By: Judy Penz Sheluk

As seen in The Antique Shoppe Newspaper June 2006 

"When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant
I could hardly stand to have the old man around.
But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at
how much the old man had learned in seven years." Mark Twain (1835-1910).

Although the first 'official' Father's Day was celebrated in the 20th century, the intention can be traced back 4,000 years, when a young Babylonian named Elmesu carved a message for his father. The message, carved in clay, wished his father good health and a long life.

While subsequent generations were certain to have wished their fathers well, it was not until 1909 that the concept of Father's Day was born  - and it was Mother's Day that actually provided its inspiration. The idea first occurred to Sonora Dodd, who was listening to a Mother's Day sermon at her church in Spokane, Washington. During the service, Dodd thought about the sacrifices her father, Henry William Jackson Smart, had made, single handedly raising six children after his wife had died in childbirth.

Dodd encouraged churches in her area to honor fathers on a separate day from Mother's Day, and selected June, the month of her Father's birth. Through her efforts, the first Father's Day was celebrated in Spokane, Washington on the third Sunday of June in 1910.

Over the next few years, similar celebrations started up around the country, and Harry C Meek, president of the Lions Club in Chicago, supported the adoption of Father's Day by giving several speeches around the United States. In 1920, the Lions Clubs of America presented Meek with a gold watch inscribed "Originator of Fathers' Day."

In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge showed support of Father's Day, but although Congress passed several resolutions in favor of a national day, it did not become an official U.S. holiday until much later. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the third Sunday of June as Father's Day. The law was finally signed by President Richard Nixon in 1972, making its recognition permanent.

According to the National Retail Federation, over 70 percent of American consumers now celebrate Father's Day, and greeting cards are the number one purchase to signify the occasion. In fact, Father's Day is the fourth-largest card-sending occasion with nearly 101 million Father's Day cards expected to be given this year in the United States alone.

Of these, about half are purchased for dads, and nearly 20 percent are purchased for husbands. Other categories include grandfathers, sons, brothers, uncles, and someone special. Top-selling cards include "To Dad from Daughter" and cards from a couple or family group, such as "To Dad from Both of Us" or "Our Wish for Dad."

Hallmark and American Greetings both began issuing Father's Day greeting cards in the 1920s, although images, content and communication styles have changed with the times. According to Hallmark, while humor has typically been the universal language when it comes to dad - it often is more comfortable to make Dad laugh, than cry - people are increasingly seeking more direct, more personal and more 'real life' ways of expressing appreciation.

Just like Mother's Day, Father's Day is celebrated in most parts of the world. In Australia, Father's Day is celebrated on the First Sunday in September, and in Spain and Belgium, Dad's special day is March 19. In Canada, the United States and most countries in Asia, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June, so be sure to mark your calendars for Sunday, June 19, 2005.