When is Father's Day 2013?

When is Father's Day 2013? Here is a chart of the exact dates for 2013, 2014, and 2015.

What is the history of Father's Day? When did it start? See what the Almanac has to say below, then go to our article on the history of Father's Day for a more detailed background!

Check out our Best Fishing Days calendar if you're planning to take Dad out on the lake for the day.

Show your dad you care by preparing a wonderful meal in his honor (or memory). See our Father's Day recipe ideas below.

And remember, Father's Day is always celebrated on the third Sunday in June!

Father's Day Dates

Father's Day History

Like Mother's Day, Father's Day has a modern origin. The idea came to Mrs. John Dodd as she sat listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Her father, William Smart, had raised his children alone on his Washington farm after his wife died giving birth to their sixth child. Mrs. Dodd proposed to the Spokane Ministerial Association and the YMCA that they celebrate a "father's day" on June 5, her father's birthday. The idea received strong support, but the good ministers of Spokane asked that the day be changed to give them extra time to prepare sermons on the unexplored subject of fathers. The first Father's Day was observed on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington, and soon other towns had their own celebrations. In spite of widespread support, Father's Day did not become a permanent national holiday until 1972, when President Richard Nixon signed a law declaring that it be celebrated annually on the third Sunday in June.

Father's Day Recipes

Here are more recipes that dads (and the rest of us) love!

Dad’s Chicken and Rice
Daddy’s Meat Loaf
Baked Fish (Dad’s Catch)
Braised Pork Chops
Island Beef Teriyaki
Old-Fashioned Green Beans
Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

See 10+ "Gotta Have" Grilling Recipes