Father's Day Tool Box Card

Every June, you probably find yourself heading to the drug store to pick up a Father’s Day card without really knowing the origins of Father’s Day. The sentiment of celebrating fathers dates back to the Middle Ages in Europe surrounding a Catholic celebration held for Saint Joseph. As Catholicism was brought to South and Central America so was the holiday. However, it wasn’t until the early 1900s that the U.S. recognized it to be a national holiday. It was Sonora Smart Dodd, daughter of a Civil War veteran and single father, who began the movement for a nationally recognized Father’s Day. She was inspired by the campaigning of Anne Jarvis, who advocated for national Mother’s Day, and felt that a father equivalent was needed as well. However, the U.S. congress and presidential figures during the time were hesitant to make Father’s Day an official holiday as they watched the commercialization of Mother’s Day grow out of hand. As the idea for Father’s Day grew more and more popular, though, it was President Nixon who finally established the holiday in 1972.