This Fathers' Day

 

Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd is credited with the idea of pursuing an official Fathers' Day observance similar to the one already in place for honoring mothers. She was actually listening to a Mothers' Day sermon at the time, and thought that fathers were being left out-why shouldn't they have a day, too? Actually, there had been a few recorded instances where fathers were recognized, but she wanted an official holiday for fathers.

A lot of people thought the idea was silly and claimed that it would lead to too many official holidays. They laughed at the idea of buying gifts for dads, treating him to special dinners out, etc. Merchants didn't laugh at the idea though. They were more than willing to promote the idea. The YWCA, the YMCA and many churches also offered support for a Fathers' Day observance, so Mrs. Dodd started on her quest to honor the fathers of America.

Mrs. Dodd did succeed in getting the recognition she sought for fathers, but it took many years to make it official. The first bill to reach congress was introduced in 1913, but it was unsuccessful. Eleven years later, in 1924, President Calvin Coolidge became interested in the idea and a committee was formed to make further attempts to legitimize the holiday. Not surprisingly, members of the committee were from various trade groups.

Other merchant groups started pushing for a National Fathers' Day in an attempt to profit from the gifts they hoped to sell to people wishing to honor their fathers. Apparently, their efforts bore fruit because more and more people began to buy gifts for Fathers' Day.

Mrs. Dodd continued to push the idea and hoped the celebration would be on June 5th, which was her father's birthday, but President Lyndon B. Johnson eventually ended up designating the third Sunday of June each year as the official date for all future fathers' day observances. Interestingly enough, Fathers' Day had still not been designated as an official holiday.

Although many U.S. citizens, including their presidents continued to observe an unofficial Fathers' Day where fathers were honored by their families, it wasn't until 1972 that Fathers' Day was finally recognized as an official holiday by President Richard Nixon. Fathers' day is recognized by a number of other nations, but usually celebrated on different days of the year from the June date in the United States.

Currently, Fathers' Day is promoted for several weeks before the actual holiday arrives, and the majority of fathers report receiving some sort of recognition, cards, gifts, visits, tools, gift certificates, etc. from their children on this day each year. Many schools now encourage children to make cards or gifts, not only for Mothers' Day, but also for Fathers' Day.

Are you one of the lucky ones whose father is still around for you to honor? If so, take some time out of your day on June 21 and pay a visit, make a phone, call, send a card or an inexpensive gift. This is one place where the old saying, "It's the thought that counts," is really true.