Father’s Day Celebration Date Discrepancy Around the World

Today, Spain is abuzz with the celebration of Father’s Day, coinciding with Saint Joseph's Day, known as the fatherly Nutritor Domini in Catholicism. Families gather on café terraces to honor fathers on this special day. However, the question arises – why aren’t countries around the world celebrating Father’s Day on the same date?

Spain’s Father’s Day tradition dates back to the 1950s, aligning with Saint Joseph’s Day, the putative father of Jesus in southern European tradition. Only a few countries like Portugal, Italy, and Andorra join Spain in celebrating fathers on this specific date.

Contrastingly, most countries, including the United States, follow a different tradition. The origins of Father’s Day in the US trace back to Sonora Smart Dodd, who advocated for a special day to honor fathers after listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. Washington State enacted the first Father’s Day celebration on June 19, 1910, leading to a global momentum for the holiday.

As more countries adopted the tradition, Spain came on board as well, initially following the US date. However, the country later shifted to align with the longstanding reverence for Saint Joseph’s Day, contributing to the global discrepancy in Father’s Day celebrations.