June is traditionally the time when we wish our fathers, or the fathers of our children, a happy Father's Day. We celebrate the day by showing our thanks to the special men in our lives, and the role they have played in shaping their families. But how did this tradition come to be? Here's a brief guide to the history of Father's Day.
The Origins Of Father's Day
Father's Day originally came about to complement Mother's Day celebrations. There are two popular stories depicting the exact dates when the holiday began.
The first Father's Day was thought to be started in Fairmont, West Virginia, in July 1908. Grace Golden Clayton wanted to start the celebration as a way to remember 210 fathers who lost their lives in the Monongah Mining Disaster at the end of 1907.
However, the more popular story states that Father's Day was first held in June 1910, after Sonora Smart Dodd got the idea when listening to a Mother's Day sermon. She felt that she wanted to give her own father recognition - as well as all other fathers - and the idea of Father's Day was born.
It took a while for the idea to catch on, and Sonora spent a lot of time spreading her idea. She decided on the date of the first Father's Day, June 5, based on her own Father's birthday. However, more preparation was needed and the day wasn't actually celebrated until June 19, 1910.
Despite this enthusiasm and support, many people dismissed the idea of Father's Day when compared to Mother's Day. It wasn't until the 1920s that the idea started to be recognized more widely, though the proposal to make it a formal holiday was dismissed by Congress a number of times.
In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson finally officially proclaimed the third Sunday of June to be Father's Day, which was made permanent in 1972. It became more and more common for people to start wishing their Father's a happy Father's Day after this date!
Father's Day Today
Unlike Mother's Day, Father’s Day does not have its roots in religion. It was simply a day proposed by someone who had eternal gratitude to her father, who had raised her and her siblings since her mother's death. Therefore, celebrations are completely secular traditions.
People tend to follow the standard set by Mother's Day for their fathers. They often make a special effort to visit or call them on the day, and will give a wide range of gifts to honor their father's. It has become just as commercialized as Mother's Day, though on average more gifts are bought and more phone calls are made on Mother's Day than Father's Day.
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