Father's Day

Father's Day is a special day in America that celebrates the contribution that fathers and father figures make for their children's lives. It is celebrated on the third Sunday of June every year. The holiday has its origins in a memorial service held for a large group of men, many of them fathers, who were killed in a mining accident in Monongah, West Virginia in 1907.

On Father's Day, many people send or give cards or gifts to their fathers. Common Father's Day gifts include sports items or clothing, electronic gadgets, outdoor cooking supplies and tools for household maintenance. Father's Day is a relatively modern holiday so different families have a range of traditions. These can range from a simple phone call or greetings card to large parties honoring all of the 'father' figures in a particular extended family. Father figures can include fathers, step-fathers, fathers-in-law, grandfathers and great-grandfathers and even other male relatives.

In the days and weeks before Father's Day, many schools and Sunday schools help their pupils to prepare a handmade card or small gift for their fathers. It is an occasion to mark and celebrate the contribution that your own father has made to your life.

Father’s Day: holiday honoring fathers and fatherhood Contribution: something given or offered Father figure: male who acts as a father Memorial service: ceremony to remember the deceased Mining accident: unexpected event in a mine Electronic gadgets: small electronic devices Outdoor cooking: cooking food outside Household maintenance: upkeep of a home Extended family: relatives beyond nuclear family Step-father: father through marriage, not blood Father-in-law: spouse’s father Grandfather: father of one’s parent Great-grandfather: grandfather of one’s parent Handmade card: self made, not purchased