Father's Day in the United States is on
the third Sunday of June. It celebrates the contribution that fathers and
father figures make for their children's lives.
There are a range of events, which may
have inspired the idea of Father's Day. One of these was the start of the
Mother's Day tradition in the first decade of the 20th century. Another was a
memorial service held in 1908 for a large group of men, many of them fathers,
who were killed in a mining accident in Monongah, West Virginia in December 1907.
A woman called Sonora Smart Dodd was an
influential figure in the establishment of Father's Day. Her father raised six
children by himself after the death of their mother. This was uncommon at that
time, as many widowers placed their children in the care of others or quickly
married again.
Sonora was inspired by the work of Anna
Jarvis, who had pushed for Mother's Day celebrations. Sonora felt that her
father deserved recognition for what he had done. The first time Father's Day
was held in June was in 1910. Father's Day was officially recognized as a
holiday in 1972 by President Nixon.
Father's Day is a day for fathers and
father-like figures.
What do people do?
Father's Day is an occasion to mark and
celebrate the contribution that your own father has made to your life. Many
people send or give cards or gifts to their fathers. Common Father's Day gifts
include sports items or clothing, electronic gadgets, outdoor cooking supplies
and tools for household maintenance.
Father's Day is a relatively modern
holiday so different families have a range of traditions. These can range from
a simple phone call or greetings card to large parties honoring all of the
'father' figures in a particular extended family. Father figures can include
fathers, step-fathers, fathers-in-law, grandfathers and great-grandfathers and
even other male relatives. In the days and weeks before Father's Day, many schools
and Sunday schools help their pupils to prepare a handmade card or small gift
for their fathers.