What is Father's Day and Should Christians Celebrate It?

A father shares a special bond with his children, whether they are blood-related or adopted. Of course, we also know that a mother and her children share a special bond (see our Mother's Day article), but since this article is about Father's Day, it will primarily focus on the bond between a father and his children. So what is the history of Father's Day and should Christians celebrate it? Read on to find out.

Father's Day is a holiday created to recognize and honor fathers.

The first observance of Father's Day is believed to have been on June 19, 1910, thanks to the efforts of a Christian woman named Sonora Smart Dodd. Sonora Smart Dodd's mother died when she was only 16, so because of this, her father was left to raise her and five other children. One day after listening to a church sermon, and inspired by Mother's Day, Sonora Smart Dodd decided that she wanted a day that celebrated and honored fathers. Although the first observance of Father's Day occurred in 1910, it wasn't until 1966 that Father's Day became a holiday to be celebrated on the third Sunday of June. Finally, in 1972, Father's Day became an official national holiday in the United States. Lastly, something not commonly known is that you can celebrate and honor any person that is a father, not just your own. Giving gifts is also a common and traditional thing to do during Father's Day.

The Bible does not command or forbid us to celebrate Father's Day. However, we are actually told to love and respect our fathers every single day.

Romans 14:5-8 (NIV) tells us that for any day we celebrate we must be convinced of it in our own minds and it must be "[for] the Lord." In other words, any day of celebration should not dishonor the Lord. So although we are not commanded to celebrate Father's Day, we are, however, told in the Bible to love everyone (John 13:34-35, NIV; Luke 10:27, NIV; Luke 6:27-28, NIV), which obviously includes our fathers. Additionally, we are told to obey our fathers (as long as his commands are not against God's commands) when we are children (Ephesians 6:1-3, NIV). Therefore, since we should love everyone (including our fathers) at all times, Father's "Day" should actually occur every single day instead of just one day out of the year.

We should also remember that God is our Heavenly "Father."

If you do not have your father in your life, then you should always remember that we are told many times in the Bible that we are "children" of God: 1 John 3:1-2 (NIV); 1 John 3:10 (NIV); Romans 8:16-17 (NIV);Romans 8:21 (NIV); Philippians 2:15 (NIV); John 1:12 (NIV). So if we are to always love and honor our fathers, as explained in Ephesians 6:1-3 (NIV), then it makes perfect sense that we must always love and honor God, too, as explained in Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV). Additionally, God will care for us and love us just like our fathers would (Proverbs 3:11-12, NIV).

Father's Day Bible Verses

The Bible contains a variety of Bible verses that can be applied to fathers on Father's Day (much more than this article can show). Therefore, you should check out our article, "Father's Day Bible Verses," for Bible verses about and for fathers.