7 things you didn’t know about Father’s Day
Before heading to the shops and fighting over the last tie set with another shopper, knowing a few facts about Father’s Day could have you swapping a tie for an even better gift for dad.
1. The world only started officially celebrating Father’s Day in 1972, as opposed to Mother’s Day, whose official start date was as far back as 1914.
2. The day was founded by Sonora Smart Dodd, the daughter of an American Civil War veteran, who believed that fatherhood needed the same recognition motherhood did. She chose her father’s birthday month as the celebration period.
3. In most countries in the world, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June except in Australia, where they celebrate it on the first Sunday of September.
4. The Germans prefer to celebrate Männertag, or Man’s Day, in the same period. Instead of a gift of socks or slippers, men give themselves the gift of copious amounts of beer and food.
5. The most common gifts fathers get include the tie, “World’s Greatest Dad” paraphernalia and cologne. Hammers, wrenches and DIY tools also top the list.
6. Strangely enough, the rose is the official flower of Father’s Day. A red rose signifies a living father, and a white rose signifies a deceased father.
7. According to Hallmark USA, Father’s day is the 4th largest card-sending day, with around 94 million cards purchased for dads. Christmas is the biggest card-sending day with over a billion cards, followed by Valentine’s Day with over 140 million cards, and Mother’s Day with just over 130 million cards.
Sources: thelistlove.com, The Huffington Post, Hallmark.com, housetohome.co.uk
