Posted June 14th, 2017
By Kris Powers
In the United States, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June. The holiday provides a time to celebrate the contribution that fathers and father figures make in our lives.
A woman called Sonora Smart Dodd was an influential figure in the establishment of Father's Day. After the death of her mother, her father raised six children by himself. This was very uncommon at that time, as many widowers placed their children in the care of others or quickly married again.
Sonora felt that her father deserved recognition for what he had done and was inspired by the work of Anna Jarvis, who had pushed for Mother's Day celebrations. Although the first Father's Day was held in 1910, it was officially recognized as a holiday in 1972 when Richard Nixon signed a proclamation making it a federal holiday at last. Today, economists estimate that Americans spend more than $1 billion each year on Father’s Day gifts.
In a piece written for CNN, author David G. Allan writes, “Just as vital to a person's development and success are attentive, diverse father figures: the other men who come into our lives at the right time, with the right gifts, to help guide our lives in the right direction. They don't even need to be fathers themselves to do that. They are mentors, teachers, bosses, relatives, neighbors.”
Take the time to celebrate and honor the father figures in your life, this Father’s Day and every day!
