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The creation of a national
day for Dads began back in the 1900s when a grateful daughter wanted to
express her deep appreciation for her own father. A gentleman by the name
of William Smart, a civil war veteran, was widowed when his wife died in
childbirth. Mr. Smart raised his six children on a rural farm in eastern
Washington State. When Sonora Louise Smart Dodd, one of Mr. Smart's
children, was grown she wanted to show her appreciation for her father. He
had shown her a great love and strength in raising her and her siblings as
a single parent. So, in 1909, she proposed a day to honor her father in
June (the month of her father's birth).
The very first Fathers' Day followed on June 19, 1910 in Spokane,
Washington. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge showed support of this
becoming a national holiday. However, it wasn't until 1966 when President
Lyndon Johnson officially proclaimed Fathers' Day a national holiday to be
celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of June.
Harry C. Meek, president of the Lions Club in Chicago, was also a
component in establishing Fathers' Day. He gave several speeches around
the United States expressing the need for a day to honor our fathers. In
1920 the Lions Clubs of America presented him with a gold watch, with the
inscription "Originator of Fathers' Day".
Traditions
- If
your father is living, wear a red rose.
- If your father has
passed away, wear a white rose.
- The very creative tie
as a gift.
- A cookout usually.
prepared by Dad himself.
- Tell your Dad how much
you love him--and why.
- Give him a great
big hug.
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