Father’s Day often comes second to the flowers, gifts, and brunches that moms enjoy on Mother’s Day. But why should the important job dads do every day go unappreciated?
Our Father’s Day facts and statistics have it all, from its origin to exactly how we currently celebrate Father’s Day. Find out more about global traditions, fascinating Father’s Day facts and figures, and interesting trivia about fatherhood in general.
Top 10 Father’s Day Facts and Statistics
Here are our top ten fun facts about Father’s Day worth remembering.
- In 2021, 2.2 million American fathers were stay-at-home dads.
- South Koreans celebrate a joint Parents Day holiday on May 8.
- In 2016, fathers spent eight hours per week on child care and ten hours a week on household chores.
- Sonora Smart Dodd pioneered the U.S.’s first Father’s Day on Sunday, June 19, 1910.
- Sixty-three percent of U.S. fathers wish they spent more time with their kids.
- In 2022, 64% of Americans felt Father’s Day gifts were higher-priced than in 2021.
- A French lighter company called Flaminaire created a brand new Father’s Day in 1949 to help sell their lighters.
- The top Father’s Day gift is a necktie. Over $1 billion is spent annually on 100 million ties in the U.S.
- Woodrow Wilson wanted to commemorate Father’s Day in 1916, but it wasn’t made a national holiday until 1972.
- Did you know that roses were once the official Father’s Day flower?
20 Fun Facts About Father’s Day
Have you ever wondered how Father’s Day got its start and how it’s celebrated in other countries? These interesting Father’s Day facts and statistics will open up the door to the holiday, plus fatherhood in general.
1. What To Spend
In 2021, people spent $174 on average on Father’s Day gifts, up from $148 in 2020 (1). It’s unsure whether this leap is due to more gifts for dads or higher prices for the gifts themselves.
2. Dads to Grandads
There are 72 million dads in the United States, and 29 million of those dads are also grandfathers. Twelve percent of people aged 18-24 plan on buying a Father’s Day gift for their grandfather (2).
3. Where to Shop
Thirty percent of people need some kind of inspiration from retailers on Father’s Day gifts. Forty percent looked to shop online, while 34% preferred the traditional route of department stores. Discount or specialty shops are in the minority, but they may be perfect for that special something dads love (3).
4. Stay-at-Home Dads
About 2.1 million American fathers were stay-at-home dads in 2021. In 2016, 17% of stay-at-home parents in the U.S. were dads. Six percent of stay-at-home dads were millennials versus 3% who were Gen X (4).
5. Daddy Daycare
In 2016, dads spent approximately eight hours per week on child care, which is three times the amount in 1965. They also spent ten hours a week on household chores in 2016 versus four hours in 1965 (5).
6. American Father’s Day
In 1908, the first unofficial Father’s Day event took place in a West Virginia church. It honored 362 men who died in mining accidents, but it wasn’t national. The efforts of a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd led to the nation’s first Father’s Day on June 19, 1910 (6). It was President Johnson who officially recognized Father’s Day in 1966, though it only became a national holiday in 1972 (7).
7. Celebrations Worldwide
Father’s Day is always on the third Sunday of June in America. Catholic countries such as Italy, Spain, and Latin America commonly celebrate Father’s Day on March 19, also known as St. Joseph’s Day. Brazil’s Father’s Day is on the second Sunday of August to honor St. Joachim, the Virgin Mary’s father. In Thailand, it’s December 5, King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s birthday (8).
8. One-Half of Two Parents
South Korea doesn’t officially recognize Father’s Day as a holiday. Instead, they celebrate a combination of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day with a Parents’ Day every May 8. It’s a family-oriented day when children give their parents carnations, a tradition that began in America (9).
9. All About Timing
Father’s Day pioneer Sonora Smart Dodd originally wanted it to fall on June 5, the birthday of her own father. But there wasn’t enough time to prepare, so it ended up occurring over the weekend on the third Sunday in June, taking place on June 19, 1910 (10).
10. A Rose for Dad
Though not a part of today’s tradition, roses were once the official Father’s Day flower. During the first Father’s Day church service, daughters offered their dads red roses. Children also wore roses on their lapels. Red roses symbolized a living father, while white roses a deceased one (11).
11. All in One
In the 1920s and 1930s, Robert Spere wanted to make Mother’s and Father’s Day one shared holiday called Parents’ Day. But the idea didn’t pick up speed, so the joint holiday never happened (12). The motto they had hoped for was “a kiss for mother, a hug for dad” (13).
12. Make It Official
Woodrow Wilson wanted to commemorate Father’s Day in 1916, but he didn’t finalize the paperwork. In 1924, President Coolidge pushed the states to recognize Father’s Day. Nothing officially took place until President Nixon made history by officially calling Father’s Day a national holiday in 1972 (14).
13. French Fathers Alight
The French originally celebrated Father’s Day as Saint Joseph’s Day, but it was losing popularity in the 20th-century. A French lighter company, Flaminaire, created a brand new Father’s Day in 1949 to help sell their lighters. Fête des Pères is still observed today (15).
14. Hallmark Ready
Hallmark has been in the business of creating Father’s Day cards since the 1920s. They offer over 800 designs to choose from. Fifty-eight percent of Father’s Day gifts include a greeting card, while 25% of those are funny cards (16). Making your dad laugh with a funny card seems to be one of the more unofficial traditions on Father’s Day.
15. At Any Age
Some facts about dads you probably didn’t know. In 2019, there were 121 million American men over 15 years of age. Seventy-five million of those men were fathers. Just over 72 million of those dads have a biological child. Whether biological or adopted, kids get so much from dads as their first male role models (17).
16. The Identity of Fatherhood
While many dads cherish the role of being a father, 63% claimed they didn’t spend enough time with their kids in 2018. Phone calls are not as popular on Father’s Day as they are on Mother’s Day. Father’s Day is still a great time to reach out and let your dad know how important he is.
17. Top Gifts
What’s the number one item for dads on Father’s Day? You might think it’s a pair of slippers, but it’s a necktie. In 2022, $3.11 billion was spent on ties, slippers, and other clothing gifts (18).
18. Men’s Day in Germany
One of the more random pieces of dad trivia involves Father’s Day in Germany. It’s called Männertag (Men’s Day). The tradition there include drinking wagons full of beer and eating local food. It’s one of those days when police, fire departments, and emergency workers are ready to step in (19).
19. Prices Increase
In 2022, 64% of Americans noticed Father’s Day gifts were higher-priced than in 2021. They still planned on spending on gifts for their dads, including outings like sporting events, concerts/performances, and travel. If inflation feels too high or your budget too low, dads appreciate homemade gifts made with the most important ingredient—love.
20. The History of Dad
One of the oldest facts about dads includes the word itself. “Dad” dates back to the 16th-century (20). It came from the sound babies make when they say their first word, “pa,” along with the suffix “ter” (“pater”). Babies know how important dads are, so much so that they helped create their name.
How Much More Money is Spent on Mother’s Day vs. Father’s Day?
Sixty-two percent of Americans said they tend to spend more money on Mother’s Day gifts in 2021. Just 6% claim to spend more for Father’s Day (21). In 2022, $20 billion was spent on Father’s Day, while $31.7 billion was spent on Mother’s Day (22). Perhaps this is made up for by the fact that more babies say “dada” as their first word than “mama”.
