Take Our Father’s Day Quiz
We invite you to test your knowledge of Dad’s special day with our Father’s Day mini-quiz. (Answers are below, but no fair peeking!)
#1. How many countries celebrate Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June?
A. Just one: the United States
B. Five countries: the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand
C. All of them
D. Ninety-one countries
#2. Where was Father’s Day first observed in the U.S.?
A. In Spokane, Washington
B. In Washington, DC
C. In Fairmont, West Virginia
D. In Grafton, West Virginia
#3. Which of the following countries celebrates Father’s Day on March 19, the Feast of St. Joseph?
A. Russia
B. Portugal
C. Thailand
D. Germany
#4. When was the first Father’s Day card believed to have been sent?
A. In 1908
B. Around 2,000 B.C.
C. In 1928, the year Hallmark was founded
D. During the Middle Ages
#5. Most experts believe the word “dad” originated from which language?
A. Old English
B. Latin
C. Greek
D. Baby Talk
ANSWERS
#1. Answer: D.
Although we like to think of Father’s Day as a predominantly American observance, the fact is that 163 of the world’s 195 countries celebrate the day in some form. Of these, 91 do so on the third Sunday of June.
#2. Answer: C.
Okay, this one’s a bit of a trick question, since the answer depends in part on who you ask.
In the winter of 1907 an explosion in a West Virginia coal mine left more than 1,000 children fatherless. To commemorate the victims of this disaster, a special ceremony was instituted and a day set aside to remember the fathers. The celebration was held at a Fairmont, West Virginia, church on July 5, 1908.
Two years later, a Spokane, Washington, woman named Sonora Smart Dodd stole the spotlight. As one of six children raised by a Civil War veteran who was a single father, Dodd held her father in great esteem. She campaigned tirelessly for Father’s Day and sponsored an event—along with official proclamations—on June 19, 1910, at the Spokane YMCA.
Her event gained national recognition from President Woodrow Wilson in 1916. As a result, the Spokane service is often considered the official beginning of Father’s Day in the United States. And Dodd is considered to be the “mother” of Father’s Day. So, technically, the correct answer is C, but you get partial credit for choosing A. (Grafton, West Virginia, on the other hand, was the site of the first official Mother’s Day celebration on May 10, 1908.)
#3. Answer: B.
Many Roman Catholic countries (including Portugal, Spain and Italy) celebrate Father’s Day on the day that honors Joseph of Nazareth, Jesus’ father.
In Russia, Father’s Day is known as “Defender of the Fatherland Day,” and is primarily a military celebration. This federal holiday is observed annually on February 23rd with parades and processions in honor of military veterans.
Thailand’s Father’s Day also has political overtones. It’s celebrated on December 5, the birthday of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who is considered the father of that nation. Festivities include fireworks, a widely broadcast speech by the ruling king, and children handing out Canna lilies to their fathers and grandfathers. Many Thais also donate blood and liberate captive animals on that day.
In Germany, “Vatertag” is celebrated on the Christian holiday of Ascension Day, 40 days after Easter. It’s a national holiday, with most Germans enjoying a four-day weekend filled with outdoor activities and plenty of beer.
#4. Answer: B.
Believe it or not, archaeologists have discovered a Father’s Day message carved on an ancient Babylonian clay tablet that dates back 4,000 years. Apparently, a dutiful young boy named Elmesu carved the message to his father, wishing him good health and a long life.
#5. Answer: D.
More than 60 percent of all English words have Latin or Greek roots, but “dad” is not one of them.
And although the word “father” does indeed come from the Old English ‘fæder’ (meaning “he who begets a child”), the word “dad” is believed to have originated in baby talk. That’s because, in numerous languages, “dada” or “tata” is a baby’s way of acknowledging father. It’s one of the first and easiest words for a baby to pronounce.
Whether you’re known as father, dad, daddy, dada, tata, baba, papa,
pappy, pa, pop, pa-paw or pop-pop….