Husband Appreciation Day is a holiday that allows people to show their husbands the love and appreciation they deserve. We like to think of it as a cross between National Boyfriend Day and Father’s Day. This day is dedicated to the men who show up for their spouses every day of the year.

Also known as National Husband Day, this holiday is observed on April 15th every year, and it’s the perfect day for husbands and wives to share a little bit of romantic alone time. Although this holiday isn’t as well-known as it should be, it has been growing in popularity over the past few years.

The History of Husband Appreciation Day

Try as we might, we couldn’t uncover the origins of this holiday. It appears to have spontaneously appeared on a website one day and then slowly propagated across the Internet. What we do know is that it’s been around for quite a few years now and is slowly gaining in popularity.

Since we can’t delve into the history of Husband Appreciation Day, we suppose that we’re going to have to turn our attention to the history of marriage. Let’s get to it. The term husband comes from the Middle English word “husband,” which means “householder” or “to dwell.”

Historically, the term husband has been used to refer to the male in a heterosexual marriage, but in same-sex marriages between males, each spouse can be referred to as a husband. Before the modern age, the husband in a heterosexual union was obliged to not only protect his wife and children but also support them.

As such, the husband was often granted a great deal of authority by society in the relationship, which was significantly greater than the amount of authority the wife possessed. The main goal of marriages from ancient times through the Middle Ages was to allow families to form alliances with one another.

People didn’t get married because they were in love, but because it was a convenient business proposition for the families. It was a way for people to leverage their economic resources and improve their standing in society. The concept of romantic love wouldn’t become a reality until the Middle Ages.

Over the years, the concept of love and marriage would become inseparable and would become the norm in Western civilization. Today, the status between two partners in a marriage is equal. Neither a husband nor a wife has more of an advantage over their partner.

In civil marriages, the partner who is perceived to have an economic advantage is usually deemed to provide alimony to their former spouse in the event of a separation or divorce. Modern marriage also conveys a special legal status to each spouse. According to this status, one spouse can speak on behalf of the other if their partner is incapacitated.

Of course, many different forms of marriage exist all around the world. There are common-law marriages, arranged marriages, and same-sex marriages. There is also polyandry (women with more than one husband) and polygamy (spouses having more than one partner).

In each of these forms of marriage, though, there’s at least one partner who assumes the role of husband. And it’s that person who is celebrated on this holiday, which means that it can be observed in a number of different ways.

Observing Husband Appreciation Day

Spouses who want to celebrate their husbands can do so in any number of different ways. They can tell them how they feel, they can plan an intimate meal, or they can take him out on the town for a good time. Another way for spouses to celebrate Husband Appreciation Day is by making him a card or buying him a gift that celebrates their love.

And the gesture doesn’t have to be grand. Even a perfectly worded poem is a great way to celebrate this day. To spread the word about this holiday, everyone can take the time to use the hashtag #HusbandAppreciationDay on social media.