There seems to be a day for everything these days. Father’s Day, however, has been around for a while. How many of you are aware that an American woman who was raised by a widower started it?
The occasion celebrates the unique and special relationship we have with our fathers, who are also our friends and mentors. Father’s Day is a yearly holiday observed on the third Sunday in June.
Here is everything you need to know about the day’s background and significance as we prepare to commemorate the event:
Who Has Started the Tradition of Father’s Day?
Sonora Smart Dodd’s mother passed away when she was 16 years old. She was born in 1982 in Sebastian County, Arkansas. After their mother passed away, Dodd’s father, William Smart, raised her and her five brothers.
Dodd was troubled that there wasn’t a day to honour her civil war veteran father, who raised her and five younger brothers alone, as she listened to a Mother’s Day lecture at the Central Methodist Church with her father in 1909.
Due to scheduling issues, the first Father’s Day celebration was moved from Dodd’s desired date of June 5 to Sunday, June 19, 1910, according to ABC News. Two National Father’s Day committees were established, one in Virginia in 1921 and one in New York City in 1936, as Dodd’s idea gained popularity across the nation.
Father’s Day was approved by President Woodrow Wilson in 1913, and in 1916, he went to Spokane to participate in the festivities. In 1924, the concept was backed by President Calvin Coolidge as well.
A bill to establish a federally proclaimed day of writing was submitted in 1957 by US Senator Margaret Chase Smith of Maine “Either we honour our mother and father equally, or let’s stop honouring either of them. The worst insult possible is to single out just one of our two parents and leave out the other.”
In 1966, Father’s Day was proclaimed to fall on the third Sunday in June by President Lyndon Johnson. In 1972, President Richard Nixon declared the day to be a yearly national holiday.
What Day Is Father’s Day?
The initial date was June 19, 1910, which also happened to be Sonora Smart Dodd’s father and Civil War hero William Jackson Smart’s birthday. Nonetheless, it falls on the third Sunday in June because it is a national holiday.
Outside of the United States, Father’s Day is celebrated on different dates and in different ways. In many countries, including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, Father’s Day is observed on the third Sunday in June, similar to the United States. In other countries, such as Brazil, Italy, and Spain, Father’s Day is celebrated on March 19, which is the feast day of St. Joseph, the father of Jesus.
How Can We Celebrate Father’s Day?
There are many many ways we can honour our fathers. We can give them thoughtful presents, go with them to see their favourite baseball team, give them a day to spend playing golf, or just buy a note telling them how amazing they are.
Hosting a cookout for all the fathers in the family is another way to commemorate Father’s Day (e.g., brothers, uncles, and grandfathers). To honour the fathers in your community if you don’t have relatives nearby, you could also throw a block party or get together with a select group of close friends who are also fathers.
We often associate sentimentality with moms, but dads really appreciate hearing how much their kids adore them and why they believe their dads are awesome. They enjoy playing the role of the hero who saves the day and improves the lives of their spouse and kids.
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