‘When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.’ Mark Twain
It’s Father’s Day coming up but how much do you actually know about the day itself? If the answer is “not much” then you’re not alone. The one thing we’re aware of is that we need to buy our dad something great and mum’s need to rush around finding a present for their husband that’s “from the children.” Well this should help… A wise man once said “slippers aren’t the most popular Father’s Day present - it is the gift of a tie… or a present from giftlab.co.uk.” So how about it… click on the ‘range’ tab and get shopping. But before you do, here’s everything you need to know.
1. Father’s Day was invented by American Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd whose father had, as a single parent raised his six children. The first Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910.
2. In spite of the impression you might get from the media, according to the Office of National Statistics, four fifths of children have a Dad at home - eighty per cent of dependent children live with their father.
3. Three per cent of fathers living with dependent children are lone fathers.
4. According to greetings card makers Hallmark, Father’s Day is the fifth-largest card-sending holiday.
5. The film ‘Fathers’ Day (1997)’ starred Robin Williams and Billy Crystal as two middle aged men who are tricked into finding an ex-girlfriends runaway son when she tells them they are both the father.They have to team up to find the boy and discover who the real father is.The film was a hit due to the big-name cast but was not a critical success.
6. Marilyn Monroe famously sung Cole Porter’s ‘My Heart Belongs to Daddy’. She did not know who her real father was.
7. One of the best-know quotes about fathers was from Mark Twain.He said of his Father ‘When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.’
8. The Episode of Dr. Who (played by Christopher Eccleston) entitled Father’s Day involved Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) travelling back in time to the day that her father was killed.She steps in to prevent his death causing the inevitable rent in the space/time continuum. Doctor Who - The Complete First Series Boxset
9. More from the Office of National Statistics; in 1971 the average age of a father where the birth occurred inside a married relationship in England and Wales was 27; by 1999 this had increased to 31. These days, fathers are generally three years younger where births occur outside marriage. The average age of the father where the birth occurred outside marriage decreased from 28 to 26 between 1971 and 1991 but had since increased to almost 28 again in 1999.
10. The must-have gift for Father’s Day this year? Surprise Dad this year with a BBQ sword from Giftlab.co.uk
