🤔 Today's Trivia Question:

How Many Million Father’s Day Cards are Sold in the US Each Year?

Correct Answer: B) 72 Million (per Hallmark)

The Origins and Growth of Father’s Day in the United States

Source: Hallmark.com: Father's Day is celebrated annually on the third Sunday in June and holds the distinction of being the fourth-largest card-sending holiday in the United States. Each year, 72 million Father's Day cards are exchanged, with half of these being purchased specifically for dads. Nearly 20% of the cards are bought for husbands, while the rest are for grandfathers, sons, brothers, uncles, and other special individuals. Humor cards are particularly popular, accounting for about 25% of Father's Day card sales. Hallmark, a major player in the greeting card industry, has been producing Father's Day cards since the early 1920s.

The history of Father’s Day dates back to nearly 4,000 years ago when a Babylonian youth named Elmesu carved a Father’s Day message in clay, wishing his father good health and a long life. The inspiration for the modern Father’s Day celebration can be traced to William Jackson Smart of Spokane, Washington. A widower and Civil War veteran, Smart raised his six children alone for 21 years after the death of his wife. His daughter, Sonora Louise Dodd, conceived the idea for Father’s Day in 1909 after hearing a Mother's Day sermon at church. She advocated for local churches to observe a Father's Day the following year, in June, the month of her father's birth. Her efforts led to the holiday gaining popularity and spreading across various cities and states.

Although numerous congressional resolutions were introduced over the years to establish a national Father’s Day, it wasn't until 1972 that President Richard Nixon officially designated the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day by signing a presidential resolution.