Here are some interesting facts and folklore about Father's Day:
- The earliest record of Father's Day was found in the ruins of Babylon. A young boy named Elmesu carved a Father's Day message on a card made out of clay nearly 4,000 years ago. He wished his Babylonian father good health and a long life.
- The first recorded observance of Father's Day in the United States was on July 5, 1908. The Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South in Fairmont, West Virginia held a special service to honor 360 men -- most of them fathers -- who had died seven months earlier in a coal mine explosion.
- It was not officially recognized in the United States as a holiday until 1966 by Lyndon Johnson.
- In Australia, the day is celebrated privately in households; often in the form of breakfast gatherings.
- Celebrating Father's Day is a new concept in India and highly influenced by the U.S. celebrations.
It is interesting that although Father's Day was celebrated in ancient Babylon, it was not considered a national U.S. holiday until 1966. It also comes as a surprise that Mother's Day was adopted much earlier on May 8, 1914.
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