Where Father’s Day Came From — and Why We Celebrate It in June

Every year, in mid-June, millions of us pause — maybe not for long, but just enough — to send a message, write a card, or pick up the phone to say: Thanks, Dad.

It’s a familiar ritual. But the story behind Father’s Day is probably less well known than you think.

The first person to seriously campaign for Father’s Day wasn’t a politician or a priest — it was a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd , living in Spokane, Washington, in the early 1900s.

Her mother had died young, and her father — a Civil War veteran named William Jackson Smart — had raised Sonora and her five siblings by himself. In 1909, after hearing a sermon about Mother’s Day (which had just been introduced), Sonora had a simple question: why wasn’t there a day for dads too?

She proposed the idea at her local church, and the following year — on June 19, 1910 — Spokane held what’s widely considered the first Father’s Day celebration.

Sonora had originally suggested the date of the 5th June , her father’s birthday, but the organisers needed more time to prepare. So it was moved to the third Sunday in June , and the tradition stuck.

It wasn’t official, though — not for a long time. While the idea caught on in small pockets of the U.S., many people dismissed it as too commercial, or too sentimental. Mother’s Day had been framed as a noble tribute to sacrifice and care. Father’s Day? That took a bit more convincing.

Over the years, presidents from Calvin Coolidge to Lyndon B. Johnson supported the idea. But it wasn’t until 1972 , under President Richard Nixon , that Father’s Day was finally made a national holiday in the U.S.

While the American version spread to many countries, not everyone followed the U.S. calendar.

In places like Spain, Italy, and Portugal , Father’s Day is celebrated on March 19 , also known as the Feast of Saint Joseph — the husband of Mary and a symbol of fatherhood in Catholic tradition.

Australia and New Zealand observe it on the first Sunday of September , possibly because June is mid-winter in the Southern Hemisphere and September offers better weather for family gatherings and outdoor activities (though there’s no official reason — it was likely chosen for commercial or seasonal reasons).

Other countries, like Thailand , tie Father’s Day to the birthday of a royal figure (King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in this case), while Germany has its own unique version tied to Ascension Day, involving beer, hiking, and sometimes questionable decision-making.

While many countries mark Father’s Day with heartfelt messages or family lunches, others take a more unconventional route. In Germany , Vatertag falls on Ascension Day and is often celebrated by groups of men pulling wagons full of beer into the countryside for a day of drinking and revelry — more lads’ trip than family dinner. In Nepal , it’s a deeply spiritual day called Gokarna Aunsi, where people honour their fathers with gifts or, if their fathers have passed, perform sacred rituals at a temple. Thailand links Father’s Day to the birthday of its late king, celebrated with yellow flowers and acts of public respect. And in Russia , the nearest equivalent is Defender of the Fatherland Day — a military holiday that now serves as a kind of unofficial Father’s Day, with men receiving gifts regardless of parental status. No matter where you are, the spirit is the same: a moment to reflect on what fatherhood — and masculinity — means in that culture.

Regardless of when or where it’s celebrated, Father’s Day isn’t really about the calendar . It’s about presence. Guidance. The kind of love that doesn’t always announce itself — but is steady, and dependable, and often quietly transformative.

That’s what Sonora Smart Dodd wanted to honour. Not just her dad, but what he represented: a man who showed up, day after day, without needing praise — but deserving it all the same.

At For Youth , Father’s Day isn’t just a date on the calendar — it’s part of our origin story. Our co-founder Jeff grew up watching his dad fix things, build things, and quietly show what it meant to take responsibility. That mindset — of taking matters into your own hands, of ageing on your own terms — is what shaped this company. We wrote a personal reflection about Jeff’s father and how his legacy still drives what we do today. If you're curious, you can read it here 👇.