Bring out the Celtic Warrior Side of Dad

Celebrate the patriarch of the family this year with gifts that will bring out his Celtic warrior side. 1. A Celtic warrior was the man. He was fierce and competitive and downright scary on the battlefield. Alexander the Great himself must have been a wee bit intimidated by the Celts he met. Two thousand years ago, the Greek writer Strabo wrote, “The king [Alexander] received them kindly and asked them when drinking what it was that they most feared, thinking they would say himself, but that they replied they feared no one, unless it were that Heaven might fall on them.” Give dad his own flask for drinking and see how quickly he fears only Heaven itself. 2. Celtic warriors were hairy and scary. They often stripped naked in order to further intimidate their enemies. “Very terrifying too were the appearance and the gestures of the naked warriors in front, all in the prime of life, and finely built men, and all in the leading companies richly adorned with gold torques and armlets,” wrote Polybius almost 2,000 years ago. Today's warrior dad might look great naked, but is more likely to want to intimidate with a dapper shirt and a close shave. Go ahead and celebrate that he can feel fierce without stripping down. 3. Celtic warriors knew how to celebrate a victory. The Celts hosted great parties and were known to throw gold and other tributes into the waters of lakes and rivers in order to thank the gods for battlefield wins. Remind your warrior dad that there is always time for a party and always something to celebrate. You might even splurge on a gold tribute just for him. Only remind him not to go crazy and toss it into the river. 4. Celtic warriors loved their kilts. Though fighting naked seemed to have its advantages, later generations of soldiers from the British Isles adopted the versatile and stylish kilt as their uniform. The thick fabric skirts were useful for protection on the battlefield, warmth against the elements, and comfort when used as bedding for the night.

Lucky for today's warrior dad, a kilt is still fashionable, versatile, and just as comfortable when relaxing with some whiskey as when ambushing the enemy.