When is Father’s Day in Australia?
Father’s Day in Australia is on the first Sunday in September. Beware: This is different from Father’s Day in the US or UK, which is on the third Sunday in June.
Father’s Day in Australia is not on the same day as it is in the United States and United Kingdom. Anyone expecting see Australian Father’s Day promotions in shops in June is in for a surprise. And, if they’re waiting for the marketing blitz to appear before sending a card or present to dad back home, it could get rather awkward.
Origins of Father’s Day
Father’s Day in the United States and United Kingdom is celebrated on the third Sunday of June. The origins in this date go back to 1910, when Father’s Day was first celebrated in Spokane, Washington.
The day was the idea of Sonora Smart Dodd. Dodd’s family was raised by her father after her mother died in childbirth. She heard about Mother’s Day at church, and decided there should be an equivalent for fathers.
Dodd went to the Spokane Ministerial Alliance with the idea, and proposed her own father’s birthday – June 5 – as the date. The Spokane Ministerial Alliance liked the idea, but decided on a different date. They chose the third Sunday in June, and Father’s Day in the US and UK has been on that date ever since.
Date of Father’s Day in Australia
Father’s Day in Australia is on the first Sunday in September, however.
There’s no clear reasoning for this. The most plausible explanation is that Father’s Day in Australia didn’t really catch on until the 1930s. By then, it was decided that the third Sunday in June was too close to Mother’s Day in Australia – which takes place on the second Sunday in May. So, another date was chosen.
This isn’t an especially convincing explanation, so take it with a pinch of salt. The important thing to know is that Father’s Day in Australia is on a different date. Choose the first Sunday in September if sending something to a dad in Australia, but the third Sunday in June for a dad in the US or UK.
For potential Father’s Day presents, consider wine-tasting tours from Adelaide, swimming with dolphins in Perth or outdoor activities in Melbourne.
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