Dr. Marion Somers
Father’s Day is celebrated annually on the third Sunday in June; in many countries around the world the celebration date maybe different. Father’s Day comes a few days before the Summer Solstice which for many is the emotional trigger for the summer season with camping and outdoor activities. It’s a way to also remember there are many children who are fatherless and this may present an opportunity for someone to take them camping, fishing or other sports related activities. The first known Father’s Day occurred after a tragic incident in 1908 where hundreds of men died in a mining accident in the US. The town did not continue with celebrating as this was considered more as a memorial for those men who died. Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd has been considered the Mother of, or creator of Father’s Day because she is noted to say she and her five siblings were raised by a single widower Father, Mr. William Smart. Her Father was a Civil War Veteran and worked his farm in Washington. Mrs. Dodd was instrumental in having Father’s Day become a US National Holiday. She chose June because that was her Father’s birth month. The first actual Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910 in the State of Washington. It was 1966 when Lyndon Johnson proclaimed the third Sunday of June to honor fathers. In addition to Father’s Day, International Men’s Day is celebrated in many countries in mid-November for men and boys who are not fathers. There was some original resistance to Father’s Day. It was stated that fathers do not have the same sentimental appeal that mothers have. In 1974 Richard Nixon proclaimed Father’s Day a National Holiday. Father’s Day honors those who have embraced the responsibility of nurturing and raising children, and for their devotion to their families.
