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Father's Day
By Deepshikha Khosla
This is a day to celebrate fatherhood. Celebrated all over the
world, this is a day for remembering, honoring and thanking your
father. His physical presence in your life may not have been as
constant as your mother¡¯s; nevertheless, he was there when you
gave your first shrill cry, announcing your arrival in this world, he
was there when you took your first step, he was there when you
cut your first tooth, he also spent his share of sleepless nights so
that you could be comfortable¡..he was there for all your precious
moments, the ones you recall and the ones that you do not. And
you can count on him to be there whenever you next need him.
Father¡¯s Day is your chance to let him know how much you
appreciate all that he¡¯s done.
The idea of creating a day when children could express
appreciation and gratitude to their fathers was born in Spokane,
Washington. Sonora Smart Dodd, the eldest of six siblings was the
daughter of William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran. He raised
his children as a single parent after his wife died in childbirth.
Sonora revered her father and wanted him to know how very
special he was.
When Sonora was growing up, Mother¡¯s Day was already an
established date on the calendar. In 1909, when listening to a
Mother¡¯s Day sermon, the idea of Father¡¯s Day took seed in her
mind. She gradually gained support from the local community, and
was able to realize her dream in June 1910. She initially suggested
June 5 of that year for the establishment of Father¡¯s Day as it was
also the anniversary of her beloved father¡¯s death. However, due
to certain reasons, the celebrations could not be organized in time
to meet the June 5 deadline. They finally took place on June19,
1910, which was her father¡¯s birthday. Spokane, Washington, was
the first city to celebrate Father¡¯s Day.
Support for this celebration was good in the years to come. In
1924, President Calvin Coolidge declared the third Sunday in June
as Father¡¯s Day. The National Father¡¯s Day committee was formed
in New York in 1926. 1956 saw this day being recognized by a Joint
Resolution of Congress. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson
declared that the third Sunday of June would be celebrated as a
Father¡¯s Day holiday. The holiday was made official by President
Richard Nixon in 1972. By the time Sonora Smart Dodd died in
March 1978, her dream had been truly realized.
The official Father¡¯s Day flower is the rose (red for living father and
white for deceased).
The traditional gift is a necktie.
Here are a few ideas on how to celebrate Father¡¯s Day and make it
extra special for your dad:
Surprise him with breakfast in bed.
Make a card for him with your own hands.
Give mom the day off and treat both your parents to a nice home
cooked meal with your dad¡¯s favorites on the menu.
If he likes flowers, send him a whole bunch.
Secretly do his chores for him and watch that look of surprise on
his face!
Write him a loving letter, telling him how much you care.
About the Author
Learn about the history of Fathers' Day and get some great gift ideas at http://www.fathersdayhome.us.
Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/16399.html
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