It’s almost time to celebrate all the dads out there with Father’s Day right around the corner. This has been a particularly difficult year and a half, and with the world beginning to open up again, it may be a good idea to schedule a day out with dear old dad. Father’s Day is steeped in tradition. Here we take a look at then Father’s Day fun facts.

“The Father’s Day concept was invented by Sonora Smart Dodd from Washington. Her father raised his 6 children single-handedly, after their mother died in childbirth. June was her Dad’s birthday month.”

“Fifty percent of all Father’s Day cards are purchased for fathers, according to Hallmark. Almost 20 percent of Father’s Day cards are given to husbands.”

“On July 5, 1908, a West Virginia church hosted the nation’s first event explicitly in honor of fathers. During a Sunday sermon, 362 men who had died in explosions in December at the Fairmont Coal Company mines in Monongah were honored in a one-time commemoration.”

“Father’s Day was invented by American Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd who wanted to honour her father, a veteran who had, as a single parent, raised his six children. The first Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910.”

“In 1966, Father’s Day was allocated on the third Sunday of June each year by President Lyndon B. Johnson. In 1972, President Richard Nixon signed by law that the day would become a national holiday permanently.”

“In 2020, adults between the ages of 35 and 44 years old spent an average of $209.70 per person on Father’s Day gifts. This year, that number is expected to jump to $258.56. Not a bad haul for Dad.”

“In the United States last year, Hallmark sold 141 million cards for Mother’s Day but only 93 million for Father’s Day. That’s a gap roughly the weight of six blue whales.”

“Though there is no evidence of its origin, it is considered that the word “Dad” dates back to as early as the sixteenth century. It is thought to come from baby talk, since in many languages “dada” or “tata” indicates a baby’s acknowledgment of father.”

“Rose is the official flower for Father's Day. Wearing a red rose signifies a living father, while wearing a white one represents one who has passed away.”