Father's Day: A Blast from the Past

As we celebrate Father's Day, we will examine the history of Father's Day today. Unfortunately, retailers and marketers have distorted the original meaning of Father's Day to make a quick buck. It's as if father's day is now about selling chili pepper ties and shop vacuums instead of honoring him. Our understanding of why Father's Day was created will help us honor and celebrate our fathers better.

The History of Father's Day in the United States

In the past, there have been two stories about the first Father's Day. According to some accounts, the first Father's Day was celebrated in Washington state on June 19, 1910. The idea to honor and celebrate her father came from a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd, who invented it while listening to a sermon at church on Mother's Day in 1909. Her opinion was that mothers were getting all the recognition, whereas fathers deserved equal praise (She would probably be dismayed that Mother's Day still gets most of the attention).

Sonora's father was quite a man. During the birth of his sixth child, William Smart, a veteran of the Civil War, was left a widower. He raised the six children on their small farm in Washington. She believed that there should be a day to celebrate and honor him and other fathers like him since all that William did for her and her siblings, Sonora thought there should be a day to honor him and other fathers. She initially suggested June 5, the anniversary of her father's death, to be the designated day to celebrate Father's Day. However, Spokane, Washington, was rescheduled for the third Sunday in June due to poor planning.

On July 5, 1908, Fairmont, West Virginia, celebrated the first Father's Day in America. Following a mine explosion that killed 361 men, Grace Golden Clayton suggested to the local Methodist minister that they hold a service to celebrate fathers.

Unofficial celebrations of a national Father's Day began almost immediately, even though Father's Day is celebrated locally in many communities. Among its staunchest proponents was William Jennings Bryant. In 1924, Calvin "Silent Cal" Coolidge recommended that Father's Day become a national holiday. Nevertheless, no official actions were taken.

Lyndon B. Johnson designated the third Sunday in June as Father's Day's official day through an executive order. However, father's Day wasn't officially recognized as a national holiday until 1972, during the Nixon administration.

Father's Day Around The World

Other countries also celebrate Father's Day. Most people celebrated Father's Day on the third Sunday in June, but some chose to honor their father on a different day. So to ensure you're aware of when to honor your father, wherever you may be, here's a list of the dates on which Father's Day is celebrated around the world.

• Iran, March 14
• Bolivia, Honduras, Italy, Lichtenstein, Portugal, Spain, March 19
• South Korea, May 8
• Lithuania, First Sunday in June
• Austria, Ecuador, Belgium, Second Sunday in June
• Antigua, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Saint Vincent, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Trinidad, Turkey, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Third Sunday in June
• El Salvador, Guatemala, June 17
• Nicaragua, Poland, Uganda, June 23
• Uruguay, Second Sunday in July
• The Dominican Republic, Last Sunday in July
• Brazil, Second Sunday in August
• Taiwan, China, August 8
• Argentina, August 24
• Australia, New Zealand, First Sunday in September
• Nepal, New Moon of September
• Luxembourg, First Sunday in October
• Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Second Sunday in November
• Thailand, December 5

Don't just buy your Pops a crappy "World's Best Dad" mug on Father's Day. Instead, put together a card that expresses your admiration and love for him. There is nothing mushy about it. Tell him that you're glad to be his child.