Saturday, June 19, 2010

Happy Father's Day Dads!



June 20, 2010 - Father's Day in the United States is a 100 year tradition this year.


The idea of Father’s Day was conceived by Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Wash., while she listened to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart, a widowed Civil War veteran who was left to raise his six children on a farm. A day in June was chosen for the first Father’s Day celebration—June 19, 1910, proclaimed by Spokane’s mayor because it was the month of William Smart’s birth. The first presidential proclamation honoring fathers was issued in 1966 when President Lyndon Johnson designated the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. Father’s Day has been celebrated annually since 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed the public law that made it permanent.

Census bureau and other statistics
66.3 million estimated number of fathers in the United States today.
26.4 million fathers with children under 18 and wives in a family setting.
 2.3 million single fathers living with their children, 18%. 
4.6 million fathers provide child support, and 84% of all child-support providers are men, who provide median payments of $3,600 annually.
143,000 "stay-at-home" dads (married fathers with children under 15 years old) have remained outside the labor force more than one year primarily to care for the family while their wives work outside the home.
32% of fathers who regularly worked evening or night shifts and were the primary source of care for their preschoolers during their children’s mother’s working hours.
73 % of Americans plan to celebrate or acknowledge Father’s Day.
102 million number of Father’s Day cards expected to be given this year in the United States, making Father’s Day the fifth-largest card-sending occasion. (Source: Hallmark research), 50% of  Father’s Day cards are purchased by sons or daughters, 20% by wives for husbands, the remaining cards are bought for grandfathers, sons, brothers, uncles and "someone special." 

Note: the above article is from Live Science-Father's Day, a link from Father's Day Turns 100, how did it begin?  "Father's Day Turns 100" (the source article) is dated 6/18/2010, and although Live Science.com is generally reliable, the link statistics (above) were not dated, not fully referenced, therefore possibly an indicator only.  Meantime, I sent Live Science an email to that affect, and should they respond their email will be added to comments.      

Other References
Various traditions, dates celebrated, history around the world (scroll down), Sometimes Wikipedia is the best source.
The tradition of celebrating a "father's day" may date back thousands of years (source quick, but not referenced).  Celebrating fathers, a long tradition.

Photograph source above from Father's Day Celebration.
USA Today newspaper article 6/16/2010 Dad's not living with children find ways to be involved.

Government quick reference:  Mother's Day and Father's Day.

Posted by Kathy Meeh 


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