About Fathers Day

Fathers Day is a day of honoring our fathers or fatherhood for all the things as well as the sacrifices they do for the family. It is a day when we also recognize the influence of fathers in society. This special day of fatherhood is celebrated on various dates across the world and different regions maintain their own traditions of honoring fatherhood. In countries like India, USA, UK, Bangladesh, Canada, France, Japan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, etc, Father's Day is observed on the third Sunday of June month. Furthermore, in countries like Italy, Spain, Portugal, etc, the day is observed on March 19. Whereas, in Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand, the day is observed on the first Sunday of September month.

History Of Fathers Day

The early celebration of fatherhood can be seen date back to at least 1508 in Catholic Europe. It is usually celebrated on March 19 as the feast day of Saint Joseph. St. Joseph is known as the fatherly Nutritor Domini or the Nourisher of the Lord in Catholicism as well as the putative father of Jesus in southern European tradition. Moreover, the Catholic Church actively supported the custom of a celebration of fatherhood on St. Joseph's Day from either the late 14th century or early 15th century. Later, this special celebration of fatherhood was brought to the Americas by the Spanish and Portuguese.

Whether to celebrate this day or not remained a debatable topic for long in America. Then, on July 5, 1908, a Fathers Day celebration was held in West Virginia. Grace Golden Clayton proposed the day to honor all those fathers who lost their lives in the Monongah Mine Disaster in the US. But it was not accepted. Later, in 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd, who was raised by her father alone along with her five brothers, proposed to celebrate Fathers Day. While hearing a church sermon about the newly recognized Mother's Day at Central Methodist Episcopal Church she felt strongly that fatherhood needed recognition as well. Then, she approached the Spokane Ministerial Alliance and suggested her own father's birthday i.e., June 5 to be celebrated as the day to honor fathers. The Alliance was convinced with her idea but they chose the third Sunday in June for the Fathers Day celebration instead of the date she suggested.

After that, the first Father's Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington. Over time, the Father's Day celebration became popular and embraced across the nation. Then, In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the third Sunday of June as Fathers Day. Furthermore, In 1972, President Nixon gave permanent permission to celebrate Father's Day on the 3rd Sunday of June each year. Since then, this day has become a national holiday in the US and a day to honor fatherhood.

Why Do We Celebrate Fathers Day?

Fathers Day is celebrated all over the world for honoring fathers for their contribution to society. It is the day of honoring your father for all the work as well as the efforts he puts in raising you. Moreover, it is a day to recognize all the contributions he makes to your family. On this day, you can buy lovely gifts for your father to honor as well as express your gratitude to him. You can also celebrate this day by cutting a cake with your father. Furthermore, it is the day on which you can honor all the fatherly figures in your life. Whether he is your own father or grandfather or uncle or maternal uncle or even your big brother, you can honor them on this special day.