Several countries in the world celebrate the Father’s Day and the United States is no exception. On this day fathers are recognized for their contributions to their families and society.
Every year, Father’s Day is commemorated on the third Sunday in June in the American Union. This 2024, Father’s Day is celebrated this Sunday, June 16. This year, Father’s Day celebrates 52 years of being established as a holiday. Learn about the origin of this celebration.
This is how Father’s Day originated in the USA
Although Sonora Smart Dodd is considered the founder of Father’s Day, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, The first known Father’s Day service took place in Fairmont, West Virginia, on July 5, 1908.after hundreds of men died in a major mining accident in December 1907.
Grace Golden Clayton, the daughter of a minister who had died years earlier, proposed a service to honor all fathers, especially those who had passed away. However, The celebration was not promoted and did not end up becoming an annual celebration until 1910 thanks to Sonora.
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The start of the annual Father’s Day celebration
The origin of the annual celebration of Father’s Day in the United States dates back to 1909 in Spokane, Washington. A woman, named Sonora Smart Dodd, sought to establish a date equivalent to Mother’s Daybut to honor his father, William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran.
This year, Sonora thought about celebrating her father’s dedication, who became a widower after his wife died giving birth to their sixth child and he had to take care of his family.
Sonora proposed that the Father’s Day celebration take place on June 5, her father’s birthday. However, due to the Church’s time limitations, the third Sunday in June was chosen to celebrate. So, On June 19, 1910, the first Father’s Day events began.
Subsequently, the celebration gradually became popular in the country. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of having a national day to celebrate fathers, but his request was rejected. Several years passed and In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson formally established the celebration of Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June.
Nevertheless, It was not until 1972 that President Richard Nixon signed legislation to recognize Father’s Day as a permanent holiday. in the U.S. Despite being an important annual celebration, Father’s Day is not an official holiday.
