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12/25/2024

06/16/2024

History of Father's Day

In the Coptic Orthodox Church, the celebration of fatherhood is observed on St Joseph's Day, celebrated on the 20th of July, and dates back to the 5th century.

In European Catholic countries, fatherhood is also celebrated with the feast day of Saint Joseph. This traditionally happens on March 19th and it dates back to 1508.

The first modern Father's Day in the US happened on June 19, 1910, and was the brainchild of Sonora Smart Dodd who wanted to honor her father, the Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart who raised six children as a single parent.

The holiday didn't gain wide acceptance until 1938 when the New York Associated Men's Wear Retailers founded the Father's Day Council. A skeptical public didn't embrace the day immediately but the Council was not deterred. After all, fathers across the country needed mugs, ties, and yard equipment.

Despite support from Senators and Presidents, Father's Day was not officially recognized until 1966 when President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers, designating the third Sunday in June as Father's Day.

On April 24, 1972, Father's Day was made a permanent national holiday when President Richard Nixon signed it into law.