The Root of Father's Day Celebration
Celebrating Pops: A Look Back at the Origins of Father's Day
Every June, kids all across the nation celebrate their pops with cards, gifts, and a well-deserved day of rest. But have you ever wondered about the history behind this heartfelt tradition? Let's dive into the story of how Father's Day came to be!
The first recorded celebration of Father's Day in the United States took place on July 5, 1908, at the Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South in Fairmont, West Virginia. This special service honored 360 men, mainly fathers, who lost their lives in a coal mine explosion seven months prior. While this particular Father's Day service was a one-time event, it marked the beginning of a movement[1][2].
Fast forward to Spokane, Washington, where the woman credited with championing the idea of Father's Day, Sonora Smart Dodd, lived. Inspired by a Mother's Day sermon in 1909, Dodd wanted to honor her father, William Jackson Smart, who raised six children on his own after her mother passed away. Dodd proposed that fathers should be honored on June 5th, her father's birthday. However, the first official Father's Day celebration took place on June 19, 1910, after Dodd presented a petition to the Spokane Ministerial Alliance at the YMCA[1][2][3].
Since its humble beginnings, Father's Day has grown into an international celebration. Although many might dismiss Father's Day as a reason to exchange tacky gifts and sarcastic cards, deep down, fathers appreciate the gestures of appreciation[2].
Father's Day Timeline:
- June 5, 1908: Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South holds the first recorded Father's Day service.
- 1910: Sonora Smart Dodd proposes Father's Day in Spokane, Washington.
- June 19, 1910: First Father's Day observed in Spokane, Washington.
- 1924: President Calvin Coolidge makes a national event of Father's Day.
- 1966: President Lyndon Johnson declares the third Sunday in June as the official day to observe Father's Day.
- 1972: President Richard Nixon signs a proclamation making the third Sunday in June a permanent Father's Day celebration.
Sources:
- Christianson, Stephen G., ed. The American Book of Days, Fourth Edition. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 2000.
- Douglas, George William, A.M., Litt. D. The American Book of Days, Third Printing. New York: The H. W. Wilson Company, 1937. Revised by Helen Douglas Compton, 1957.
- GovTrack.us. "H. Res. 539: Commending Sonora Smart Dodd for her contribution in recognizing the importance of Father's Day . . ." 111th Congress. Jan. 5, 2010. (March 11, 2010) http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=hr111-539
- Hallmark Corporation. "Father's Day." Hallmark Corporate Newsroom for Journalists. Holidays & Occasions. (March 11, 2010) http://corporate.hallmark.com/Holiday/Fathers-Day
- Hallmark Corporation. "Holidays & Occasions." Hallmark Corporate Newsroom for Journalists. (March 11, 2010) http://corporate.hallmark.com/Holiday
- Henderson, Helene, ed. Holiday Symbols and Customs, Fourth Edition. Detroit: Omnigraphics, Inc., 2009.
- Henderson, Helene and Sue Ellen Thompson, eds. Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary, Second Edition. Detroit: Omnigraphics, Inc., 1997.
- Library of Congress. "Honor Your Father . . . At Least Once a Year." Wise Guide. June 2003. (March 11, 2010) http://www.loc.gov/wiseguide/jun03/father.html
- Library of Congress. "The First Mother's Day, May 9, 1914." America's Story from America's Library. (March 11, 2010) http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/jazz/jb_jazz_mother_1.html
- Meighen, D.D., Reverend, with Tom Koon, former president of the Marion County Historical Society. "Father's Day." Central United Methodist Church, History. June 15, 2005. (March 11, 2010) http://www.cumcwv.org/FathersDay.asp
- Smith, Vicki. "The First Father's Day: Fairmont celebrated holiday in summer of 1908." Martinsburg Journal: June 15, 2003. West Virginia Division of Culture and History, West Virginia Archives and History. (March 11, 2010) http://www.wvculture.org/HiStory/miscellaneous/fathersday02.html
Money can be spent on gifts for fathers during international Father's Day celebrations, reflecting the importance of this occasion in our culture. Perhaps it's fitting that Father's Day's humble beginnings involved honoring father figures who, like homeowners tending their home-and-garden, raised children on their own after a tragic event.
