The Real Story of Father’s Day
This Sunday is Father’s Day – in case you need a reminder – and while golf, beer and barbecues come to mind, it is a holiday with a complex religious background and perhaps even fueled by a women’s liberation movement that began in the 60s. …
The very first Father’s Day in the United States dates back over a century; in 1909, during a Mother’s Day sermon (which was by then unofficially recognized as a national holiday), a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd hoped to honor her father, a Civil War veteran and single parent raising her and her five brothers, with a sermon on to fathers all over the world.
However, before that time there were other attempts to organize the celebration of Father’s Day. In 1908, the West Virginia Church dedicated its sermons to the fathers, although it had no intention of becoming an annual event.
Soon, Dodd petitioned the Washington DC Spokane Ministerial Alliance to hold a Father’s Day of Preaching, while also lobbying other churches , the local young Christian association and shopkeepers, and was successful; The first ever Father’s Day sermon took place on June 19, 1910, Sunday – Dodd hoped to celebrate June 5, her father’s birthday, but due to timing and planning difficulties, this event was postponed for several days. Other pastors in nearby churches followed suit, and say Dodd soon received hundreds of letters applauding her efforts.
Celebrating the fathers ultimately gained momentum with the endorsement of President Woodrow Wilson in 1916 and President Calvin Coolidge in 1924, but it was not without criticism, with some detractors pointing to the massive commercialization of the growing celebration of the holiday. As Time notes, the holiday sparked interest from many clothing manufacturers who hoped to profit from the newfound holiday.
By 1966, despite criticism, President Lyndon B. Johnson had issued the first presidential proclamation calling for the third Sunday of June to be recognized as Father’s Day, about 56 years after the first Dodd celebration. “I invite state and local governments to cooperate in celebrating this day, and I encourage all of our people to publicly and privately express the love and gratitude they have for their fathers,” he said during the proclamation .
Father’s Day may have also gained new momentum in the 60s and 70s and during the Vietnam War. As the feminist movement gained momentum, women wanted equality in the workplace, as well as a fairer division of household responsibilities. The men now distributed household chores more evenly. As Time notes, “It got weirder that women were being honored in a way that never had a father.”
After all, under President Richard Nixon, Father’s Day was declared official in 1972 when the former president called on all government buildings to raise the American flag in honor of the day. Dodd, officially recognized as the founder of Father’s Day, passed away six years later. Father’s Day is estimated to be celebrated in 110 countries today, with many celebrations also taking place in June.
So when you celebrate your father this Sunday, remember that this holiday has a long and meaningful history, and we have to thank one woman for giving fathers a special day of recognition. Now go hug your father.