Although Father’s Day was already being observed, LBJ made it official —
Father’s day is the third Sunday in June for reason — President Lyndon Baines Johnson made it so by signing Proclamation 3730 on June 15, 1966.
“If the father’s responsibilities are many, his rewards are also great—the love, appreciation, and respect of children and spouse. It is the desire to acknowledge publicly these feelings we have for the fathers of our Nation that has inspired the Congress to call for the formal observance of Father’s Day,” Johnson, the father of two daughters, wrote in support of the proclamation.
It’s not just for American Dads —
Canada and the United Kingdom observe Father’s Day at the same time as the United States. Other countries observe it elsewhere on the calendar — Brazil’s Father’s Day is in August, for example, while New Zealand and Australia give a nod to Dads in early September, according to timeanddate.com.
It’s a retail bonanza —
According to the National Retail Federation, Father’s Day spending could top $20 billion this year with those in the 35-44 age group expecting to average the most — $259 — and expected spending habits reflect a return to pre-pandemic norms. According to the federation, 46% of the almost 7,800 gift-givers surveyed say they’re going to surprise dad with an outing of some sort. That’s a 5% increase over 2020.
The most popular gift? A greeting card (wah-wah) —
According to the federation, 59% of those surveyed say their father will get a greeting card, 49% plan on buying a necktie, er, clothes and 46% are planning a lunch, brunch, dinner or other activity. Meanwhile, only 22% said they plan on a sporting good purchase, putting it at the bottom of the list right behind tools or appliances (24%).
Quotes from some famous Dads about fatherhood (courtesy themanual.com) —
“It is a wise father who knows his own child.” — William Shakespeare
“Having children is like living in a frat house. Nobody sleeps, everything’s broken and there’s a lot of throwing up.” — Ray Romano
“It is easier to build strong children than it is to repair broken men.” — Frederick Douglass
“You don’t raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they’ll turn out to be heroes, even if it’s just in your own eyes.” — Walter “Wally” Shirra Jr.
WalletHub: South Carolina is a hard place to be a working Dad —
The info site ranks South Carolina near the bottom in its “Best & Worst States for Working Dads” list released in honor of Father’s Day. The rankings are based on four categories: economic and social well-being, work-life balance, childcare and health. Overall, the Palmetto State finished 45th, right after Nevada and right before Idaho. Massachusetts topped the list. New Mexico, the bottom.
