A Tribute to All Fathers
by Don Jíbaro

here are many versions about the origins of Father's Day. Most countries will undoubtedly have their own, according to their folklore. In the USA there are different versions as well, but most center on the fundamental basic facts. In Puerto Rico, we borrowed from our friends in the North and made it our own.

That will establish the fact that I never gave my father a tie. The island was hot enough in the 1950s for any Puerto Rican father to succumb to a shackle on his neck. Yet, we gave our fathers handkerchiefs, tools, shirts and an occasional bottle of their favorite rum... "Don Q" was my papi's favorite or "Llave" when the budget was tight.

So, I'll then share my version of the holiday hoping that it will fit with all the other ones.

bout 4,000 years ago a young boy named Elmusu wished his Babylonian father good health and a long life by carving a Father's Day message on a card made out of clay. No one knows what happened to Elmesu or his father, but the tradition of having a special day honoring fathers has continued through the years in countries across the world.

The Countries, where the Catholic Church were of significant influence in the culture of the society, Father's Day is celebrated on St. Joseph's Day (March 19). However, a more secular celebration which is not associated with any religion has followed in recent times to highlight the increased diversity among people from all over the globe co-existing together in one place.

Father's Day is celebrated with popularity on the 3rd Sunday in June in many parts of the world. The idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Having been raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.

In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. President Nixon, in 1972, established a permanent national observance of Father's Day to be held on the third Sunday of June. So Father's Day was born as a token of love and gratitude that a daughter cherishes for her beloved father. Roses are the Father's Day flowers: red to be worn for a living father and white if the father has died.

Tools are always a favorite,
and hammers are the best...!

The Hammer Toe

The Digital Hammer (it counts blows... see the little screen?)

The Battery Operated Electric Hammer

Hit or Miss Random Hammer

And my favorite

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