Father’s Day is this weekend.
The holiday, created to honor dads, father figures and paternal bonds across the nation, marks a day symbolizing love and appreciation for all they do.
So what exactly is the day’s origin? When was the first Father’s Day celebrated?
Here’s what to know about the holiday and where it got its start:
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When is Father’s Day?
Although it’s not recognized as a federal holiday, Father’s Day is celebrated each year on the third Sunday in June.
This year if falls on June 18th.
When was the first Father’s Day?
The first Father’s Day was celebrated in 1910, but it took more than six decades for the day to become official.
The holiday piggybacked off Mother’s Day, which became a commercial holiday in 1908. By 1914, Mother’s Day was made official by President Woodrow Wilson, who said the second Sunday of May would be dedicated to honoring “that tender, gentle army, the mothers of America.”
The country was slower to honor fathers on a particular day.
However in 1916, Wilson recognized Father’s Day, and in 1924, President Calvin Coolidge urged states to observe the holiday.
Finally in 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson made the first presidential proclamation that honored fathers, designating the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day.
Who started Father’s Day?
According to History.com, after hearing a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909, a Spokane, Washington woman was inspired to create a similar holiday that celebrated fathers.
Sonora Smart Dodd, who was born in 1882, is recognized as the founder of Father’s Day. Dodd, who died in 1978, was raised by a twice married, twice widowed Civil War veteran with 14 children. As a result, she wanted to honor “loving service” of fathers.
In 1910, she brought a petition before the Spokane Ministerial Alliance to recognize “the courage and devotion of all fathers” like William Dodd on June 5, her dad’s birthday. As reported by History.com, the local clergy liked the idea of a special Father’s Day service, but couldn’t pull something together so quickly, so they settled for the third Sunday in June.
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How do people celebrate Father’s Day?
People celebrate the holiday by showing dads they appreciate them through gifts, taking them out to eat or just simply spending time with them.
If the day crept up on you, here are 15 last minute card ideas for dad as well as 40 Father’s Day gift ideas for 2023.
Contributing: Olivia Munson
Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.
