, maybe a liter or more, over a young David, his red hair glistening. “Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord gripped David from that day on.” (1 Samuel 16:13)
This year, Root & Branch has combined the best gift for your anointed father, so he can keep anointing your family. Root & Branch anointing oil is the only anointing oil made of 100% olive oil, from the olives lovingly harvested in Biblical and historic sites throughout Israel by Christian volunteers, and infused with a beautiful blend of Biblical fragrances.
It’s not only a meaningful gift, but one that highlights another important aspect of the Fifth Commandment. Read it carefully. We honor our father and mother, “so that your days may be long in the Land that the Lord your God is giving you.” The Land is the Land of Israel, and the anointing oil is made from olives harvested in the Land. A verse in Ezekiel, 36:8, prophecies that when the Jewish people return to the Land, it will blossom again. This is the fruit of that prophecy, literally.
If we’re lucky, there are many anointed fathers in our lives. Of course our own fathers, biological or adoptive, as well as sometimes stepfathers, grandfathers, fathers in law, and our own children who have become fathers. Pastors and other religious leaders fill the role of spiritual fathers.
This year you can get the fathers in your life a gift that is Biblical, spans centuries, and shows him how much you actually love and respect him. It’s a gift he will love, because the meaning behind it is so powerful. And he will love using it to be a blessing to you and your loved ones. It’s made from 100% pure olive oil infused with a special blend of real biblical fragrances. This is the REAL stuff, just like your father.
When you buy the Root & Branch anointing oil you’ll bless your father, and be blessed yourself, but you’ll also be a blessing to Israel. Proceeds from the anointing oil will go to support programs in Israel that support and encourage soldiers and their families, strengthen and show love to at-risk youth, comfort Holocaust survivors in the final years of their lives, people who have been impacted by years of war, and much more.
For the special father in your life, don’t miss the opportunity to get him his own anointing oil. Or take it up a notch and plant an olive tree in his honor in Israel that will yield fruit for generations, just like your father has done for you. https://shop.rootandbranchisrael.com/products-list
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