Origins of Father’s Day

The first known celebration of Father's Day in the United States occurred in Spokane, Washington, in 1910, initiated by Sonora Smart Dodd. Dodd's father, William Jackson Smart, was a Civil War veteran and a single parent who raised six children. Inspired by Mother's Day celebrations, Dodd proposed a day to honor fathers like her own. Due to the fear of its commercialization, Father’s Day was not officially recognized as a national holiday in the United States until 1972, when U.S. President Richard Nixon signed it into law. Other celebrations honoring fathers have been occurring as far back as the Middle Ages (See Italy’s Saint Joseph’s Day below).

Father’s Day Around Our World

Ideas to Honor Our Fathers

We queried ChatGPT about policies that best support fathers and families… a few areas to pay attention to in your village:

• Paternal, Maternal and Child Healthcare Access and Quality

• Paternity and Maternity Leave

• Childcare Support

• Gender Equality

• Education Opportunities

• Work-Life Balance

Or, find and support a direct mutual aid initiative in your village that supports fathers and their families.

Or, in our own homes, perhaps for each birthday, we can center our mothers and fathers in our celebrations, because, in reality, in many cases, they did the hard work that day, and each day there after…

Related Say ¿Qué? Designs: Top Spoken Languages

More translations of “DAD” based on top languages spoken in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and Canada are displayed below.

More Say ¿Qué? Designs Available on TeePublic

Thank you [Xièxiè (谢谢), Dhanyavaad (धन्यवाद), Gracias, Merci, Shkran lak (شكرًا لك), Dhan'yabāda (ধন্যবাদ), Obrigado, Spasibo (Спасибо), Shukriya (شکریہ), Asante) for reading!

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