Father’s Day will be celebrated this weekend across our nation. Special meals, gatherings, and outings will be planned and prepared for dad, and gifts and cards purchased and wrapped. Lawn work will be ignored, naps will be allowed without comment, and memories will be shared of those no longer with us.
It’s a day to share family stories, laughter and even perhaps a few tears.
A Little Background:
While it may feel like Father’s Day has always been around, it is a fairly recent holiday. It was officially celebrated decades after Mother’s Day was established.
Father’s Day, a holiday honoring fathers, is celebrated in the United States on the third Sunday in June. It was first celebrated on June 19, 1910, in the state of Washington, but didn’t become an official nationwide holiday until 1972.
According to what I found on the web; this is how it came to be.
Father’s Day was proposed around the same time as Mother’s Day, in the early 20th century, when a woman named Sonora Louise Smart Dodd wanted to honor her father, William Smart, a Civil War veteran, who was left to raise six children after his wife died during childbirth.
According to the National Father’s Day Committee, the first Father’s Day was celebrated in Dodd’s town of Spokane, Wash., in 1910. The holiday’s June date is tied to Smart’s birthday on June 5.
That was just two years after the first Mother’s Day, which had been proposed by Anna M. Jarvis, took place in 1908. But, while “Mother’s Day took off like a rocket, Father’s Day took off like a rock,” according to Ralph LaRossa, author of The Modernization of Fatherhood and sociology professor at Georgia State University.
There was pushback, though, says LaRossa. For example, one man named Robert Spero proposed that, instead of adding a day for dads, Mother’s Day be replaced with a Parents’ Day that acknowledges both parents.
“We should all have love for dad and mother every day, but Parent’s Day on the second Sunday in May is a reminder that both parents should be loved and respected together,” Spere, who was known as Uncle Robert, told the New York Times in 1931. Parents’ Day rallies, however, didn’t make their way out of the 1940s.
And as the role of fathers expanded (especially for stay-at-home dads) the Father’s Day holiday eventually earned its place alongside Mother’s Day. In 1972, Father’s Day was given the recognition of a proclamation from Richard Nixon.
Below are some events that may interest the whole family on Dad’s special day.
FATHER'S DAY WEEKEND AIR SHOW:
Celebrating the 24th Anniversary Olympic Airshow
Day or Weekend tickets are available, children 6 and under enter FREE.
Olympic Flight Museum
June 15 · 9 a.m. - June 16 · 5 p.m. PDT
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/24th-anniversary-olympic-airshow-tickets-873491896777
Free FATHER’S DAY CARNIVAL
June 15, 2024, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
WET Science Center
Things to explore:
GIANT CALCULATOR
Use a giant calculator to add up your daily activities to find out how much water you use each day.
WATER CYCLES
Explore the urban water cycle to learn more about sewer systems, septic systems, reclaimed water, stormwater, and more.
COMPUTER GAME
Try out four different LOTT jobs in a challenging computer game.
TREATMENT PLANT
Explore the mini treatment plant to learn about bacteria that help clean up wastewater.
WATER PIPELINE
Build a reclaimed water pipeline to move water (plastic balls) from one place to another.
MAP SYSTEM
Find your home, school, or workplace on a map and see how long it takes for your flush to reach the treatment plant.
https://www.wetsciencecenter.org/
Board & Brush Father's Day Yard games workshop - Olympia
Saturday, June 15, 2024
2:00 p.m.
We're sorry, but online registration is not allowed for this activity. Please contact us during regular business hours for registration information. Bring dad out for a fun workshop making oversized yard games to enjoy this summer. We will be providing snacks of smoked meats and cheeses to snack on while you build their yard games.
Please show up 15 minutes before class starts to settle in and get checked in. Wear clothing that you won’t mind getting paint/stain on. All supplies are included in the class fee as well as snacks (meats and cheeses).
You can choose your project customization. Please use code "Olyparks" when registering. Instructors: Board and Brush Staff.
https://boardandbrush.com/olympia/
Enjoy the day and thank you, Dads, for all you do throughout the year.
Kathleen Anderson writes this column each week from her home in Olympia. Contact her at kathleen@theJOLTnews.com or post your comment below.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here