Some people might think that Father’s Day was established as a holiday to help
greeting card companies sell more cards. However,when Father’s Day was first
suggested in the early 1900s,Father’s Day cards hadn’t been invented yet.
The idea of celebrating Father’s Day was actually inspired by Mother’s Day. In
1909,Mother’s Day was just becoming very popular in the United States. One
day,Sonora Dodd,of Spokane,Washington,was listening to a church talk about setting
aside a day to honor one’s mother. It gave her the idea to propose a day to honor
fathers,and in particular,her own father—William Jackson Smart.
Mr. Smart had raised Sonora and her five brothers and sisters all by himself after
Sonora’s mother died in childbirth. As an adult,Sonora realized the selflessness
her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent. Her father made all
the parental sacrifices. In the daughter’s eyes,her father was a
courageous,selfless,and loving man.
Mrs. Dodd went to her minister and others about having a church service devoted to
fathers on June 5,her father’s birthday. That date was too soon for her minister to
prepare a service,so he spoke two weeks later on June 19. It took about a year of
working with politicians,religious leaders,businessmen and the local Young Men’s
Christian Association to bring life to her idea of an annual Father’s Day.
Eventually all her hard work paid off. On June 19,1910,the first Father’s Day was
celebrated in Spokane,Washington.
In 1972 President Richard Nixon established a permanent national celebration of
Father’s Day to be held on the third Sunday in June. Since then,fathers have been
honored and recognized by their families throughout the U. S.on that date.
Father’s Day has become a day to not only honor your father,but all men who act as
a father figure. Stepfathers,uncles,grandfathers,and adult male friends are all
honored on Father’s Day. It’s also another day for greeting card companies and
shop owners to celebrate because sales of the most popular gifts for
Dad(shirts,ties,and electric shavers)increase considerably.
【題組】26. The passage mainly tells about______.
(A). Mrs. Dodd’s love for her father
(B). the origin and establishment of Father’s Day
(C). the importance of honoring fathers in the U. S.
(D). Mrs. Dodd’s contribution to the government decision