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Revision as of 07:48, 7 May 2003 by Menchi (talk | contribs) (Reason behind Taiwanese Father's Day)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Father's Day is supposed to be a day to celebrate fatherhood and parenting by males, as Mother's Day celebrates motherhood and mothering. Retailers encourage the giving of hardware, tools and other suitable gifts on the day.
The driving force behind the establishment of a celebration of Father's Day was Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd whose father, Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, had raised his six children as a single parent in Spokane, Washington. She was inspired by Anna Jarvis's efforts to establish Mother's Day. Although she initially suggested June 5, the anniversary of her father's death, for the celebration, the deferal to the third Sunday in June was a simple case of her not providing the organizers enough time to make arrangements. Unofficial support was immediate and widespread, and included William Jennings Bryan. Woodrow Wilson was personally so feted by his family in 1916, and Calvin Coolidge recommended it in 1924. The all male U. S. Congress, however, was mindful that to pass a such measure that was so favorable to males could be seen as a conflict of interest. The effect was that the day was not officially recognized until the presidency of Richard Nixon in 1972.
Father's Day is celebrated in many countries around the world, but not always on the same day. In Australia and New Zealand, Father's Day is not celebrated in June, but rather on the first Sunday in September. The traditional Taiwanese Father's Day falls on August 8, because the date are homophones with the word for father in Mandarin Chinese, baba.