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!

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