From humble beginnings...

Father's Day is now an important date in the British calendar, but like many of the newer occasions celebrated in the UK the day originated in America. Sonora Dodd thought of the idea in Washington in 1909 after listening to a sermon on Mother's Day in Church. Sonora had been raised by her father William Smart following the death of her mother and wanted to show him how special he was to her.

As William Smart was born in June, Sonora elected to hold the first celebratory Father's Day in her hometown of Washington on 19 June, 1910. She would surely have been very surprised to know how the day originally conceived for her father would be adopted as a day for fathers across the world more than a hundred years later!

Officially recognised

The idea slowly took off and in 1926 a national committee for Father's Day was created in New York. The day was later recognised by Congress itself in 1956 and in 1972 President Nixon agreed that there should be a permanent national day to celebrate and observe Father's Day. It was agreed that Father's Day would be held in the third week of June each year. So Sonora's idea grew to become a long-standing national tradition where children celebrate and honour the roles that their fathers have in their lives.

Moving to the UK

Father's Day then started to be recognised around the world, although different cultures initially viewed it differently. With men traditionally being seen as the macho providers, the celebration was initially parodied and mocked. Some people also felt that the day was simply a ruse by greetings card manufacturers and other retailers to sell more products and add another celebration day to the calendar. However, Father's Day is now over a century old and celebrated in the UK on the same date as it is in the US. In the UK it is traditional now to give your father a card and maybe a present, or perhaps to take him out for the day. Increasingly with modern lives being so busy and fraught, Father's Day is thought of as a good opportunity for fathers and their children to spend some quality time together and for this reason the day is celebrated on a Sunday.

Celebrated around the world

Australia and New Zealand mark Father's Day in September, while in Belgium and Spain the day is celebrated on 10 March. Other countries such as Sweden mark the occasion in winter. The day has also been extended recently to celebrate and mark the involvement that different male figures have in a child's life - including uncles, step fathers, granddads and other family friends and male relatives. It is common for little gifts such as socks or mugs to be given in the UK, with a wide variety of gifts going on sale in shops weeks before the event itself. Wherever you live in the world, Father's Day is a great excuse to pamper your dad and let him know just how special he is in your life.