Father’s Day: 11 Facts You Might Not Have Known

Father’s Day is a holiday of honouring fatherhood and paternal bonds, as well as the influence of fathers in society.

This holiday is celebrated on different dates around the world, but the majority of nations celebrate this day on the third Sunday of June annually. There’s probably a lot that you don’t know about Father’s Day, but today my aim is to change that.

Here are 11 Facts You Might Not Have Known About Father’s Day

1. In Catholic countries of Europe, the holiday has been celebrated on the 19th of March as Saint Joseph’s Day since the Middle Ages. Andorra, Angola, Bolivia, Croatia, Honduras, Italy, Liechenstein, Mozambique, Portugal and Spain still celebrate the holiday on this day.

2. In the United States, Father’s Day was founded by Sonora Smart Dodd. It was first celebrated on the first Sunday in June in 1910.

Dodd wanted to honor her father, a veteran who had, as a single parent, raised his six children. The holiday had a 64-year long road to becoming an officially recognized holiday. It was only proclaimed as an official holiday by President Richard Nixon in 1972.

3. According to Hallmark, Father’s Day is the fourth-largest card-sending occasion with 72 million cards given every year.

4. In some countries, the rose is the flower of Father’s Day. Wearing a red rose signifies a living father, while a white one represents a deceased father.

5. Russia celebrates the occasion every 23rd of April as Defender of the Fatherland Day.

6. In Thailand, the king’s birthday (the 5th of December) also serves as National Father’s Day. The celebration includes fireworks, speeches, and acts of charity and honor.

7. In Germany, the holiday is celebrated differently from other parts of the world. Männertag (Men’s day) is celebrated by getting drunk with wagons of beer and indulging in regional food. Police and emergency services are in high alert during the day.

8. Cards for this holiday go farther back than Hallmark. One of the earliest dates back roughly 4,000 years. Elmesu, a Babylonian youngster, carved a card out of clay to “wish his father good health and long life.”

9. The necktie is traditionally the most popular gift for this holiday.

10. There are more phone calls made in the United States on Mother’s Day than on this holiday. However, the percentage of collect calls on Father’s Day is much higher. According to Snopes.com, the holiday is actually the busiest day of the year for collect calls!

11. Google has showcased Father’s Day-themed doodles on its main page since 2000. Three starred Dad sleeping in a hammock; four featured ties.

Well, there you have it, interesting facts you might not have known about Father’s Day. If I left out anything important, enlighten me with a comment in the space provided below.

Watch this space for updates in the History category on Interesting Facts.

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