Celebrating Father’s Day is a cherished way for people to show their dads just how important they are.
Fatherhood is a diverse experience, encompassing biological fathers, adoptive fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, and anyone considered a father figure.
This special day is often marked with cards, gifts, and Father’s Day celebrations, ranging from dinners out to backyard barbecues honoring the men of the hour. While there are an estimated 72 million fathers in the United States, the day also serves as a moment to reflect on those who may not be able to celebrate Father’s Day.
Let’s explore why and how people celebrate Father’s Day in the United States, Mexico, and other parts of the world. We’ll also take a look at the origins of this holiday dedicated to dads.
The History Behind Father’s Day Celebrations
Today, Father’s Day typically involves giving greeting cards, often with humorous messages, along with presents, and spending quality time with dad.
To understand the history of Father’s Day celebrations in the United States, we need to go back to the origins of Mother’s Day. In West Virginia, Anna Jarvis initiated the Mother’s Day movement by holding a small memorial service for her mother on May 12, 1907. Mother’s Day was born from that occasion and is now commemorated every second Sunday in May in the United States.
The story of Father’s Day is a bit more complex, with two versions of its beginnings.
One version starts in 1909, when a woman from Washington state named Sonora Smart Dodd was listening to a Mother’s Day sermon at the Central Methodist Church in Spokane, Washington. Dodd was one of six children raised by her father, a widowed farmer, William Jackson Smart. He had lost his wife, Ellen Victoria Cheek Smart, during childbirth in 1898.
Smart was a Civil War veteran, and Dodd felt a day was needed to honor fathers. Dodd spoke up during the sermon and then lobbied the Spokane Ministerial Association and the YMCA to use her father’s birthday, June 5th, as a day to celebrate fathers.
The second version suggests that the idea for Father’s Day began in Fairmont, West Virginia. On July 5, 1908, Grace Golden Clayton proposed that fathers should be celebrated at her local Methodist minister’s services. Her idea came after 361 men in the state had died in a mining accident in December 1907.
When Was Father’s Day First Celebrated in the United States?
Regardless of which origin story resonates more, Dodd’s determination led to her home state of Washington celebrating its first official Father’s Day the following year. The date was Sunday, June 19, 1910, later than Dodd had requested as the calendar was already full.
The concept spread from state to state, but Father’s Day faced more hurdles before becoming the established national holiday many enjoy today.
President Woodrow Wilson endorsed the idea of Father’s Day as early as 1913. Although President Calvin Coolidge took up the cause in 1924, it met with unexpected resistance.
Was Father’s Day an Instant Success?
Two fathers and a child celebrating Father's Day
Image alt text: Two fathers and a child are outdoors smiling and celebrating Father’s Day, symbolizing modern family structures and the joy of the occasion.
Father’s Day was initially well-received, but it would take over 60 years to be recognized as a national holiday.
Some fathers viewed the celebration as merely a marketing ploy or a Hallmark holiday designed to generate commercial profits. In the 1920s and 1930s, the idea of separate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day campaigns was discarded in favor of a joint celebration, namely Parents’ Day.
National acceptance of Father’s Day solidified during the Great Depression and World War II. Retailers were eager to boost sales during the Depression, and Father’s Day presented a compelling opportunity. With World War II, many people were eager to honor fathers serving overseas. Both events further propelled the popularity of Father’s Day.
Subsequently, President Lyndon Johnson took up the mantle for Father’s Day. He declared the third Sunday of June as Father’s Day in 1966. It was President Richard Nixon who finally made Father’s Day a national holiday in 1972.
When is Father’s Day Celebrated in the United States?
It’s understandable if you don’t recall the exact date for Father’s Day. In the United States, Father’s Day is always on the same day of the week: the third Sunday in June.
However, the date changes each year due to the Gregorian calendar. Each year, the third Sunday of June falls on a different date. Here are the upcoming dates for Father’s Day celebrations:
2022: June 19
2023: June 18
2024: June 16
2025: June 15
2026: June 21
2027: June 20
When is Father’s Day Celebrated Around the World?
Several countries share the United States’ tradition of celebrating Father’s Day on the third Sunday of June. Among them are the United Kingdom, Mexico, Canada, and Ireland.
Some predominantly Roman Catholic countries celebrate Father’s Day on St. Joseph’s Day, which always falls on March 19th. Countries as diverse as Portugal, Spain, Bolivia, and Italy observe this day, known as Día del Padre.
Many Pacific nations, such as New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand, celebrate Father’s Day on the first Sunday in September.
Which Country Does Not Celebrate Father’s Day?
Father’s Day is not a national holiday or widely celebrated throughout the People’s Republic of China. There are also many individuals around the world who do not celebrate Father’s Day, even if their country officially recognizes it.
Father’s Day Celebrations in the United States
Father's Day children give presents to dad
Image alt text: Father’s Day scene depicting children joyfully giving handmade drawings as gifts to their dad at home, highlighting the personal and loving aspect of the celebration.
