The Origins of Father’s Day

Did you know that Mother’s Day was actually the inspiration for Father’s Day?  The official holiday of celebrating Dad was rooted in the US in 1910 when the state of Washington proclaimed the first “Father’s Day” but it was initially scoffed as a gimmick to purchase products that would typically be purchased by the “father” in the house. When World War II began, advertisers began to argue that celebrating Father’s Day was a way to honor American troops and support the war effort. By the end of the war, Father’s Day may not have been a federal holiday, but it was a national institution. It wasn’t until 62 years later when President Woodrow Wilson made it a federal holiday.

In addition to the US, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June in Argentina, Canada, France, Greece, India, Ireland, Mexico, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, and Venezuela. In Australia and New Zealand Father’s Day is on the first Sunday in September. In Thailand it is celebrated on December 5, which is the birthday of the country’s king and Brazilian dads are honored on the second Sunday of August.

Today, Father’s Day is celebrated with enthusiasm and gifts galore to reflect on the invaluable role and contribution of fathers in the family. People honor their father and express gratitude for his love and affection on this special day and as a Father’s Day tradition, people in US and Canada, along with their Dads, pay tribute to grandfathers, stepfathers, foster fathers, uncles and other men who plays a father-figure role in their lives.


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