
She went to local churches, the YMCA, shopkeepers and government officials to drum up support for her idea, and she was successful: Washington State celebrated the nation’s first statewide Father’s Day on June 19, 1910. The next year, a Spokane, Washington, woman named Sonora Smart Dodd, one of six children raised by a widower, tried to establish an official equivalent to Mother’s Day for male parents. On July 5, 1908, a West Virginia church sponsored the nation’s first event explicitly in honor of fathers, a Sunday sermon in memory of the 362 men who had died in the previous December’s explosions at the Fairmont Coal Company mines in Monongah, but it was a one-time commemoration and not an annual holiday. The campaign to celebrate the nation’s fathers did not meet with the same enthusiasm–perhaps because, as one florist explained, “fathers haven’t the same sentimental appeal that mothers have.” In 1909, 45 states observed the day, and in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson approved a resolution that made the second Sunday in May a holiday in honor of “that tender, gentle army, the mothers of America.” Origins of Father’s Day

Thanks in large part to this association with retailers, who saw great potential for profit in the holiday, Mother’s Day caught on right away. However, Mother’s Day did not become a commercial holiday until 1908, when–inspired by Jarvis’s daughter, Anna Jarvis, who wanted to honor her own mother by making Mother’s Day a national holiday–the John Wanamaker department store in Philadelphia sponsored a service dedicated to mothers in its auditorium. During the 1860s, at the urging of activist Ann Reeves Jarvis, one divided West Virginia town celebrated “Mother’s Work Days” that brought together the mothers of Confederate and Union soldiers.ĭid you know? There are more than 70 million fathers in the United States. The “ Mother’s Day” we celebrate today has its origins in the peace-and-reconciliation campaigns of the post- Civil War era. About Father's Day in Other CountriesRead more about Father's Day.Mother’s Day: Inspiration for Father’s Day Regardless, the popularity of Fathers’ Day has spread to countries such as Mexico. – some say it was first celebrated in Washington on June 19, 1910, while others believe it was celebrated in West Virginia on July 5, 1908. The modern Fathers’ Day origin is believed to have come from the U.S. The June solstice occurs around the same time of year as Father's Day so some people see a link between the two. Some branches of paganism see the Sun as the father of the universe. There are some suggestions that the idea of Father's Day may stem from the pagan sun worship. Public Lifeįathers’ Day is an observance and not a federal public holiday in Mexico. Most schools have special events, such as pot-luck lunches, hand-made artwork on display, children singing songs, or school plays.


Father’s Day community activities, including fun runs, are held in some cities. Cards, chocolates, artwork, t-shirts, and other presents are given to fathers and father-like role models on this day. Like Mothers’ Day and Children’s Day in Mexico, Fathers’ Day is a family-centric observance. It falls on Sunday, 18 June 2023 and most businesses follow regular Sunday opening hours in Mexico.ĭads in Mexico celebrate Fathers' Day on the third Sunday in June. It is also observed in other countries.įather's Day is not a public holiday.