Our perceptions of things change over time, and how we think about fathers and fatherhood is no exception. We’ve seen how its roots were in honoring the paternal figure of fathers or remembering men lost in a tragic mining accident. Later, Father’s Day became something some fathers themselves rejected. Subsequently, the hardships of war and the Great Depression made people more open to embracing the loving sentiment of the holiday.
Today, people celebrate Father’s Day in many ways. For some, it’s an opportunity to thank all the father figures in their lives for being the best fathers they can be, while for others, it’s a chance to remember loved ones who are no longer with us.
Some also choose to commemorate fatherhood in all its forms, from grandfathers to other special men in their lives. First-time dads may even be a bit surprised when they become the center of attention on their first Father’s Day.
How Do People Celebrate Father’s Day?
People celebrate Father’s Day in the United States in many different ways. Children or grandchildren often buy gifts for fathers and perhaps grandfathers.
Father’s Day cards, whether store-bought or homemade, are very popular and often contain jokes or affectionate messages about what a father figure means to someone. There are also many funny and sentimental memes online.
Families often gather, sometimes with two or three generations of fathers, to celebrate the special day with a barbecue, picnic, or other get-together.
What Are Some of the Best Gift Ideas for Father’s Day?
Father’s Day spending is expected to reach $20 billion USD in 2022, with estimated spending per father figure at $171.79 USD. Slightly more than three-quarters of U.S. households will do something special that day. Unique or sentimental gifts that commemorate special events are most popular.
The best gifts are often personalized. Some people give or make gifts, ranging from small tokens like keychains to experiences to pamper dad or days of outdoor enjoyment. Other ideas include cooking dad’s favorite meal or simply giving him time to do exactly what he wants on a Sunday afternoon.
Some fail-safe gifts, depending on your father figure’s taste, include:
- A bottle of his favorite cologne, aftershave, or moisturizer.
- Comfortable slippers, pajamas, or sweatpants.
- Visiting a place that is special to him and the family.
- Some of his preferred Scotch whiskies, rum, or tequila.
- New golf clubs, fishing rods, or tools.
- A day of his favorite hobby, from camping to golfing or birdwatching.
- Ordering meat and vegetables online so dad can fire up the grill and cook a delicious meal for the family.
- A new hat, wallet, or clothing.
- Spending time with him looking at old photos and enjoying the memories they evoke.
Luxurious and expensive gifts are not a requirement for Father’s Day. Most fathers don’t expect any gifts and are more than happy to spend quality time with their families.
How Many Fathers Are in the United States?
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates there are around 72 million fathers across the country. About 29 million fathers are also grandfathers.
In 2021, around 24 million fathers of children under 18 were married and living with their opposite-sex spouses. There were about two million single fathers last year and an estimated 204,000 stay-at-home fathers in the United States.
American fathers are also more involved with newborns. Between 2016 and 2020, about 70% of men took time off within 12 weeks of the birth of their first child. That’s a 20% increase from between 1981 and 1985.
Father’s Day Celebrations in Mexico
Father's Day Mexican family celebrates day
Image alt text: A warm scene of a Hispanic family celebrating Father’s Day at home, with children hugging their dad and presenting gifts, emphasizing family values and traditions.
Mexico has its own special way of celebrating Father’s Day, known as El Día del Padre, just like its U.S. counterpart. Children often buy small gifts for their fathers and grandfathers, along with homemade cards.
The country also honors its father figures on the third Sunday of June. Like most Mexican celebrations, there is a focus on family and Mexican food. People give gifts in much the same way as in the United States.
Typical gifts include:
- Tequila
- Panama hat
- Silver items like lighters or clips
- Cigars
- A traditional wedding shirt, called a guayabera.
Barbecues that bring families together around the grill are very popular, with carne asada (grilled meat) being essential. Some families take their dads out to their favorite restaurant.
A significant number of Mexican fathers live and work abroad, so Father’s Day may involve a Zoom or Skype call to catch up with family.
There is also a famous 21-kilometer (13-mile) half-marathon race in Mexico City, called the Carrera Día del Padre 21K Bosque de Tlalpan. The most popular event is the father-and-child race.
When Did Mexico Start Celebrating Father’s Day?
Father’s Day in Mexico began to gain traction in the 1950s and has since become increasingly popular. However, El Día del Padre is not a federal holiday in Mexico, despite its importance on the calendar.
The day is still not as big as a Mexican birthday party or the festivities for Cinco de Mayo.
Celebrating Father’s Day in Your Own Unique Way
Every father figure has a unique personality that instills values in the lives of their loved ones. Father’s Day is an opportunity to thank them for everything they have done and most likely will continue to do.
What truly matters isn’t so much where and how Father’s Day celebration originated in the United States. Was it to remember lives lost in a mining accident or to commemorate the dedication of a single father raising six children?
Regardless of its origins, Father’s Day is an opportunity to recognize and appreciate the invaluable work of fathers, grandfathers, stepfathers, and other father figures in our daily lives. Celebrating Father’s Day with your papá can be as simple as you wish. A hug and a poem can provide soul-warming comfort, just as a new hot chili sauce will ignite his palate. No matter where or how you celebrate, thoughtful, heartfelt gifts and kind words are sure to bring a smile to Dad’s face on Father’s Day.
