Father’s Day 2023: Date, History, and Importance

Father's Day 2023 Date: From celebrating it at school with functions and performances, to smaller home parties and activities; there is no end to the festivities observed in Indian households on this day.

Father's Day 2023: Make sure to do something special for your father this Father's Day. (Source: Freepik)

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Father’s Day 2023: Observed to celebrate fathers around the world, Father’s Day is special to many children in and around India. Fathers are often the backbone of a family. From guidance to protection and playfulness, children often find their best friends in their fathers. However, this day is not just for biological fathers, but also for father figures who are just as important in everyone’s lives.

This year, Father’s Day will be celebrated on June 18, 2023.

Father’s Day is extremely significant in Indian culture. Though most children and parents are aware of and await this day, many might not know the deep history behind it. Dating back over a hundred years, Father’s Day is truly special!

History and Importance

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Father’s Day celebration began over a hundred years ago in the US in honour of William Smart. His daughter, Sonora Smart Dodd, wanted to allocate his birthday, June 5, as Father’s Day after being inspired by Anna Jarvis establishing Mother’s Day. However, because her initial appeals to the church and her pastor were rejected, the date was shifted to the third Sunday of each June. After much deliberation and rallying local church support, Dodd was able to establish Father’s Day in 1910 in memory of her Civil War veteran father, who had raised six children single-handedly.

In just six years, the celebration became so popular that in 1916, US President Woodrow Wilson officially observed it while in Spokane, Washington, Dodd’s hometown. In some countries, such as Spain and Lithuania, Father’s Day is considered a public holiday.

As such, what started as a daughter’s love for her father soon took the form of Father’s Day and began to be celebrated worldwide. We see echoes of this love of children for their fathers in handmade gifts and cards, among other special initiatives undertaken on this day. Not only does such a celebration express our gratitude, respect, and love toward our fathers, but also helps strengthen our bonds with them.

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