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Father’s Day – What it Means to Us

Fathers Day is a special day dedicated to honouring fathers and celebrating fatherhood. It is a day where we show our appreciation for the love, care, and support that our fathers and father figures have given us throughout our lives. Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June in the UK, and it is a time for families to come together and enjoy each other’s company.

For us, Father’s Day is a time to reflect on the impact that my husband, father to our boys has had on our lives. It is a chance to say thank you for everything he does for our family and let him know how much he means to us. He is an amazing father and a constant source of love and support. He has always been there for us whenever we need him. Whether that is making the big parenting decisions (me), building a Lego car (Harry) or going to a football match (Charlie). Nothing is ever too much trouble when it comes to the boys.

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History of Father’s Day in the UK

Father’s Day originated in America in the early 20th century. The idea of a special day to honour fathers was first proposed by Sonora Smart Dodd in 1909. She was inspired by the work of Anna Jarvis, who had campaigned for Mother’s Day. Dodd’s father had raised her and her siblings by himself after their mother died, and she wanted to show her appreciation for him. The first Father’s Day was celebrated in Spokane, Washington state in 1910. It was held on June 19, which was Dodd’s father’s birthday. The idea quickly spread to other parts of America, and by the 1920s Father’s Day was a national event.

The celebration of Father’s Day in the UK is believed to have been inspired by the American holiday. However, the UK celebration of Father’s Day has its own unique history. The first recorded celebration of Father’s Day in the UK was also in 1910. When a woman named Grace Clayton organised a special service to honour fathers who had died in a mining accident in West Virginia, USA. However, the celebration of Father’s Day did not become popular in the United Kingdom as it did in the United States.

Father’s Day was reintroduced to the UK in the1960s. Again it was not an instant success, and it took several years for the idea to catch on. It was only In 1972, that Father’s Day was officially recognised in the UK. Today, Father’s Day is a popular celebration in the UK, and many people use the occasion to show their appreciation for their fathers and father figures. The celebration typically involves giving gifts, and cards, and spending time with family. It has changed considerably since those first events.

Our Father’s Day Traditions

Depending on your family your idea of a Father may be different. Father’s Day is a day to celebrate all father figures in our lives, including dads, grandfathers, father figures-in-law, other family members and special relationships. These are the people who have made a positive impact on our lives, and we want to show them how much we appreciate them. The way we will celebrate Father’s Day will reflect this.

Our Father’s Day traditions include:

Gift giving: The boys always give their father a gift each, I try to encourage them to think about what they are going to give and make it relevant to their special relationships with their dad. We try to make sure our Gifts for Dad are really special. There is nothing better than unique gifts.
Special meals: We will also celebrate Father’s Day by having a special meal together. As my husband tends to do most of the cooking we will usually go out for a traditional roast dinner.
Day out: Although we do like to take a weekend trip normally over Father’s Day. We will at the very least spend the day out doing something which my husband enjoys. We try very hard not to make it a normal Sunday as such.
Father’s Day cards: The boys will make a Father’s Day card for their dad. I also tend to get a personalised card which has pictures of the boys on it doing things with their dad. They make a great keepsake as over the years we have lots of different photographs of children as they grow up and special memories to look back on.
Quality time: Whatever we do the most important thing is making sure we spend quality time as a family. It doesn’t matter what we do although we all make a special effort to unplug and stay off electronic devices. Something which I am sure will get harder as the boys get older.
Photos: I always try to get a picture of the boys with their dad on Father’s Day. I love looking back over the photos and have pictures back to our first Father’s Day celebration, twelve years ago now!

12 Ways to Celebrate Father’s Day

Different families have different ways of celebrating Father’s Day. It could be that you have more than one father figure in your life and so you celebrate on different days.

Here are a few ideas:

Cook a special meal – Treat your dad to his favourite meal. Whether it’s a home-cooked dinner or a takeaway from his favourite restaurant.
Plan a day out – Take your dad out for the day to do something he enjoys.
Watch a movie – Spend some quality time with your dad by watching his favourite movie together.
Organise a family gathering – If you have siblings, cousins, or other family members nearby. Organise a family gathering to celebrate Father’s Day together. You could have a BBQ, picnic, or dinner party.
Write a heartfelt message – Take the time to write a heartfelt message to your dad, telling him how much he means to you and how grateful you are for his love and support.
Go on a bike ride – Plan a bike ride together if your dad enjoys cycling.
Play a game – Spend some quality time with your dad by playing his favourite game. Whether it’s a board game, card game, or video game.
Take a trip – If your dad loves to travel, plan a weekend getaway or a day trip to a nearby city or attraction.
Have a picnic – Pack a picnic basket with your dad’s favourite snacks and drinks and head out on an adventure.
Do a DIY project – If your dad enjoys DIY projects. Plan a project together such as building a birdhouse or fixing something around the house.
Attend a concert or show – If your dad loves music or theatre, surprise him with tickets to a concert or show.
Have a DIY beer or wine tasting. Buy a selection of different beers or wines and have a tasting session with your dad.

Remember, the most important thing is to spend time with your dad and show him how much you care. What are your plans for Father’s Day this year? I would love to hear about the best ways you intend to celebrate in the comments below.