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"Daddy's Hands"

Father's Day n(1927) : the third Sunday in June appointed for the honoring of fathers.

History

Father's Day began in the United States, but no one knows quite where and when. Some say that a Mrs. John Dowd of West Virginia began Father's Day to honour her own father, who raised his family after his wife died. Others say it was launched in Spokane, Washington, in June 1910 by a Mrs. John Bruce Dodd. Mrs. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife died in childbirth with their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself. It was after Mrs. Dodd became an adult that she realized the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent.

The first Father's Day was observed on June 19, 1910 in Spokane Washington. At about the same time in various towns and cities across American other people were beginning to celebrate a "father's day." In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father's Day. Finally in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.

Traditions

Many Catholics call St. Joseph's Day, on March 19, Father's Day, because Joseph was the father of Jesus. But most people celebrate a more modern version of Father's Day. Father's Day has become a day to not only honour your father, but all men who act as a father figure. Stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers, and adult male friends all play a part in fathering, and thus they deserve to be honoured on Father's Day. The loss of a father, or never having known a father can make this special day a very painful day for many people. Special poems and writings by those who want to honor their fathers in a special way are in books, movies, and on the internet. My father is gone, and although I never got to know him, because of his early death, he will never be forgotten by me.

I have never been able to experience a Father's Day with my Dad, because he passed away when I was only 18 months old. I still think of him often and wish that I would have gotten to know him. For my dad, although he cannot read this or see it. I love you and I miss you and wish that I could celebrate this and everyday with you. To all the father's out there, Happy Father's Day!

Shop around for that special gift for Father's Day from some of these links, or find out some info about Father's Day.

• A Man's Life * The Complete Instructions for Health & Wealth
• MY HERO - Home Page
• TV Dad Trivia DearDad.com
• Family.com: FamilyFun Magazine - Homemade Father's Day Gifts
• Give Dad a Pat on the Back
• National Center for Fathering
• THE SHARPER IMAGE
• Ties.net, Inc. - Earth's Biggest Tie Store.

Check out these other great Father's Day Sites

• Bev's Hideaway
• Billy Bear's Happy Father's Day
• Charlene's Happy Fathers Day
• County Infonet - Father's Day
• Crazyboy's Father's Day tribute
• Crochet Memories Father's Day
• Cyber Space Place Fathers Day Background Sets
• DearDad.com - Greeting Cards - Father's Day - Father - Dad
• Denise's Fathers Day
• Dorothy's Father's Day Page
• Fathers Day at Flag Haven
• Father's Day at Web Holidays
• Heather's Happy Father's Day Page - For Kids Only!!©
• Jausten's Father's Day Page
• Kid's Domain Father's Day
• Marvelicious Happy Father's Day
• Renee's Fathers Day
• Roz's Fathers Day Page
• Sheryl's Happy Father's Day