Father’s Day is a time to honor the men who are important to them. For kids, it’s an opportunity to show their appreciation for their father figures and their fathers. For adults, it’s an opportunity to show how that they appreciate and love the work and dedication of husbands and fathers throughout their life. Although we are all aware of Father’s Day, we may not be aware of the origins of this custom. It’s surprising that this celebration was not widely recognized initially. Over time, however it became popular to think of the impact fathers had on their families, particularly in the lives of their children.
What is the reason we celebrate Father’s Day?
Based on the History Channel, Sonora Smart Dodd, a woman who was from Spokane, Washington, was the original founder of Father’s Day. She was the sixth of six children who were raised by her father who had died. Her mother had passed away during six of the children she gave birth to. In the years since Mother’s Day was established in 1908, Sonora Smart Dodd wanted to create a similar holiday for fathers. To spread her concept of honoring fathers on one time, Sonora visited local churches as well as the YMCA and spoke to shopkeepers and officials to get the support needed to implement this new tradition. Through her tireless efforts, Sonora found success when Washington State celebrated the first Father’s Day on June 19 1910.
Although Mother’s Day gained momentum right away, it took many years to Father’s Day to be nationally acknowledged as a holiday. The years 1916-1924 were the first when presidents Wilson as well as Calvin Coolidge showed support for Father’s Day. The president Coolidge even advised states to recognize the holiday. However, it wasn’t until several decades after the day Father’s Day would be recognized as an official holiday of the United States. In 1966 the year of the president Lyndon B. Johnson signed an executive proclamation naming the third Sunday of the month of June to be Father’s Day. In 1972 the president Nixon eventually established a permanent national holiday of Father’s Day.
One reason why it took this long Father’s Day to become a national holiday was due to an absence of support among males. Men felt that the traditional holiday celebrations of gifts and floral arrangements didn’t reflect their masculinity. Others believed that it was a tactic for stores to make money off another holiday and pressure families into spending more through buying gifts that were not needed. Through the 1930s and 1920s an organization actually tried to eliminate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. The supporters of the movement called for the replacement of these celebrations by Parent’s Day, in which both parents are honored. Despite the efforts of the movement, Mother’s Day stayed on the calendar as did Father’s Day would eventually be added to the calendar of the nation.
Why should we celebrate Father’s Day?
Despite the controversy that began around Father’s Day, society has been waking up to dads’ importance. In the beginning of 1900 fathers didn’t get much recognition for their influence in their child’s lives. Actually, the majority of psychological research on parenting concentrated their studies on mothers. In 1970, psychological researchers began realizing that fathers are important.
In recent studies, Psychology Today has found that “children who have an involved father are more likely to be emotionally secure, be confident to explore their surroundings, and, as they grow older, have better social connections…Numerous studies find that an active and nurturing style of fathering is associated with better verbal skills, intellectual functioning, and academic achievement among adolescents.”
The bottom line is that children who have engaged dads tend be healthy socially, emotionally as well as intellectually. When children are faced with challenges having a father who is involved assists them in managing their emotions and behavior better than children whose parents are not present.
Furthermore that children with absent fathers have a higher likelihood to be involved in risky behavior. This is the reason there is a demand for male mentors at elementary schools.
While mothers are often regarded as primary caregivers however, the landscape is changing. More women are given greater opportunities in the workplace and fathers are increasingly involved in raising their children rather than solely taking care of the family. Fathers of today are working tirelessly to care for their families by taking care of their own needs, helping with household chores and spending time with their children.
Sometimes, our fathers don’t come there to share the joy. If your father is deceased or is still alive, but not present or you don’t have a family member or husband but you still have the opportunity to honor the memory of a male mentor or grandfather. Consider a man who has had a positive impact on the way you live (such as an instructor, coach, or pastor) You can send an enjoyable Father’s Day. You could also celebrate the friend or neighbor who has a father during Father’s Day.
Sometimes, we don’t have good relationships or opinions regarding fatherhood with our former fathers. If you’ve suffered in the past from neglect or abuse by your father, try to spend your day thinking about your Heavenly Father who loves you and who is your perfect Father. A father who never hurts you and always be there to be there for you.
How can we celebrate Father’s Day?
There are numerous ways to celebrate our fathers. You can buy them unique presents, take them to their favorite team on the field or gift them a day to play green, or give them father’s day cards telling them how great they are.
Another option to commemorate Father’s Day is to organize an all-day cookout for the fathers of the family (e.g. uncles, brothers and even grandfathers). If you aren’t near to your family, you could also throw an evening block party in the neighborhood to celebrate fathers of the neighborhood or get together with a few close friends who have fathers.
We often think of mothers as loving, but fathers want to know the love their children have for them , and why they are awesome fathers. They want to be the heroes of the story — the ones who are the heroes and improve their spouse’s and children’s lives more enjoyable.
