Ironically, the inspiration for Father’s Day came from a Mother’s Day sermon. In 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, heard a minister extolling the virtues of motherhood and decided that her father, Henry Jackson Smart, a farmer and Civil War veteran (who had raised Sonora and her five young siblings after his wife’s death in childbirth), deserved public recognition as well. So on June 19, 1910 (Henry’s birthday), she declared the first Father’s Day celebration in Spokane.
In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge publicly supported a national Father’s Day, and eventually, in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed this day a national holiday. Six years later, President Richard Nixon signed into law the designation of the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. Today, Father’s Day is the fourth largest card-sending occasion in the United States. It's also the top day for collect calls. Thanks Dad!
Don’t be fooled - many men profess to not care about the day, but they secretly love the attention. Ideas for the fathers in your life:
Are there any dads who don’t love to eat? Wake yours up with his favorite breakfast. Ask your kids to assist, or if they're old enough let them prepare the whole meal.
Many fathers are so busy it’s hard for them to take the time to plan extra activities. Acquire tickets to a favorite sporting event or concert for Dad and a few of his male friends. Give them an annual “Dads’ Night Out” and make sure they don’t have to deal with any of the details.
If the father in your life has a particular hobby, such as carpentry or gardening, dedicate the day to helping him launch or complete a project. If he needs specialized tools to accomplish the job, don’t buy them for him; give him a hardware store gift card instead. Choosing from among the different makes and models is half the fun.
Many fathers would like to have a personal touch in their office, but are afraid that pinning up dog-eared construction paper drawings will make their workspace look unprofessional. Solve this by having several pieces of your child’s artwork framed professionally. You'll be surprised how impressive a finger painting looks under glass.
Ask your children to write a poem for their father and then illustrate the page.
One of the more creative ideas I’ve heard for Father’s Day comes from the Kerns family. A few years ago, Eric received a pair of apple tree saplings from his two young daughters. The trees are varietals that can cross-pollinate and eventually bear fruit. Last year one of the trees produced three small apples that he and the girls ceremoniously ate together one autumn afternoon.
