The celebration of Father's Day in El Salvador is a very special event that is celebrated every year, on June 17. This date is a recognition of the work and role of parents or those who act as a father in the education of children and in society. Father's Day is a national holiday.
Next we will tell you more about the origin of Father's Day in our country.
How was Father's Day born in El Salvador?
The origin of the celebration of Father's Day in El Salvador dates back to the United States with Sonora Smart Dood; daughter of Henry Jackson Smart, a veteran of the civil war, who was the promoter of creating a special date to pay tribute to dads. His motivation was his own father who had to take over the family when his mother died giving birth to her sixth child.
It was during the 1909 Mother's Day speech, Sonora proposed that every June 5; Henry Jackson's birthday, Father's Day will be celebrated with the aim of highlighting the work of the father figure in family life. Unfortunately, at first the initiative was not successful and it took 15 years for President Calvin Coolidge to support this idea and promote its celebration nationally.
However, it was not until 1972 that President Richard Nixón formalized the celebration of Father's Day with the signing of a law to be celebrated every third Sunday in June as proposed by the Spokane Ministerial Alliance in Washington.
In that year, Father's Day fell on June 17 , so in El Salvador this event is still celebrated on this date. Since 2012 it has been a national holiday thanks to a decree approved by the Legislative Assembly.