Father’s day is a universal holiday that celebrates the contributions fathers make in the lives of their children. This is a day to honour and celebrate paternal bonds, fatherhood, and the impact fathers have in the world. This holiday is observed on different dates around the world but typically falls during the months of March, April, and June in most countries. Father’s Day complements other related days celebrating family members such as Siblings Day, Mother’s Day and Grandparents’ Day.

• What is the origin of Fatheru2019s Day?
• When is Fatheru2019s Day celebrated across the world?

What is the origin of Fatheru2019s Day?

The foundation of Father’s Day celebrations dates back to the Middle Ages in Catholic Europe during the Feast day of Saint Joseph, who is considered the patron saint of fathers. During the Middle Ages, fathers were celebrated on March 19th during the Feast day of Saint Joseph as the Nutritor Domini-Nourisher of the Lord and the stepfather of Jesus.

Father’s Day has a strong foundation in the Catholic church because since the late 14th century and early 15th century, the church strongly reinforced the tradition of commemorating fatherhood on St. Joseph’s Day. Later, this holiday was introduced to America by the Spanish and the Portuguese. Before the 20th century, Father’s Day in the United States wasn’t observed outside Catholic customs. However, by the early 20th century, Father’s Day was officially instituted as a public holiday to complement Mother’s Day, which was inaugurated as a public holiday following Anna Jarvis’ successful campaigns.

The first official observance of Father’s Day was on July 5, 1908, in the former Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church, currently known as the Central United Methodist Church, in Fairmont, West Virginia. It is thought that following the loss of her father, Grace Golden Clayton proposed to her pastor, Robert Thomas Webb, to hold a service in remembrance of all the fathers who had succumbed to the Manongah Mining Disaster, which killed over 361 people, 250 of which were fathers. However, this event was overshadowed by other events such as the celebration of Independence Day on July 4thand hence, didn’t gain popularity.

Later in 1911, Jane Addams made a recommendation for a statewide Father’s Day celebration to be observed in Chicago but the recommendation was rejected. However, in 1912, following pastor J.J Berringer of the Irvington Methodist Church proposal to celebrate Father’s Day, Vancouver, Washington held its first Father’s Day holiday. In 1915, Harry C. Meek of the Lions Clubs International proclaimed that he was the pioneer of Father’s Day. According to Meek, the third Sunday in June was selected because it coincided with his birthday. Meek was named the “Originator of Father’s Day” by the Lions Clubs International. Meek made several attempts to promote this day and make it a national holiday.

However, the principal figure behind the establishment of this holiday was Sonora Smart Dodd on June 19, 1910, in Washington. Sonora’s father, William Jackson Smart, was a civil war veteran, a single parent who raised six children. Sonora, a member of the now Knox Presbyterian Church, proposed the celebration of Father’s Day after hearing about Jarvis’ Mother’s Day celebration which had taken place in 1909—she felt that fathers must also have a related day. The date first selected was June 5th (Mr. Jackson’s birthday). But this date did not give the pastors adequate time to prepare. Hence, it was moved to the third Sunday of June. Several other clergymen supported this concept and on June 19, 1910, the first Father’s Day sermons celebrating fatherhood were offered across the city. However, the popularity of this holiday diminished from the 1920s until the 1930s when Sonora revived them by promoting the celebrations of the holiday on a national level. She received help from trade groups, particularly those that would profit from the holiday. By 1938, a Father’s Day council had been established by the New York Associated Men’s Wear Retailers which provided Sonora with support to associate and systemize the holiday’s profitable promotion. Although in the early years the celebration of Father’s Day received criticism, attempts to institutionalize the holiday proved resilient and in 1913, a bill for a national acknowledgment of the holiday was presented to Congress. In 1916, speaking at a Father’s Day celebration, President Woodrow Wilson declared it a federal holiday. However, Congress refused, fearing the holiday would become commercialized. Later in 1924, President Calvin Coolidge ordered the entire nation to observe the holiday but did not issue a proclamation declaring the day a national holiday.

In 1957, Margaret Chase Smith penned a letter condemning Congress for disregarding fathers while honouring mothers. In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson delivered a presidential declaration honouring fathers, setting the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. Later, in 1972, Richard Nixon declared this holiday an annual national holiday. Along with Father’s Day, International Men’s Day is observed in several nations on November 19th.

When is Fatheru2019s Day celebrated across the world?

Father’s Day celebrations are observed on different dates across the world as illustrated below:

February

March

May

June

July

August

September

October

Luxembourg

November

December

Thailand

In addition to observing this holiday on different dates throughout the year, over time the traditions of this holiday have changed and vary from one region to the next. For instance:

• In Finland and Estonia, this holiday is observed on the second Sunday of November as a recognized national holiday and flag day.
• In Germany, this holiday is referred to as Vatertag and is celebrated on Ascension Day, 40 days after Easter. Regionally, the holiday can be referred to as either Men’s Day or Gentlemen’s Day.
• In Russia, the Soviet Union tradition of observing Defender of the Fatherland Day continues till today and takes place on February 23rd. This day is referred to as Men’s Day and is considered the equivalent of Father’s Day in the region.
• In Italy, this holiday is observed on March 19th in accordance with the Roman Catholic tradition of celebrating the Feast of Saint Joseph.
• In Denmark, this holiday is observed on June 5th and coincides with Constitution Day.
• In the United Arab Emirates, this holiday is celebrated on June 21st along with Midsummer’s Day.
• In Thailand, this holiday is observed on December 5th to commemorate the birthday of the late king Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX).