The Tradition of Father's Day

The Tradition of Father’s Day is the topic for today. It’s two weeks away for those of us here in the US.

But first, let me take a minute to say welcome to every new listener and welcome back to the veteran homestead-loving regulars who stop by to listen to the FarmCast every week. I appreciate you all so much. I’m so excited to share with you what’s going on at the farm this week. And a fantastic recipe for grilling on Father’s Day.

Today’s Show Homestead Life Updates The Tradition of Father’s Day Gourmet Chevon Burgers Homestead Life Updates Our homestead life is humming along. Yes, I’m still way behind on taming the weeds in the garden, the beans still need to be planted. And to top it off, harvesting is beginning. I’ve already picked green peas for shelling and snow peas. I froze four packages and had plenty left over for several meals. Now the shelling peas need to be picked again. This time there will be lots and lots and lots of them. I may freeze some and can some. We’ll see. Freezer space is at a premium right now. The potatoes are ready to be dug up and dried and I have plenty of spring onions available to add fresh to any dish.

Happy and good lamb news. We had a late arrival a few days ago. That brings our total to 10 lambs this year and zero loses. We’ve never had that kind of success rate. Mother nature usually has her way with at least one or two. We have been truly blessed this year.

The herd shares are going gangbusters. Only a couple of slots left there. And so many are interested in the cheese. During the summer we offer milk, yogurt, butter and cream, while winter will provide lots of cheese and butter. My schedule may change in that area due to the requests of the herd share owners. Many want the cheese now in lieu of the milk. Next month their wishes will become reality.

The quail are growing like crazy. Scott devised a way to alter their feeding trays so they don’t waste so much. That’s working out fine. The roosters are beginning to crow. It’s not a like a chicken at all. When I go and visit them and care for them, they are all standing in a row in front of the door looking out. They are so cute and funny.

Scott is moving along with the creamery walls. And that’s about it for the homestead updates. Let’s get to the topic of the day.

The Tradition of Father’s Day Last month we looked at the tradition of Mother’s Day. Today we look at the tradition of Father’s Day. And more importantly, why children need fathers (or at the very least father-figures) in their lives. Today retailers and marketers, in an effort to make a quick buck, have completely changed the original meaning of Father’s Day. A holiday that was created to honor dad and enumerate his special qualities is now used as a marketing tool. Such is the way of life in our very affluent country.

Let’s take a look at the roots and history of Father’s Day.

The Religious Roots and Tradition A customary day for the celebration of fatherhood in Catholic Europe is known to date back to at least the Middle Ages, and it is observed on March 19, as the feast day of Saint Joseph, who is referred to as the fatherly Nutritor Domini ("Nourisher of the Lord") in Catholicism and "the putative father of Jesus" in southern European traditions. This celebration was brought to the Americas by the Spanish and Portuguese, and in many countries Father's Day is still celebrated on March 19. The Catholic Church actively supported the custom of a celebration of fatherhood on St. Joseph's day from either the last years of the 14th century or from the early 15th century.

The History of Father’s Day in the United States Father's Day was not celebrated in the US, outside Catholic traditions, until the 20th century. As a civic celebration in the US, it was inaugurated in the early 20th century to complement Mother's Day by celebrating fathers and male parenting.

There are two stories of when the first Father’s Day was celebrated in the United States. According to some accounts, the first Father’s Day was celebrated in Washington state on June 19, 1910. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd came up with the idea of honoring and celebrating her father while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon at church in 1909. She felt as though mothers were getting all the acclaim while fathers were equally deserving of a day of praise (Likely she would be displeased that Mother’s Day still gets the lion’s share of attention).

Sonora’s dad was quite a man. William Smart, a veteran of the Civil War, was left a widower when his wife died while giving birth to their sixth child. He went on to raise the six children by himself on their small farm in Washington. To show her appreciation for all the hard work and love William gave to her and her siblings, Sonora thought there should be a day to pay homage to him and other dads like him. She initially suggested June 5th,...