Father's Day as a Holiday
When is Fathers Day for the US.?
The third Sunday in June
- Father's Day is a primarily secular holiday inaugurated in the early 20th century to complement Mother's Day in celebrating fatherhood and parenting by males.
- Father's Day is to honor and commemorate fathers and forefathers.
- Father's Day is celebrated on a variety of dates worldwide, and typically involves gift-giving to fathers and family-oriented activities.
- In the United States, the first modern Father's Day celebration was held on July 5, 1908, in Fairmont, West Virginia. It was first celebrated as a church service at Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South, now known as Central United Methodist Church.
- The first "June" Father's Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, WA.
- President Calvin Coolidge recommended it as a national holiday in 1924.
- In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson made Father's Day a holiday to be celebrated on the third Sunday of June. The holiday was not officially recognized until 1972, during the presidency of Richard Nixon.
n the United States, the first modern Father's Day celebration was held on July 5, 1908, in Fairmont, West Virginia or on June, 19th of the same year, in the state of Washington.
In West Virginia, it was first celebrated as a church service at Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South, now known as Central United Methodist Church. Grace Golden Clayton, who is believed to have suggested the service to the pastor, is believed to have been inspired to celebrate fathers after the deadly mine explosion in nearby Monongah the prior December. This explosion killed 361 men, many of them fathers and recent immigrants to the United States from Italy. Another possible inspiration for the service was Mothers' Day, which had been celebrated for the first time two months prior in Grafton, West Virginia, a town about 15 miles (24 km) away.
Another driving force behind the establishment of the integration of Father's Day was Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd, born in Creston, Washington. Her father, the Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, as a single parent reared his six children in Spokane, Washington. She was inspired by Anna Jarvis's efforts to establish Mother's Day. Although she initially suggested June 5, the anniversary of her father's death, she did not provide the organizers with enough time to make arrangements, and the celebration was deferred to the third Sunday of June. The first June Father's Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, WA.
Unofficial support from such figures as William Jennings Bryan was immediate and widespread. President Woodrow Wilson was personally feted by his family in 1916. President Calvin Coolidge recommended it as a national holiday in 1924. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson made Father's Day a holiday to be celebrated on the third Sunday of June. The holiday was not officially recognized until 1972, during the presidency of Richard Nixon.
In recent years, retailers have adapted to the holiday by promoting male-oriented gifts such as electronics, tools and greeting cards. Schools and other children's programs commonly have activities to make Father's Day gifts.
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Father's Day "Dates" vary from country to country.
February 23 - Russia, Ukraine, Belarus
March 19 - Bolivia, Honduras, Italy, Liechtenstein, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland
May 5 - Romania
May 8 - South Korea (Parent's Day)
First Day of June - Lithuania
June 5 - Denmark
Second Sunday of June - Astria, Belgium, Costa Rica, Ecuador
June 17 - Guatemala, El Salvador
Third Sunday of June - Argentina, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia,Costa Rica, Cuba,France, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Ireland, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, Zimbabwe.
June 23 - Nicaragua, Poland, Uganda
July 7 - Vietnam
Third Sunday of July - Uruguay
Last Sunday of July - Dominican Republic
First Sunday of September - Australia, New Zealand
Second Sunday of August - Brazil
August 8 - Taiwan
Second Sunday of November - Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden
December 5 - Thailand
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