The Origins of Father’s Day

Most of us celebrate Father’s Day without any knowledge of its roots. Its origins stem all the way back to July 5, 1908 when a church in West Virginia dedicated the day to fathers. The church conducted a special sermon to honor 362 men who perished in Monogah’s Fairmount Coal Company mine explosion. Many of these men were beloved as fathers and husbands. Unfortunately, the church’s push to honor fathers did not gain steam right away. At the time, it was viewed as a one-time celebration.

How the Movement to Celebrate Father’s Day Gained Traction

Fast forward to 1909, and the movement to honor our hardworking and loving fathers began to gain some momentum. Sonora Smart Dodd, a resident of Spokane, Washington, attempted to establish a formal equivalent of the already existing Mother’s Day. Dodd felt a particular devotion to her father, a widower who raised six children by himself. Dodd made the rounds, traveling to area churches, businesses, government offices and the YMCA in an attempt to build support.

Mainstream Acceptance of Father’s Day

Dodd’s hard work eventually paid off in a big way. The state of Washington held the country’s first ever Father’s Day one year later on July 19, 1910. As time progressed, the holiday spread across the United States. President Woodrow Wilson took time out to honor Father’s Day in 1916 with the use of telegraph signals that displayed a flag in Spokane when a button was pressed in Washington D.C. About eight years later, President Calvin Coolidge requested that state governments across the country officially honor Father’s Day as a legitimate holiday.

Roots Worth Considering
Give Father’s Day’s origins some thought as you honor your dad or grandfather in 2016 and beyond. You might even want to share the stories told above with them. Most fathers have no idea that Father’s Day wasn’t an official holiday until the early 20th century. This background certainly adds some much needed context to the special day.