Father's Day
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- This article is about the celebration. For the Doctor Who episode, see Father's Day (Doctor Who).
Father's Day takes place on the 3rd Sunday in June in many countries. It is a holiday to celebrate fatherhood and parenting by males, just as Mother's Day celebrates motherhood.
Father's Day exists almost all over the world to honor and commemorate fathers or forefathers. In the Christian tradition, Father's Day is celebrated on St. Joseph's Day. Less-religious countries hold secular celbrations of Father's day
In recent years, it is notable how rising consumerism has overtaken the true meaning of the holiday. Retailers sell male-oriented gifts like hardware, and tools.
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Date
Countries that Celebrate Father's Day on the third Sunday of June (June 19 in 2005).
- United States - Origin country of Father's Day
- Argentina
- Canada
- Chile
- France
- Hong Kong S.A.R.
- India
- Japan
- Malta
- Mexico
- Netherlands
- Turkey
- United Kingdom
- Peru
- Venezuela
Countries which vary their celebration dates:
- Austria: second Sunday in June
- Australia and New Zealand: the first Sunday in September
- Belgium: St Joseph's day (which is March 19), and the second Sunday in June ("Secular")
- Brazil: the second Sunday in August
- Bulgaria: June 20
- China, Republic of (Taiwan): August 8
- Denmark: June 5, same day as Constitution Day
- Germany: on Ascension Day (originally intended by socialists to replace the Christian holiday, but now the two are generally combined)
- Hong Kong: third Sunday in June
- Korea, Republic of: May 8, Parents' Day.
- Lithuania: the first Sunday in June
- Malaysia: the third week in June
- Norway, Sweden, Finland: the second Sunday in November
- Poland: June 23
- Portugal, Spain, Italy: March 19
- Russia: February 23 (Army day)
- Thailand: December 5, birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej
History
United States
In the United States, the driving force behind the establishment of the celebration of Father's Day was Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd whose father, the Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, had as a single parent raised his six children in Spokane, Washington. She was inspired by Anna Jarvis's efforts to establish Mother's Day. Although she initially suggested June 5, the anniversary of her father's death, she did not provide the organizers with enough time to make arrangements, and the celebration was deferred to the third Sunday in June. The first Father's Day was celebrated on 19 June, 1910 in Spokane, washington.
Unofficial support from such figures as William Jennings Bryan was immediate and widespread. Woodrow Wilson was personally so feted by his family in 1916, and Calvin Coolidge recommended it as a national holiday in 1924. The all-male U.S. Congress, however, was mindful that passing a measure so favorable to males could be seen as a conflict of interest. In 1966, Lyndon Johnson made Father's Day a holiday to be celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of June. The holiday was not officially recognized until the presidency of Richard Nixon in 1972.
External links
- History of Father's Day (http://www.loveyoufather.com/fathers-day-history/index.html)
- Category at ODP (http://dmoz.org/Society/Holidays/Father%27s_Day/)de:Vatertag
es:Día del Padre ga:Lá na nAithreacha nl:Vaderdag ja:父の日 pt:Dia dos Pais fi:Isänpäivä sv:Fars dag