Father's Day 2026: Use these unique gift ideas to celebrate your dad even if you are not at home

Distance brings fondness they say Well it also brings sadness on Fatherrsquos Day when you canrsquot see your dad Itrsquos been four years now since I moved away from home Though I always make sure to make it home for Diwali itrsquos these little holidays mdash be it Motherrsquos Day or Fatherrsquos Day mdash that I miss celebrating the mostThis year I want to make this day special for both me and my dad So herersquos a guide on things you can do if you arenrsquot around Papa Bear this year but still want to celebrate this special dayGoing oldschoolDads love pretending like theyrsquore practical men who have no emotions Well thatrsquos a big fat lie Dads are softies who melt quicker than ice Moreover theyrsquore oldschool softies This year write him a letter like they did in his era probably the 1800s lol I know itrsquos been a while since you wrote one but this is the time to use those informal letterwriting skills you learnt in school You can even make a card for him like we did when we were kids Head to your nearest post office and voila Over the years my dad and I have exchanged many letters and we preserve all of them Believe me this one really pulls at their heartstringsA surprise packageThe most basic gift is of course flowers and a cake Last year I was super excited to send these to my dad In the afternoon I got the notification Items delivered I thought my father would call me all excited and thank me for the gift Instead I heard ldquoWhy are you wasting money on flowers They go bad within two days Please learn how to spend your money betterrdquo Sigh Going forward my recommendation would be to send something he might actually use My fatherrsquos a big reader So books it is this yearMovie night inDo you know that feeling when you watch a movie and you think ldquoOh my dad would love thisrdquo but you just canrsquot watch it with him because he isnrsquot there This year when I went to watch Project Hail Mary I cried like a baby My father showed me The Martian 2015 when I was 11 years old Before that he showed me The Terminator 1984 when I was way too young to watch it Though it left me permanently scared of the world ending it also became food for thought for many many conversationsIt was a way for a 42yearold and an 11yearold to have a conversation about how the world works and how it can be saved which are not very popular topics of conversation for 11yearolds And yet he was able to instill very important values in meOver the years we have nurtured a thirst for scifi films which is only relinquished when we watch them together So Irsquove decided that we will watch Project Hail Mary together virtually this year You can pick your favourite and watch it togetherFund a wardrobe interventionThe best Fatherrsquos Day gift Book a flight ticket and go see him Nothing beats that But if thatrsquos not possible herersquos the next best thing let your dad go shopping and pick up the bill Dads somehow wear the same five shirts for a decade and call it fashion Consider this less of a gift and more of a public service A new shirt a pair of trousers maybe even shoes if yoursquore feeling generous He gets new clothes and you get to stop wondering what on earth hersquos wearing these days