Dad’s special day

Father’s Day is celebrated worldwide, though not always on the third Sunday in June.

Father’s Day – which is this Sunday, June 17 – may not be the emotional, gift-giving, breakfast-in-bed-making extravaganza that Mother’s Day is, but it has its moments, at various times of the year around the world, as it turns out.

In many Roman Catholic countries, it’s associated with the feast of St. Joseph, the patron saint of papas, on March 19. In our own country, Father’s Day had a rough start in the early 20th century, finally taking off on June 19,1910, thanks to Sonora Smart Dodd, a Spokane, Washington, woman who was raised by the single father of six, Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart.

But its celebration would ebb and flow until President Lyndon B. Johnson (father of two daughters) issued the first presidential proclamation establishing the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day in 1966. Six years later, President Richard Nixon (also the father of two daughters) signed a law making it a permanent national holiday.

On this Father’s Day, dad will probably fire up the old grill, chuckle over the homemade cards and pretend to be surprised by that gift of a polo shirt (again). There are certainly lots of options for presents, whether it’s Josh Cellars Wine hosting the first pop-up exclusively devoted to last minute gifts for dad (Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall through Friday, June 15); Creed’s introduction of Viking, the fiery men’s fragrance (Neiman Marcus Westchester, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 16); and crystal cufflinks by Lalique.

You and dad might head to Greenwich Polo Club Sunday for a chukker or two or grab a burger and brew at Barnes & Noble Eastchester. (Well, dad may have the brewskie. Whippersnappers will have to settle for a nonalcoholic bevvie.)

Whatever you do, take time to remember dads past and present.

From all of us at WAG, Happy Father’s Day.

Georgette Gouveia

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