The First Father’s Day – History and Trivia

Posted by on Jun 7, 2023 in Events, News & Publications, Newsletters | Comments Off on The First Father’s Day – History and Trivia

Sunday, June 18th is Father’s Day!

 

WHAT MAKES A DAD

GOD TOOK THE STRENGTH OF A MOUNTAIN,  THE MAJESTY OF A TREE,
THE WARMTH OF A SUMMER SUN,  THE CALM OF A QUIET SEA,


THE GENEROUS SOUL OF NATURE, THE COMFORTING ARM OF NIGHT,
THE WISDOM OF THE AGES,  THE POWER OF THE EAGLE’S FLIGHT,


THE JOY OF A MORNING IN SPRING, THE FAITH OF A MUSTARD SEED,
THE PATIENCE OF ETERNITY, THE DEPTH OF A FAMILY NEED,


THEN GOD COMBINED THESE QUALITIES, WHEN THERE WAS NOTHING MORE TO ADD,
HE KNEW HIS MASTERPIECE WAS COMPLETE,AND SO HE CALLED IT … DAD

~AUTHOR UNKNOWN~

 

Father’s day was first recognized by Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd (now known as “the mother of Father’s Day”) whose father had as a single parent, raised his six children. She conceived the idea of celebrating Father’s Day while she was listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. The first Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910.

In the year 1916, US president Woodrow Wilson approved the idea of observing an annual Father’s Day. And in the year 1924, President Calvin Coolidge made Father’s Day a national event.

After a couple of decades, President Lyndon Johnson designated the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day and issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers in the year 1966. Then in the year 1972 President Richard Nixon signed the public law that made the Father’s Day celebration permanent. Since then this day is celebrated each year.

Around 72% of Americans celebrate and acknowledge Father’s day.

Do you know Father’s Day has acquired fourth position last year ( nearly 95 million Fathers Day cards were given last year in the United States) as the most popular card sending holiday, with an estimated $100 million sales figure.

According to a survey, sons and daughters send 50% of the Father’s Day card to their dads. Nearly 20 percent of Fathers Day cards are purchased by wives for their husbands. That leaves 30 percent of the cards which go to grandfathers, sons, brothers, uncles and “someone special.”

Father’s Day is not a modern invention. It was first celebrated by a Babylonian youth named Elmesu, who carved a father’s Day card out of clay, around 4,000 years ago. His special card was to wish his father good health and long life.

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