The United States celebrated Father’s Day with the first unofficial celebration taking place on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington, as participants pinned roses on their clothing to honor their fathers. In May 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd was attending church service and listening to a sermon about Mother’s Day when she had the idea of designating a day to honor her father. Sonora was one of six children that her father William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran, had raised by himself following her mother’s death in childbirth.
With the mayor’s blessing, the first Father’s Day was celebrated on the third Sunday of June 1910, and in 1972, President Woodrow Wilson made Father’s Day a national holiday. For over 100 years, people have been celebrating Father’s Day across the nation; along with nations around the world, some for hundreds of years due to religious traditions.
Along with celebrating fathers, Father’s Day is also a day to honor the paternal bonds that make our lives so rich. So, on the third Sunday of June each year, it is time to go all out for these special men!
Make Father’s Day Special
Make this Father’s Day like no other and surprise Dad with his favorite foods, activities, and the company of loved ones. What are a few ways to make Dad feel special, as well as honoring the men with whom you share a paternal bond?
To make a day of it, take time to plan ahead. What does he most enjoy, and what hasn’t he had the opportunity to do for the longest time? Is there anything you can take off Dad’s to-do list to give him more free time? Order his favorite wings or pizza and stay in for a night of tabletop or video games. Reward Dad with his own “man cave” and a gift card to his favorite home improvement store to make it truly his. Wake up Dad with a hot cup of coffee and blindfold him at dawn to head out for a day of his favorite outdoor activity.
That said, remember that your dad would even love the simplest of things. He would take pride in having a tea party with his daughters, sharing the tea sandwiches that they made together. He would appreciate it that you mowed the lawn for him and gave him time to sleep in. Something as simple as breakfast-in-bed with handmade cards can make Father’s Day incredibly special.
How To Make A Homemade Father’s Day Card
Regardless of the activity you choose, words written from your heart on a card you made yourself are the most endearing and straightforward way to show your love and appreciation this Father’s Day. Here are a few handmade Father’s Day card ideas to get you started:
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1. “I Love You to Pieces” Handprints Father’s Day CardHold your hands out with your fingers apart. Touch your thumbs together, and now do the same with your pointer fingers. In this space, you will see a heart shape. Now, have your child place their hands down on a piece of red or pink premium paper in this shape. Trace their handprints. In the heart, glue down colorful tissue paper, and on the palms, write “I love you to pieces!” along with any other special messages. |
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2. “Father’s Day Constellation” CardIs your dad the Best Dad in the Galaxy? As with anything official, he will need to get that in writing. For this quick card, you will use black paper (cardstock or chipboard also work), colorful star stickers, white acrylic paint, and a white crayon to create a DIY Father’s Day card to show just how out-of-this-world your dad is. Use the white crayon to spell “PAPA” or “DAD” in capital letters, and place a star sticker at the corners of each letter to form a constellation. On the card, you can paste a square that holds a special and unique message. |
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3. “One in a Melon” Father’s Day CardWould you describe Dad as a goofball who cracks corny jokes? Then, this is the card for him. On a piece of white cardstock, you will glue down a watermelon slice formed from green, pink, red, and black colorful foam sheets. Stick on a smile, and glue down a pair of googly eyes. On the cover, write “Dad, you’re one in a melon!” It’s a wordplay on being “one in a million.” |
From Daughter to Dad, From Son to Dad, use these creative card ideas to make your Dad feel your deep love, admiration, and appreciation for him.
What Should You Write On A Father’s Day Card?
Now that you have a few ideas to get you started, you may feel like the message is missing the mark. The cover is covered, but what about what matters most: what is on the inside?
What should you write? Just as you match the activity and creative card design to his personality, consider your relationship with him when composing a message. What is your dad’s personality like? What are your favorite shared memories?
Does he love jokes? “Dad jokes” are their own particular brand of corny and practical. When he asks, “What did the ocean say to the beach?” and he supplies the correct answer as “Nothing, it just waved,” that is an on-brand Dad joke. Just do not be surprised if you earn yourself a full day of Dad jokes. It is FATHER’S Day, after all.
Do you two share sarcastic remarks that make others bite their lips to hold back all the laughter? Take this time to go over your best quips and describe a fun memory with your message. One study found that sarcasm increases creativity flow, so you two can share a knowing smirk at the fact that creative genius just runs in the family.
Or is Dad more stoic in nature? Then, look to famous stoics such as Marcus Aurelius, Zeno of Citium, or Seneca the Younger, and reference the quotes that are similar to some of your father’s life lessons he shared with you.
When you cannot speak to the past or the present, you can always speak to the future. Like life, relationships, too, have their ups and downs, but there is always a silver lining. Write something positive about the future to come.
Though considering one’s audience is key, always speak from the heart. From funny things to write to deep thoughts and sentimentality, these card messages will reveal your admiration and appreciation for your dad. Oftentimes, it is the simplest and most straightforward of efforts that mean the most, even if that is a simple message from the heart written on a very nice and sturdy piece of cardstock!
Happy Father’s Day!