Father’s Day is the third Sunday of June and here are some facts about our dads and the holiday to honor them.
* June 15th is the earliest date on which Father’s Day can fall.
* There are approximately 70 million dads in the United States.
* The Census Bureau estimates that there were around 189,000 stay-at-home dads in 2012 caring for around 369,000 children.
FATHER’S DAY GIFTS
* We shell out for our dads. The National Retails Federation expects people to spend an average of $113 on Father’s Day gifts. That figure is down around
$6 from last year. Sorry, dads, though I suspect that some of you will appreciate the new-found frugality.
* Total spending is expected to reach $12.5 billion.
* Giving dad a tie for Father’s Day is not just a cliche, it’s a pretty common practice. In fact, 40% of those giving a gift this Father’s Day will give an item of clothing, most likely a tie or sweater.
HISTORY OF FATHER’S DAY
* Father’s Day began in Spokane, Washington, in 1910. Sonora Dodd decided to create a day equivalent to Mother’s Day to honor William Smart, a widower who raised six children on a farm.
* Dads haven’t always loved the holiday. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge urged states to observe Father’s Day but men resisted, some saying that they didn’t want to be domesticated or, as often the sole breadwinner in the home at that time period, have to pay for a gift for themselves.
* The holiday gained popularity in the 1940’s during World War II when retailers promoted it as a way to support the troops, many of whom were fathers, as well as support the war effort.
* President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first Presidential proclamation honoring fathers on the third Sunday in June in 1966. Six years later, President Richard Nixon signed the public law that made the holiday permanent.
Have a fabulous time celebrating the important dads and father figures in your life! Happy Father’s Day!
Sources: The U.S. Census Bureau, The National Retail Federation and History.com
Please like Mom Factually on Facebook.
