Father's Day

This Sunday, June 20th will be Father's Day. I wanted to write a post to discuss the past of Father's Day and how it came to be. I did some research and was saddened by many of the things that I discovered.

Mother's Day was first recognized in 1909 but Father's Day was not nationally recognized until 1966. I find it disheartening that it took 57 years between the holidays being recognized. There were numerous attempts prior to 1966 to recognize Father's Day but it was often met with satire and jokes. People felt it was not "important" and it was just another way to add unimportant dates to the calendar. The campaign to recognize Father's Day was spearheaded by Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane Washington. Her father was a single father after her mother died giving birth to her sixth child.

Ms. Dodd campaigned for years and approached ministers, the YMCA and YWCA to help her cause. Finally in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation to honor fathers. Six years later, in 1972 President Richard Nixon signed it into law to declare the third Sunday of June as Father's Day.

I am thankful for all of Ms. Dodd's tireless efforts to recognize fathers. There are many great Dads in the world and they are worthy of celebration. The third Sunday of June is Father's Day but we should be taking time throughout our year to show our fathers exactly how much we appreciate them.

I hope you will all take some time this weekend to spend with your fathers.