STORYHEART SUNDAY UK BLOG - What is Fathers Day ?

First I must state, that "FATHERS DAY" is not one of my favorite days, and this coming from a Father. However for those of you who have read my blog MOTHERS DAY ACROSS THE POND, you know that I am not happy about America changing MOTHERS DAY. Fathers day is just another add on that the US has added to the card sellers calendar. After that of course it was Grandmothers day right down to second cousin twice removed day.

Despite that I thought I would go into the origins of Fathers Day.

There are two possible origins to Fathers Day:

The first observance of Father's Day is believed to have been held on July 5, 1908 in a church located in Fairmont, West Virginia, by Dr. Robert Webb of West Virginia at the Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South of Fairmont. The church still exists under the name of Central United Methodist Church.

The better known origin however is that it was started in Spokane, Washington, by a lady named Sonora Smart Dodd, in 1909.

While listening to a sermon on Mothers, day, and having been raised by her father, William Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.

Dodd, had no problem with the commercialization of the holiday and endorsed several promotions to increase the amount of gifts.In this aspect she can be considered the opposite of Anna Jarvis, who actively opposed all commercialization of Mother's Day.

In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father's Day. Finally in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.

Father's Day has become a day to not only honor your father, but all men who act as a father figure. Stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers, and adult male friends are all honored on Father's Day.


What Makes A Dad

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it ... Dad

(Author is unknown)




Author of Young Adult Romance/Fiction book
Across the Pond
http://acrossthepond-storyheart.blogspot.com/
http://across-t-pond.com


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