With summer drawing near and the weather warming up, our neighborhoods come alive with the sights and sounds of the season: lawnmowers, power tools and backyard barbecues, to name a few.
For many people, those things all bring to mind one specific person: Dad. And since Father’s Day is just around the corner, we at Absolute Insurance want to give you some history on the holiday.
The history of Father’s Day
Marked on the third Sunday of June in the United States, Father’s Day was first celebrated in 1910 to complement Mother’s Day. According to Wikipedia, the day was created by Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, who wanted to honor her father, Civil War veteran, William Jackson Smart.
Although Dodd initially suggested June 5th, the anniversary of her Father’s death to be the designated day to celebrate Father’s Day, it was decided to celebrate on the third Sunday in June.
Although Mother’s Day has been an official national holiday since 1914, Father’s Day had a tougher road. Congress refused to make the celebration official in the years immediately following Dodd’s first observance, fearing that the day would become commercialized. Some would say those fears were well-founded; the creator of Mother’s Day later came to regret the commercialization of that holiday.
It wasn’t until 1966 that Father’s Day received an official proclamation, thanks to President Lyndon B. Johnson. And six years later, President Richard Nixon signed a law making the day a national holiday.
As with all gifts go, it’s the thought that counts. We’re sure your dad will appreciate just simply being appreciated. And, if you’re a dad yourself, Happy Father’s Day!