Blog | David Morris Group

Father’s Day is this weekend. It’s the official day to honor wonderful dads and father figures and celebrate the men who put in the work to make us feel protected and safe. Have you ever been curious about the origins of this holiday? Or do you need some new trivia to ‘wow’ your dad when you see him? Here are a few fun facts about the history of Father’s Day.

First Recognition

The first event to celebrate fathers was on July 5, 1908, in Fairmont, West Virginia. A year before this celebration, a horrifying mining explosion occurred in a nearby town, known as the Monongah Mining Disaster. It killed 362 miners, 250 of which were fathers. A woman by the name of Grace Clayton encouraged her pastor to hold a service to honor the children who lost their fathers. She chose that specific date because her father had passed away years prior, and July 5th was close to his birthday.

While this was technically the first recognition of the paternal bond of fatherhood, it didn’t directly encourage the creation of Father’s Day. The town only promoted the memorial service in Fairmont, WV, which was overshadowed by July 4th celebrations.

Official Celebration

The idea of having a day to celebrate fathers was picked up again two years later by a woman from Spokane, Washington named Sonora Dodd. Sonora and her five brothers and sisters were raised by their father after their mother passed away, and she felt that fathers deserved equal recognition as mothers. She worked with her local church and YMCA to plan a day specifically to celebrate the men of the house. As a result, an official “Father’s Day” was held at the Spokane YMCA on June 19, 1910. Soon after, several cities and towns across the country followed suit.

Presidential Recognition

In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson issued a presidential proclamation that fathers would be honored each year on the third Sunday in June. President Richard Nixon signed the proclamation into law six years later and Father’s Day became recognized as a national holiday.

Commercialization

Today, as with Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Siblings Day, Yoga Day, and any other celebratory reason you can think of, retailers begin their promotions for profit months in advance. The greeting card companies are pretty fond of the holiday as well.

Global Celebrations

Great Britain was the first area abroad to begin the annual celebration of Dad. It’s thought that they adopted the tradition right after WWII in 1945.

France was next to join in the celebration of le pére in 1949. However, the idea of profit from the holiday spurred Father’s Day more so than the idea of celebrating dear old Dad. As a matter of fact, a lighter manufacturer called Flaminaire brought the tradition to France with the slogan: “Nos papas nous l’ont dit, pour la fête des pères, ils désirent tous un Flaminaire” translated to say “Our fathers told us, for father’s day, they all want a Flaminaire.” It wasn’t adopted as an official decree across the country until three years after the Flaminaire promotion.

Other countries recognizing Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June include Mexico, Ireland, France, Greece, China, and Japan.

Father’s Day is called Vatertag in Germany, or Männertag, which means “men’s day.” The German celebration of der Vater falls on the Thursday 40 days after Easter. It is traditional for groups of men to go into the woods with a wagon of booze and meats in certain regions. Which is quite a bit different than spending the day being gifted with silly ties and handmade crafts, but to each his own!

No matter when it’s celebrated, what the traditions are, or what it’s called, the father figures in our lives deserve recognition for the role they embrace. We wish all of the Pops out there a very Happy Father’s Day, and we hope you are appreciated for all that you do!

If you have questions about the Reno real estate market, we are happy to help! Contact the David Morris Group, or call us at (775) 828-3292.

At the start of the American Revolution in 1775, there was no single united flag to fly. Colonists were fighting in separate regiments under their own flags. In June of that year, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in the hopes of creating a more organized and unified colonial fighting force. As a result, the Continental Army was created, with George Washington as their Commander in Chief, as was the first “American” flag. The new unified flag had 13 alternating red and white stripes and a Union Jack in the corner, which looked very similar to the British flag. Washington was against flying a flag that was even remotely close to the British flag. Not only was it not the best confidence-builder for his soldiers, but it was also confusing amidst the chaos of battle. As a result, Washington turned his efforts toward creating a new flag as the symbol of freedom for the new nation.

The Second Continental Congress paused from writing the Articles of Confederation on June 17th, 1777, to pass a motion stating that “the flag of the United States be 13 stripes, alternate red and white,” and that “the union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” Thus creating a National Flag for the United States.

In 1916 President Woodrow Wilson issued a presidential proclamation establishing a national Flag Day to be observed on June 14th, commemorating the date the United States approved the design for its first flag. Since then, Americans have honored the adoption of the Stars and Stripes by displaying the flag in front of their homes. However, Flag Day wasn’t officially signed into law until 1949, when U.S. Congress permanently established the date, and President Harry Truman signed it. The legislation also called upon the president to issue a yearly flag day proclamation. Each year since the U.S. president delivers an address that proclaims the week of June 14th as National Flag Week, and all Americans are encouraged to fly U.S. flags during that time.

As we come upon the annual celebration of our Stars and Stripes, here are a few fun facts about “Old Glory”:

Not Betsy Ross

While it’s widely believed that Betsy Ross sewed the first flag in 1776, she was never credited with the work during her lifetime. In 1870, Ross’s grandson relayed stories that she told him as a child about sewing the flag to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Still, there isn’t any historical evidence to back it up. It has since been confirmed that a delegate from New Jersey by the name of Francis Hopkinson is the actual designer of the American flag.

First Flag Flyer

In 1885 a small-town Wisconsin teacher named Bernard Cigrand had the original idea to celebrate the American flag across the country every June 14th. He led his school that year in the first formal observance of Flag Day.

A++

When it seemed inevitable that Alaska would be admitted to the Union in the 1950s, the American flag began being retooled to add a 49th star. Meanwhile, a 17-year-old student from Ohio named Bob Heft disassembled his family’s 48-star flag on his mother’s sewing machine and stitched 50 stars in a symmetrical pattern. He submitted his creation for a class project and explained that he used 50 stars because he also expected Hawaii to join the Union. To his dismay, he only received a B-. Heft decided to send the flag to his congressman anyway. After both new states joined the Union, the congressman presented the flag to President Eisenhower, who selected Heft’s design. On July 4th, 1960, the president and the high school student from Ohio stood together and hoisted the 50-star spangled banner for the first time! (Heft’s teacher subsequently changed his grade from a B- to an A+ when Hawaii did, in fact, become the 50th state.)

It’s almost time to raise Old Glory once again in honor and celebration of our great nation!

If you have questions about the Reno real estate market, we are happy to help! Contact the David Morris Group, or call us at (775) 828-3292.

History of Father’s Day