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June 20 (3rd Sunday in June) - Father's Day
Father's Day is annually celebrated on the third Sunday of June. Though, the concept of observing Father’s Day started in USA but now this festival is celebrated all across the world. It is a day to acknowledge the contribution that fathers make to their children's lives.
According to historians, Father’s Day was celebrated even thousands of years ago. The first proof of this was found in a clay card discovered in ancient Babylon. So, this is not a modern world concept. In fact, humans have always celebrated the important role played by a father in raising the child. The cause of Father’s Day was furthered by many people in modern era but special credit must go to Ms Sonora Louise Dodd. She is known as the Founder or Mother of the Father's Day Festival. There is no certain view about what may have really inspired the idea of Father's Day. One view says that, Father’s Day started when a large group of men, many of them fathers, died in a mining accident in Monongah, West Virginia, USA in 1907. Since then, Father’s Day is annually observed whereas many people credit Sonora Smart Dodd for the establishment of Father's Day.
Sonora was raised by her father along with 5 other children. He did it all by himself after the death of Sonora’s mother. This was a rare phenomenon during that era. She realized the hardships her father had gone through while bringing up his six children alone. As Mother’s Day was already in vogue, Sonora thought of starting a day for fathers and since then, USA celebrates this wonderful occasion. All credit to Sonora for initiating a sincere campaign lobbying for the cause of Father's Day. The festival was approved by the then president Woodrow Wilson in 1916. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed a Presidential Proclamation declaring the third Sunday of June as Father's Day.
On this day, children send cards, flowers and gifts to their fathers. Father’s Day is a wonderful reminder of valuable contribution made by fathers to their children and consequently society. World over people thank their father and pay tribute to them. The day offers us a true opportunity to express gratitude to our fathers for all their unconditional love and affection.
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