HISTORY OF FATHERS DAY

[Heartshome]

Although now one of our UK yearly celebration days, it actually started in America at the beginning of the 1900s,.

The first one originally being held to honour Fathers who had been killed in a mining accident, as well as those who survived.

It was a day also actively pressed for by a lady who wanted Fathers, to have their day in thanks, as did the Mothers. 

It's interesting how these things come about!!

[Athy]

I don't know when it crossed the big pond, but there was no such thing when I was a boy.

[Heartshome]

9 hours ago, Athy said:

I don't know when it crossed the big pond, but there was no such thing when I was a boy.

Hi Athy. I have found some more intriguing  info. - Apparently, European Catholics have been celebrating

Father's Day since the middle ages, originally on St Joseph's Day 19th March. An annual day of Fatherhood,

can be traced back to 1508, but it may possibly have started even earlier.

Though our modern Father's Day idea is known to have started in America in the early 1900s, it was in 1966

Lyndon B Johnson declared that the 3rd Sunday in June would be known as Father's Day,.

Then in 1972, Richard Nixon had it written in to the law.

The UK had already taken up the idea. Apparently it started to gain popularity here after the 2nd World War,

with the American influence, and by the late1960s it was well established.

I do remember my Mum celebrating Father's Day when we went to my Grandad's, giving him his favourite

Park Drive ciggi's and a bag of his favourite sweets, they were like large Fisherman's Friends. didn't half niff!

 

[Athy]

I do remember Fathers' Day cards being introduced, perhaps in the 1970s or 1980s. My parents would have nothing to do with it: "It's just a commercial thing, not a proper religious festival like Mothering Sunday" was Mum's, and therefore the family's, official line. We did observe Mothers' Day, indeed woe betide us if we didn't.

[Heartshome]

5 hours ago, Athy said:

I do remember Fathers' Day cards being introduced, perhaps in the 1970s or 1980s. My parents would have nothing to do with it: "It's just a commercial thing, not a proper religious festival like Mothering Sunday" was Mum's, and therefore the family's, official line. We did observe Mothers' Day, indeed woe betide us if we didn't.

Oh Yes! with you on that one!

Also, my Mum's birthday was 14th March, so was always very near to Mothering Sunday.

It was sometimes a bit of a dilemma as to 'which day' we should really go to town on with treats and pressies.

It did help, when my husband's family came up with the idea of taking 'both' Mum's out into Derbyshire

for tea, or out to a pub Sunday dinner. It made it a real family get together. Sadly! we have lost both Mum's & Dad's💕

[Athy]

18 hours ago, Heartshome said:

 

It was sometimes a bit of a dilemma as to 'which day' we should really go to town on with treats and pressies.

 

As I was born on December 22nd, I know what you mean.

[MartinR]

The introduction to "Mothering Sunday" on Wikipedia explains how it evolved:

Quote

 

Mothering Sunday is a day honouring mother churches, the church where one is baptised and becomes "a child of the church", celebrated since the Middle Ages in the United Kingdom, Ireland and some Commonwealth countries on the fourth Sunday in Lent. On Mothering Sunday, Christians have historically visited their mother church—the church in which they received the sacrament of baptism.

Constance Adelaide Smith revived its modern observance beginning in 1913 to honour Mother Church, 'mothers of earthly homes', the Virgin Mary (mother of Jesus), and Mother Nature. It gained popularity in response to the originally American Mother's Day. The holiday is often known as "Mother's Day" in the United Kingdom, and has become a secular celebration of mothers and motherhood.

 

So having been converted from a European religious observation it became an American "Motherhood and apple pie" type event and then slipped back across the Atlantic.  Then, as Athy noted, the card manufacturers noticed a gap in the market and Father's Day was invented.  In the '60s Dad was rather disapproving of "Mother's Day" as against "Mothering Sunday" and treated Father's Day as both Athy and Heartshome mentioned.  Mum on the other hand rather liked childish home made cards and hearts from my brother and myself!