A Gift for Father’s Day
A gift for Father’s Day is the sequel to our previous article, A Gift for Mother’s Day! We cannot forget fathers who are just as important as mothers in raising a child. Whether that father is a biological father, a step father, an adoptive father, or a grandfather he is still important in shaping the life of a child.
A Father’s Day Gift
A History of Father’s Day
So we know that Mother’s Day was created in 1908 but the idea for it came about during the Civil War. It became a national holiday in 1914 being celebrated the second Sunday of May. The first celebration of fathers was actually on July 5, 1908 in a church in West Virginia. It was held to honor the 362 men who had died at the Fairmont Coal Company mine the past December. But that was just a one time remembrance.
Sonora Smart Dodd and her Father
Then the next year, 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd, began pushing to have a day to honor all fathers. She was one of six siblings raised by her widowed father, a Civil War vet, and thought that they, too, should have a special day. She took her idea on the road and on June 19, 1910 she succeeded in getting the entire state of Washington to celebrate the first Father’s Day. In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge put out the call for all states to observe a national Father’s Day. So fast forward to the present and now fathers are celebrated on the third Sunday in June.
How did dad’s react
Well, history shows that many fathers took slowly to the idea of a day for them. They saw it as a ‘feminine’ thing and a way to sell products they ultimately ended up paying for. So in the 1920’s a movement began to combine the two days into something called a Parents’ Day. That idea died during the Great Depression. Then after WWII the day became a way to honor the returning troops. It was not until 1972 that President Richard Nixon signed the official proclamation to make Father’s Day an official national holiday.
Dad’s deserve a day to relax and some dad’s enjoy history. So if you need a gift for dad give him a gift certificate to a Civil War Bed and Breakfast. Call us at 440-774-3400.
