The Origin of Father's Day

• The history of Father's Day goes back to the early 1900's when Sonora Smart Dodd heard a Mother's Day sermon. The lecture inspired her to dedicate a day to her father, William Jackson Smart, who raised her and her siblings by himself after their mother died. She wanted to recognize how great her father was and let him know how much she appreciated his sacrifices, courage, selflessness and love. She held the first Father's Day celebration in June, 1910, on her father's birthday The idea soon caught on and President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father's Day in 1924 on the petition Dodd sent him.

  It was 30 years later that a Joint Resolution of Congress gave recognition to Father's Day and another 16 years later (in 1972) when President Richard Nixon established the third Sunday of June as a permanent national observance day of Father's Day in honor of all fathers who contribute as much to the family as a mother in their own ways.

Father's Day Gift Ideas

• Remember all the great gifts of Christmases and birthdays past that Dad gave you? Return the favor with a fabulous Father's Day gift. Any Dad will enjoy the traditional gifts of golf ball sets, gift cards to home improvement stores and golf courses, sporting event tickets, and tools and gadgets. Take your Dad's hobbies into consideration and try to find a Father's Day gift that accommodates his favorite activities.

  Get creative when getting Father's Day gifts this year. Homemade gifts with photos always tug at the heartstrings and online Father's Day gifts are easy and fun to make. Right from home you can create and order family photo mouse pads, photo barbeque aprons, photo coffee mugs or photo coasters! There's a huge selection of online Father's Day gifts available here.

Father's Day Gift Baskets

• Another popular Father's Day gift idea is a Father's Day gift basket. There is a variety of pre-arranged Father's Day gift baskets available online including golf gift baskets, grilling and BBQ gift baskets, tailgating gift baskets, and, believe it or not, beer gift baskets!

  For a more personalized Father's Day gift basket create a custom one right from home. Include his favorite chocolate bar wrapped in custom candy bar wrappers, preferred beverages, movie tickets, Father's Day coupons for a free car wash, lawn mowing or house cleaning, and, most importantly, include a beautifully framed picture of the family.

Father's Day Cards

• Of course you must complement any gift with the perfect sentiments in your Father's Day card. Sending a Father's Day ecard to your Dad's work inbox is a great way to send happy wishes before the big day. And printable Father's Day cards with custom messaging and/or photos are a nice homemade addition to your gift.