Page 6 - Phonebox Magazine June 2024

It’s Dad’s day
It might not have quite the prominence of Mothering Sunday, but Father’s Day is an important date on the calendar too.
The big day for Dads in the UK always falls on the third Sunday of June each year – in 2024, that will be the 16th. It’s a social time for families to remember and honour their Dad, or a father figure such as a father-in-law, grandfather or guardian.
And it’s at that time that they will treat Dad with a small gift, a meal out or a pint of beer or two. With it falling on a Sunday, a common meal choice among families is the traditional roast with all the trimmings. What’s not to like there?
Father’s Day is not a bank holiday so it’s not officially identified in that respect but it is widely recognised as an important date in the diary
Fun Father’s Day facts 1. The word ‘Dad’ was first recorded in the 1500s
2.‘ Dada’ is often the first word babies say
3. The traditional flower for Father’s Day is the rose
4. Father’s Day is the fourth most popular day for greetings cards after Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and Christmas
5. In Greek mythology, Cronos ate his own children to stop them overthrowing him
6. The drinking fountain was invented by Halsey Taylor in 1912 in memory of his father who, died from typhoid fever caused by contaminated water
7. Moulay Ismail, the Sultan of Morocco in the late 1600s, fathered 888 children
8. The male seahorse gives birth to his children
9. A catfish will keep the eggs of his children in his mouth
until they hatch
10. President Richard Nixon made Father’s Day a permanent holiday in the USA in 1972
and, across the UK, pubs, restaurants and public parks are likely to be very busy with family gatherings.
It’s thought that the idea of a special day to recognise fathers originated in the USA in 1910 when Sonora Smart Dodd wanted to emulate the Mother’s Day celebrations and at the same time honour her father who was a Civil War veteran.
Many other countries embraced Sonora’s idea and began following the USA’s lead to celebrate the big day for Dads, including the UK where it is widely observed.
10 THINGS TO DO WITH DAD ON FATHER’S DAY
1. Make him breakfast in bed
2. Treat him to a spa day with a steam room and sauna
3. Make him a picnic and head for the local park
4. Get out the family photos and share an hour together reminiscing 5. Get your boots on and go for a countryside walk – with a pub stop
on the way!
6. Fire up the barbecue and share the cooking duties –
Dad’s always in charge!
7. Go golfing or, if you don’t play, try pitch and putt
8. Host a beer-tasting afternoon with a few new ales bought from the local shops
9. Order in some fast food with favourite pizza, burgers or fried fish on the menu
10. Host a cinema night where he chooses the movie
6 Phonebox Magazine | June 2024