Father’s Day is celebrated on a variety of dates worldwide and typically involves gift-giving, and special dinners to fathers and family-oriented activities.
There was a tradition to celebrate Father’s Day around thousands of years ago. In Babylon a son called Elmesu carved a father’s day message on a clay card. In his message Elmesu wished his father a long and healthy life. There is no knowledge as to what happened to this father son duo but it is believed that several countries retained the custom of celebrating Father’s Day.
The actual beginnings of Father’s Day are rather sketchy, and there are several stories of how this holiday started. While these are considered to be true, probably the most common and widespread story is that the June holiday that is known today as Father’s Day is said to have started growing its roots in the year of 1909.
Eventually, annual celebrations blossomed throughout the United States and Canada, but it wasn’t until 1972, when Richard M. Nixon signed a congressional resolution that Father’s Day became established. Finally, over sixty years later, after it was first campaigned for, Father’s Day was officially established as being celebrated on the third Sunday of every June.
With the transformation of the American family throughout the years, this holiday was expanded to include honoring not only fathers, but also stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers, guys that act as big brothers, and any other males that have played the father role in ones’ life.
