In 1909 a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea of a day to honor fathers while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon. She wanted a way to let her father, William Smart, know how special he was to her. William Smart, who was a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife died while giving birth to their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state. In the eyes of his daughter, he was seen as a courageous, selfless, and loving man.
In 1909, Mrs. Dodd approached her own minister and others in Spokane about having a church service dedicated to fathers on June 5, her father’s birthday. That date was too soon for her minister to prepare the service, so he spoke a few weeks later on June 19th. From then on, the state of Washington celebrated the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. Children and youth made special desserts, or visited their fathers if they lived apart. Instead of desserts, many of today’s youth get dad a necktie, which is the most common Father’s Day gift. Besides a greeting card, dinner, sporting events, and wallets and belts are also popular gift ideas.
President Calvin Coolidge, in 1924, supported the idea of a national Father’s Day in the United States. Then in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father’s Day. President Richard Nixon signed the law which finally made it permanent in 1972.
Holiday CollectionGames and Activities in Celebration of common Holidays.
Creative Holiday Ideas has over 300 pages of ideas to help you plan your next New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Halloween or Fall Festival, and Thanksgiving event. If you’ve ever wondered what you’re going to do for all these holidays and how you’re going to do it, this resource is for you.
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