Every third Sunday of June is Fathers’ Day, a day set aside to celebrate fathers all over the world and the special place they have in their children’s lives.
It is celebrated in more than 50 countries around the world. Other countries have different days. For example, Australia and New Zealand mark the day in September.
The day is believed to have been commemorated in church in West Virginia, USA, for the very first time in July 5, 1908 by Dr Robert Webb.
However, Sonora Smart Dodd of Washington, USA, was the first person to think of an official day to celebrate fathers. This thought came to her as she listened to a Mothers’ Day Sermon in 1909.
Sonora’s father had brought her up after her mother died and she wanted him to know how important he was to her. Her father was born in June, so she celebrated her father’s day on June 19, 1910.
Fathers’ Day became official in 1966 when the then US president Lyndon Johnson issued a proclamation making the day a Federal Holiday.
From that time on, the celebration of Fathers’ Day has spread around the world. The day complements Mothers’ Day, a day when we appreciate our mothers and all that they have done for us. It is celebrated in March and May, depending on different countries’ choice.
—Ferdinand Mwongela
