Father’s Day

The origin of Father’s Day begins with Sonora Smart Dodd. In 1909, after listening to a Mother’s Day sermon, she wondered why mothers were celebrated on a certain day while fathers were not. As a child raised by her father, it meant a lot to her that fathers should have a celebratory day as well. Dodd went to the Spokane Ministerial Alliance and suggested that June 5, her own father’s birthday, should be a day of honor for fathers across the country. The Spokane Ministerial Alliance decided that the third Sunday of June would become the official date for Father’s Day instead.

Celebrate this holiday by wishing your father a “Happy Father’s Day!” Call your dad, or even better, visit him and tell him how much you appreciate him. Buy your dad a card and a gift, letting him know that you’re thinking of him. Give your dad a hug and a kiss! Go to a sporting event together if he likes sports. Let your father relax at home with a drink of his choice. Give him the remote, and let him pick the channel on TV. Don’t nag him or rush him to be on time. However you decide to spend Father’s Day, remember to thank your father and honor him for all that he does.

Father’s Day Interesting Facts

• In 1910, the first Father’s Day was celebrated in Spokane, Washington.
• In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson supported the idea of a national Father’s Day but did not sign a proclamation for the holiday.
• In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson declared the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day.
• In 1972, President Richard Nixon made the Father’s Day proclamation permanent.
• There are currently an estimated 70,100,000 fathers across the United States.

Father’s Day Jokes

• Father’s Day was near when I brought my three-year-old son, Tyler, to the card store. Inside, I showed him the cards for dads and told him to pick one. Tyler quickly opened one card after another and shoved them back. “Tyler, haven’t you found a nice card for Daddy yet?” I asked. He replied, “No, I’m looking for one with money in it.”

• How do fathers exercise on the beach? They suck in their stomachs every time they see a bikini.
• How do you know your dad is planning for the future? He buys two cases of beer instead of one.
• A teacher is on the phone and says, “You say Michael has a cold and can’t come to school today? To whom am I speaking?” The voice replies, “This is my father.”

Father’s Day Quotes

• “My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: he believed in me.” – Jim Valvano
• “I’m a father; that’s what matters most. Nothing matters more.” – Gordon Brown
• “It is a wise father that knows his own child.” – William Shakespeare
• “I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection.” – Sigmund Freud
• “You don’t have to deserve your mother’s love. You have to deserve your father’s.” – Robert Frost

Father’s Day Destinations

• Go to the park for a family picnic or barbecue with your dad.
• Play a round of golf together at a nearby course.
• Travel to a lake or river and go fishing with your dad.
• Stay home and serve your father breakfast in bed if he’s not already awake.

Father’s Day is in June, which is also: Adopt-A-Cat Month, LGBT Pride Month, Great Outdoors Month, National Candy Month, and National Zoo and Aquarium Month, among others!

When is Father’s Day in 2025?

Father’s Day is celebrated annually on the third Sunday in June.

Father’s Day Observations