🎉 Celebrating Dad: The Origins of Father's Day 👔

While Mother's Day was embraced relatively quickly as a national holiday, the path to establishing Father's Day was a bit more winding. It all began with a heartfelt idea inspired by Mother's Day itself. 💡

In 1909, in Spokane, Washington, Sonora Smart Dodd proposed the concept of a day dedicated to fathers. Her inspiration stemmed from her deep admiration for her father, William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran who single-handedly raised her and her five siblings after their mother's passing. 💪👨‍👧‍👦 Dodd felt strongly that fathers, like mothers, deserved a special day of recognition for their dedication and sacrifices. 🧡

The first Father's Day celebration took place on June 19, 1910, in Spokane. Dodd worked tirelessly, gaining support from local churches, the YMCA, and businesses to make the day a reality. 🙌⛪ She initially proposed June 5th, her father's birthday, but the third Sunday in June was chosen to allow more time after Mother's Day. 📅

Despite its beginnings, Father's Day didn't gain immediate national recognition. Some saw it as unnecessary or even a commercial gimmick, and it wasn't until much later that it gained official status. 🕰️ Presidents Woodrow Wilson in 1916 and Calvin Coolidge in 1924 showed support for the idea, but it wasn't until 1966 that President Lyndon B. Johnson designated the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. 🏛️ Finally, in 1972, President Richard Nixon signed a law making Father's Day a permanent national holiday. 📝🇺🇸

Father's Day, while not instantly embraced like its maternal counterpart, eventually became a cherished holiday, thanks to the persistent efforts of Sonora Smart Dodd and those who believed in celebrating the vital role fathers play in our lives. ❤️👨

🛍️ This year, celebrate your dad and all the fathers who make a difference in your life with a vibrant tie-dye shirt from the Tie Dyed Shop. 🌈👕