Father’s Day is celebrated
on the 3rd Sunday in June.
In 2022, it’s Sunday, June 19th.
“The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get.” —Tim Russert
It took a long time for the country to make
Father’s Day a federal holiday.
Sonora Louise Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, heard a Mother’s Day sermon and thought a similar day should be set aside to honor fathers. On June 6, 1910, Dodd approached the Spokane Ministerial Association and the local Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) with her petition outlining the idea for an annual observance, and she received overwhelming support. Spokane held its first Father’s Day celebration on Sunday, June 19, 1910, with moving speeches by her own pastor and those from other area churches.
“My father didn’t do anything unusual.
He only did what dads are supposed to do—be there.” —Max Lucado
The first U.S. President to celebrate it was Woodrow Wilson in June of 1916, who opened the church services by telephone to Spokane from the Oval Office. Wilson liked the idea so much of a day of observation for fathers that he pushed to make it a national holiday (he had just made Mother’s Day official in 1915), but members of Congress resisted.
“You gotta love dads. At my wedding,
when I tripped on my wedding dress and fell flat on my face,
Dad said, “Don’t worry, you’ll do better next time.”” —Melanie White
In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge urged states to observe the day nationwide but refused to issue an official proclamation for the holiday
.
“You can tell what the best year of your father’s life was,
because they seem to freeze that clothing style and ride it out.” —Jerry Seinfeld
More than 50 years after Dodd’s initial efforts, Father’s Day was recognized as a holiday to be celebrated on the third Sunday of June by President Lyndon Johnson’s Executive Order in 1966. But it was still not officially recognized as a federal holiday until six years later, in 1972 when, during his re-election campaign, Richard Nixon signed an official proclamation setting Father’s Day permanently on the third Sunday in June nationwide.
“By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right,
he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong.” —Charles Wadsworth
Ways to honor dad on Fathers’ Day: A hearty breakfast in bed, impromptu softball game, barbecue, a day of fishing at the lake, a few hours on the links, or maybe just a sanctioned day off without the burden of errands or chores, are all perfect ways to celebrate dad.
And, if you are looking for gifts for dad….look no further than Oberlin shops and restaurants – support your local merchants while offering that special something to honor your dad, granddad, uncle, brother.
“Grandfathers are for loving and fixing things.” —Unknown
