On this day, June 20, 2021, marks Father’s Day, a holiday that has been celebrated in the United States since June 19th, 1910. However, it wasn’t until 1972 that Father’s Day became an official national holiday in the U.S., 58 years after Mother’s Day was made official by President Woodrow Wilson.
Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June, which this year is June 20th, a day where dads are celebrated around the country. But it wasn’t always a well-received holiday, so there’s an interesting story behind it! Today, we’ll learn why, plus many a few other facts along the way.
The History of Father’s Day
Mother’s Day became an official holiday in 1914, something that men at the time associated with femininity, so they didn’t think much of it. As mentioned before, President Woodrow Wilson made the holiday official to recognize the mother of America, who he described as a “tender and gentle army.”
Back then, according to historians, men scoffed at the holiday for its sentimentality or they looked at it as a commercial gimmick because gifting flowers and other things were the norm, as it is today. This is important to know so we can understand the context of the times a lot better.
The history of father’s day begins in a West Virginia church on July 5, 1908, where a one-time event took place to honor fathers. A Sunday sermon was given in memory of the 362 men who died in an explosion that took place in the Fairmont Coal Company mines located in Monongah that previous December.
A year later, Sonora Smart Dodd tried to make the equivalent of Mother’s Day for fathers established as a holiday. Why? Because she was raised, along with 6 siblings, by a widower veteran and she wanted to honor him. She spoke to government officials, local churches, shopkeepers, and the YMCA to find support. This lead to the first statewide Father’s Day celebrated in the US, which took place on June 19, 1910.
Slowly but surely, the holiday became more and more accepted, so it spread all over the country. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson honored the holiday and in 1924, President Calvin Coolidge prompted state governments to celebrate the holiday. Today, observing Father’s Day is done on the third Sunday of June every year.
Father’s Day is also a popular holiday in other parts of the world, but it’s not celebrated on the same date as in the US. For example, in European and Latin American countries, Father’s Day is celebrated on St. Joseph’s Day, which is a traditional Catholic holiday held on March 19.
Father’s Day Facts
- Father’s Day was originally mocked and it was the inspiration for a ton of satire in the newspapers and overall.
- President Calvin Coolidge was the first to support the holiday.
- President Lyndon B. Johnson declared the third Sunday of June as Father’s Day through a presidential proclamation.
- The rose is Father’s Day official flower, but it’s not the most common gift. White roses are for fathers who are no longer with us, while red roses represent living fathers.
- Ties are the most popular Father’s Day gift.
- According to Hallmark, over 72 million Father’s Day cards are given each year.
How to Celebrate Father’s Day
Father’s Day is dedicated to fathers and grandfathers all over the nation, and it’s meant to celebrate everything fathers should be. Fathers are providers, advisers, and caregivers in many ways.
They teach and guide their children, so it doesn’t matter if they’re first-time fathers or experienced fathers, you should find a way to let them know how much you appreciate them and spend quality time with them.
There are many different things you can do to celebrate Father’s Day with your dad or granddad. For example, you can encourage them to share their hobby with you and spend some quality time together doing something they love.
You can have a barbecue and invite the entire family for a nice get-together, take your dad out for dinner and drinks, or simply give them a nice gift. Father’s Day has become a very special holiday, so make sure to do something nice for them!
Photo by Juan Pablo Serrano Arenas from Pexels