Father’s Day Origin And Customs

By Daisy Lee

2014-05-17 00:00:00

The day Jun 15, 2014 is the Father's Day.

The Father's Day, dating back to the early 20th century in the United State, is a festival when special gratitude is sent to fathers. The date of the festival varies in different countries. The majority of countries and regions around the world celebrate the Father's Day on the third Sunday of June, including Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao. And others will do on another day. The ways of celebration are also various. However, in most of countries, the celebration is related with giving gifts, family dinner and activities.

The Origin

In 1907, the United States proposed to establish a festival to show respect to mothers. Two years later, Mrs. John Bruce Dodd argued to have a day to pay respect to the father, the head of a family, just like the Mother's Day. Mrs. Dodd's mother passed away when she was very little so that she was brought up by her father. Therefore, she loved her father very much. In 1909, the same year when she put forward with the idea, the Governor of Washington State responded to it and announced the third Sunday of June was the Father's Day. In 1916, the proposal was officially approved by President Wood Wilson. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge suggested taking the Day as a national festival so that “a closer relationship between the father and children can be established and fathers can remember their full due responsibilities.” Red or white roses are the agreed the Flower of the Father’s Day.

The identification of the Father's Day as a national festival in the United States experienced longer time than that of the Mother's Day. As the establishment of the Father's Day was supported by a lot of people, businessmen and manufacturers began finding business opportunities. They not only encouraged children to send cards to fathers, but also motivated them to buy some gifts to fathers, such as ties and socks so as to show their respect and admiration to fathers.

During the period of the World War Two, American Soldiers stationing in the UK required to get their cards for fathers and sent it back to the United States, which got response from the greeting card publishers in Britain so that they produced cards. Although the process that the public in Britain accepted the Festival was a little slower, today the country also celebrates the Father's Day on the third Sunday of June, in a similar way with that of the United States.

Customs

On the Father's Day, people chose specific flowers to show their respect to fathers. People adopted the suggestions from Mrs. Dodd so that they show their love and admiration to fathers alive through wearing red roses while people wear white rose to pay tribute to dead fathers. Later, in Vancouver, people selected to wear white lilac while Pennsylvania people used dandelion to pay respect to fathers. Red or white roses are the agreed the Flower of the Father's Day.

In addition, the breakfast on the Father's Day is made by children so that parents need not get up early that day. Children will prepare the breakfast and bring it to the room for their parents.
 

The Date of the Father's Day in Different Countries and Regions Worldwide

Read More:

• How to Celebrate Father's Day in China
• Father's Day Flowers Delivery China