This Holidays

Writen by Gail Leino

In 1909, Sonora Dodd, a resident of Spokane, Washington was listening to a Sunday sermon on Mother's Day and realized that there was no equivalent holiday at which fathers were honored. Ms. Dodd was extremely fond of her father, a Civil War Veteran by the name of William Jackson Smart. Ms. Dodd's mother had died during childbirth and Mr. Smart had raised the newborn and five other children entirely by himself. As Ms. Dodd had matured, she recognized the amazing amounts of sacrifice that her father had made on behalf of his children. Ms. Dodd became nothing short of consumed with offering a form of ceremony to honor her father and others like him. She organized and hosted the first Father's Day celebration on June 19, 1910 in her hometown of Spokane.

Civic and Community leaders supported Ms. Dodd's concept of a Father's Day holiday and took the matter to the U.S. Congress. A resolution was passed and in 1924, President Calvin Coolidge signed a proclamation that recommended Father's Day be celebrated as a national holiday. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson named the third Sunday of June as the holiday to be known as Father's Day. However, it was not officially recognized until 1972 when President Richard Nixon established Father's Day as a permanent national holiday.

As Father's Day has continued to be celebrated in the United States, other countries have also began to celebrate. Father's Day offers a great opportunity for children to reflect on the invaluable role fathers have in helping to shape the character of children. Beyond just honoring fathers, the holiday has been expanded to offer tribute to grandfathers, stepfathers, foster fathers, uncles or any other men seen by children to have been "like a father" to them in shaping their beliefs, character and development.

Father's Day is generally celebrated by picnics, family get-togethers, and special dinner parties. A personal necktie is by far the most common gift presented to fathers on Father's Day. A party of special dinner can be easily put together using a Father's Day or necktie theme with the help of an on-line party supply specialist – with their great supply of party accessories it can make your Father's Day picnic a great family celebration.