Father’s Day is celebrated worldwide to recognize the contribution that fathers and father figures make to the lives of their children. This day celebrates fatherhood and male parenting. Although it is celebrated on a variety of dates worldwide, many countries observe this day on the third Sunday in June.

Father’s Day is celebrated every year to honoring fathers and father figures, appreciating their contributions and influence in our lives. This special day, typically observed on the third Sunday in June, allows us to express gratitude for the love, support, and guidance that fathers provide.
Founded in early 20th century in U.S., the father’s day was inspired by Mother’s Day as a way to recognise and honor paternal bonds. It serves as a reminder of the significant role fathers play in nurturing and shaping their children’s lives. The day provides an opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices fathers make and the positive impact they have on their families.
Father’s Day is celebrated with various traditions and customs around the world. Families often express their appreciation through heartfelt gestures such as spending quality time together, giving thoughtful gifts, or preparing special meals. It’s a time to show fathers how much they are valued and cherished.
On this day, children often express their love and admiration for their fathers by presenting handmade cards, personalised gifts, or sharing heartfelt messages. It’s a day filled with love, laughter, and creating lasting memories with the father figures in our lives.
Father’s Day reminds us to celebrate and honor the paternal bonds that have shaped us, providing an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between fathers and their children. It serves as a reminder to express gratitude and love, not just on this particular day, but throughout the year.
The history of Father’s Day
The history of Father’s Day goes back to 1908, when a church in West Virginia held a sermon to honor 362 men who had been killed the previous year in a coal mining explosion. This was the country’s first-ever event to strictly honor fathers, but it was just a one-and-done thing, at least in that community.
The following year, however, a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd started her quest to establish Father’s Day as a national holiday. Dodd was one of six children raised by their single father, and she thought fathers should be honored in the same way as mothers.
After she’d petitioned her local community and government for a year, Dodd’s home state of Washington celebrated its first official Father’s Day on June 19, 1910. Over the years, the celebration of Father’s Day spread from state to state, and after a long fight, it was finally declared a national holiday in 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed it into law. Now, we celebrate with funny Father’s Day quotes, dad quotes, father-son quotes, and even stepdad quotes for the bonus dad in our lives.
It took more than 60 years from the birth of the idea to Father’s Day actually being recognized as a federal holiday, and a lot happened to threaten the parent-celebrating holidays during that time. In the 1920s and 1930s, there was a national movement to get rid of both Mother’s and Father’s Day and replace them with one “Parent’s Day.” Beyond that, some men didn’t even want a Father’s Day to begin with. They saw it as a “Hallmark holiday,” invented for the sole purpose of a commercial gimmick, and as many fathers were the sole breadwinners at the time, they didn’t particularly want their hard-earned cash spent on flowers and chocolates. The Great Depression and World War II, however, helped boost the idea of Father’s Day. Struggling retailers pushed the gift-giving holiday during the Depression, and during the war, Father’s Day became a way to honor the many fathers serving overseas. By the time President Nixon signed the proclamation making Father’s Day a holiday, it was already a national institution.
If you have trouble remembering dates, you can stop fretting about this one! Much like the Thanksgiving rule (it falls on the fourth Thursday in November), Father’s Day has a set day, but there’s no set date for dad’s day (at least here in the United States). Each year, the date of Father’s Day changes, but it always falls on the third Sunday in June. In 2022, it will share a date with Juneteenth and fall on June 19. So, all you need to remember is June, and where to find these free Father’s Day cards if you’re caught short on your way to dad’s house come the third Sunday.
Father’s Day is celebrated on different days in different countries. For example, in Europe, the United States, and the majority of other countries, the holiday is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. In many Catholic countries, especially in Latin America, fathers are celebrated on St. Joseph’s Day, which falls on March 19. In many Pacific countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji, Father’s Day occurs on the first Sunday in September.
Now that you know the history of Father’s Day, you’re probably wondering how to celebrate with your dad. Spending time together is the best place to start, even if it’s just watching one of these Father’s Day movies together.
Significance and celebration
On Father’s Day each year, children acknowledge and appreciate their fathers and father figures who play an important role in their lives, be it emotionally, mentally or even financially. On this day, children understand the importance of the role of a father in one’s life and acknowledge the contribution of fathers to their own families and society at large.
Children buy or make presents for their father or father-like figure, write and draw cards, spend the day engaging in activities that can be enjoyed with one’s father be it hiking, fishing or just sitting around watching some television series. Since most kids have a closer bond with their mothers, this day definitely helps forge a closer relation with one’s dad. Father’s Day is a celebration of fathers, honouring fatherhood, paternal bonds and the role fathers play in society.