Thursday, June 17, 2010

Don't Forget Father's Day...!


Father's Day is coming soon, and I figured this would be a great time to give a little history of this holiday!

For me, it just means another day...but for many it is the time to honor the father of the family! The actual holiday is newer than you think! From the pages of the Almanac, here is a brief history of this particular holiday.

Let's All Cheer for Fathers!
by Aurelia C. Scott

The year 2010 marks the 100th anniversary of Father’s Day in America. While it wasn’t made a national holiday until 1972, the efforts of one woman in Washington sparked a movement to celebrate Dad’s long before then.

Sonora Dodd and the first Father's Day

In 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, was inspired to create a holiday honoring fathers. William Jackson Smart, her father, was a farmer and Civil War veteran that raised Sonora and her five younger brothers by himself after his wife, Ellen, died giving birth to their youngest child in 1898. While attending a Mother’s Day church service in 1909, Sonora, then 27, came up with the idea.

Within a few months, Sonora had convinced the Spokane Ministerial Association and the YMCA to set aside a Sunday in June to celebrate fathers. She proposed June 5, her father’s birthday, but the ministers chose the third Sunday in June so that they would have more time after Mother’s Day (the second Sunday in May) to prepare their sermons. So it was that on June 19, 1910, Sonora delivered presents to handicapped fathers, boys from the YMCA decorated their lapels with fresh-cut roses (red for living fathers, white for the deceased), and the city’s ministers devoted their homilies to fatherhood.

A National Holiday

The widely publicized events in Spokane struck a chord that reached all the way to Washington, D.C., and Sonora's celebration started it's path to becoming a national holiday.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson and his family personally observed the day.

Eight years later, President Calvin Coolidge signed a resolution in favor of Father’s Day “to establish more intimate relations between fathers and their children and to impress upon fathers the full measure of their obligations.”

In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed an executive order that the holiday be celebrated on the third Sunday in June.

Under President Richard Nixon, in 1972, Congress passed an act officially making Father’s Day a national holiday. (Six years later, Sonora died at age 96.)

Different Days for Different Dads

North America is not the only place where Father’s Day is celebrated.

In traditionally Catholic countries such as Spain and Portugal, Father’s Day is observed on March 19, the Feast of St. Joseph.

Taiwanese celebrate Father’s Day on August 8, the eighth day of the eighth month, because the Mandarin Chinese word for eight sounds like the word for “Papa.”

In Thailand, Father’s Day occurs on the king’s birthday, which for current King Bhumibol Adulyadej is December 5.


Sounds like a good time for coffee on the patio, don't you think?

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

My family took me to supper last night to Logan's - wanted to beat the weekend rush, lol. We had a good time and good food. Like you, take it in stride, its just another day.

But any day that gets me free eats - Yeah! :^) Thanks HermitJim.

Momlady said...

Intersting info. Thanks! I thought it was just another ploy by Hallmark to make more money.

HermitJim said...

Hey Anon 5:23...
Glad you had a chance to spend some quality time with the family! That's the most important thing, isn't it?

Free eats are always a good thing!

Hey, thanks for coming by today, my friend!


Hey Momlady...
Hallmark does seem to have the card market pretty well cornered, don't they?

Ya know, that would make an interesting post someday!

Hey, thanks for coming over, my friend!

Mechanic in Illinois said...

We're having a family cook out on Sunday to celebrate Father'sDay. Not much of a day off for me because I'll man the barbecue. Grilling brats,venison,and chicken with all the women outdoing themselves on the rest. It will be a good day. Thanks for another great lesson.

HermitJim said...

Hey Mechanic...
Sounds like a good way to spend the day to me!

Better save me some of that sausage, I reckon!

Just gotta love those cook-outs!

Thanks for the visit today!

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Interesting info! Thanks1
But we don´t have fathers dasy over here until October I think. It was never something I had a chance to celebrate with my father unfortunally. But congrats to all fathers out there!
Christer.

HermitJim said...

hey Christer...
A lot of countries celebrate it at different times than we do!

Sorry you didn't get a chance to celebrate it with your father!

You have a great day...and thank you for coming by, my friend!

Rae said...

Dearest Friend, Hoping you a wonderful Father's Day, even if you are not able to celebrate with your family. You are a blessing to me and I wish you all the best.

HermitJim said...

Hey Rae...
Really good to see you today!

I thank you for your kind words and most of all, I appreciate you taking the time to come by and pay me a visit!

Have a great day!

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Hello HJ, Grenville and I will spend the day going for a bike ride as family is in other states (RI and PA). We wish you a great day too no matter HOW and WHERE you will spend it. You are always welcome on the patio or back porch at the Frog & PenguINN as we dine both places.

Tatersmama said...

HermitJim... Here in Australia, Father's Day is celebrated on the first Sunday in August. It used to make it hard to find a card for American Father's Day and my dad... so I would buy a Father's Day card in August, and then hope I didn't misplace it before the next June!
I've worn a white rose in honor of my dad, since 2007. I sure do miss my Daddy..

HermitJim said...

Hey Beatrice...
I certainly appreciate the invite! I might have to take you up on it one of these days!

Thanks for the good wishes for Father's Day...both my Dad and my stepfather passed away a long time ago, and both my sons prefer not to celebrate any of the holidays with me...so just another day!

I sure appreciate you coming by today!


Hey Tatersmama...
That sounds like it would be a smart thing to do, except that I would lose it for sure!

Believe me, I understand all too well about missing your Dad! I still miss mine!

Hey, I sure do appreciate the visit today, my friend!