100 Years of Father’s Day

Histories

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Our Victorian forefathers would not have understood the meaning of Father’s Day, because it wasn’t until 1908 that the first Fathers Day commemoration took place.

I choose the word commemoration rather than celebration, as this first Father’s Day occurred on 5th July 1908 as a memorial service for 361 men killed in the Monongah, West Virginia, mine disaster on 7th December the previous year. The disaster left over 250 widows and 1,000 orphans and a service for the departed fathers was held at the Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South.

The following year Sonara Dodd, so the story goes, while listening to a sermon at her local church thought that her father a Civil War veteran who as a single parent had raised her and her five brothers and sisters, should be celebrated as a father on the anniversary of his death on 5th June. Time did not allow for such a swift arrangement and a Father’s Day service was held the next year on the 19th June 1910 in Spokane, WA.

President Calvin Coolidge recommended it as a national holiday in 1924; in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson made it a holiday to be celebrated on the third Sunday of June, although this was not officially recognised in the USA until 1972, during the presidency of Richard Nixon.

Quite appropriately the day is now celebrated in many countries of the world, as many of the miners killed in Monongah were Italian, Slavic and Greek immigrants.

Today, Father’s Day can be celebrated in many ways. A few simple pleasures are always appreciated, such as a cup of tea or coffee, or even breakfast in bed. Many Dads’ will be delighted if someone washed the car or mowed the lawn for them.

If you wish to give a gift a simple engraved message on a piece of solid silver jewellery or similar item will be a year-round reminder of the day. Engraved silver cufflinks make a great gift for men who wear shirts with double cuffs, also known as French cuffs, regularly. If he likes a glass of wine, Silver Wine Coasters and Silver Decanter Coasters would make a very acceptable gift.

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