Father’s Day is celebrated in the USA to honor fathers, recognize the influence of fatherhood, and appreciate the sacrifices, love, and guidance that dads and father figures provide to their families. The primary purpose of the day is to show gratitude for a father's often unacknowledged hard work, provide well-deserved recognition for the vital role they play in their children's development and well-being, and celebrate father figures of all kinds, including grandfathers and uncles.
It all started with Sonora Smart Dodd, a woman from Spokane, Washington, who founded Father’s Day. She was one of six children raised by her widowed father. Her mother had died during the birth of her sixth child. Since Mother’s Day was established in 1908, Sonora Smart Dodd has wanted an equivalent holiday for fathers. To promote her idea of celebrating fathers for a day, Sonora visited local churches and the YMCA and met with shopkeepers and government officials to gain support for this new tradition. Because of her hard work, Sonora found success when Washington State celebrated the first Father’s Day on June 19, 1910.
It took many years for Father’s Day to be nationally recognized as a holiday. In 1916 and 1924, Presidents Wilson and Calvin Coolidge showed support for Father’s Day. President Coolidge even urged state governments to celebrate this holiday. But it was not until decades later that Father’s Day would be recognized as a national holiday. In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a presidential proclamation designating the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. In 1972, President Nixon finally established a permanent national observance of Father’s Day.
Research studies also began to recognize the importance of Fathers in shaping and guiding their children. Psychology Today has found that “children who have an involved father are more likely to be emotionally secure, be confident to explore their surroundings, and, as they grow older, have better social connections…Numerous studies find that an active and nurturing style of fathering is associated with better verbal skills, intellectual functioning, and academic achievement among adolescents.” Also, children raised in fatherless families are more likely to engage in at-risk behavior.
Father's Role in Hinduism
Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma) regards the family as the first school of Dharma. While the mother is revered as the embodiment of unconditional love and compassion, the father occupies an equally sacred place as the protector, teacher, disciplinarian, provider, and guide who prepares the child to live a righteous life.
The Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, and Dharma Śāstras consistently teach that honoring one's father is not merely a social duty but a spiritual obligation. The father represents sacrifice, responsibility, wisdom, and steadfast commitment to family and society.
The ancient sages recognized that civilization itself rests upon fathers who nurture noble children. The Taittiriya Upanishad instructs: 'Maatṛu Devo Bhava, Pitṛ Devo Bhava, Acharya Devo Bhava, Atithi Devo Bhava'—'Regard your mother as God; regard your father as God; regard your teacher as God; regard your guest as God.' While Hindu scriptures accord the highest reverence to both parents, they present the father (pitṛ) as the family's protector, educator, disciplinarian, and moral guide. Far from being merely the economic provider, the father is regarded as the first guru who prepares his children to uphold Dharma and contribute to society.
Fatherhood in Sanatana Dharma is fundamentally a sacred responsibility (dharma), rooted in self-sacrifice and truthfulness. The father's responsibilities extend beyond earning a livelihood. He is expected to cultivate wisdom, generosity, self-control, and devotion to God, thereby becoming an example worthy of imitation. compassion, discipline, and unwavering commitment to the welfare of one's family and society. 
The Dharma Shastras assign several sacred duties to the father:
•    To provide for the family's material welfare through righteous means.
•    To educate children in both secular and spiritual knowledge.
•    To cultivate virtues such as honesty, humility, compassion, courage, and self-discipline.
•    To guide children toward fulfilling their duties to family, society, and God.
•    To prepare them to become responsible householders and citizens.
•    In this sense, fatherhood is a form of yajna (selfless sacrifice). Every effort made for the welfare of one's family becomes an offering dedicated to the preservation of Dharma.
Through the lives of King Dasaratha and Lord Rāma, it demonstrates that fatherhood is founded upon sacrifice, truth, affection, and unwavering commitment to Dharma. Unlike many modern narratives that portray authority as oppressive, the Ramayana presents the father as a moral guide whose actions shape the destiny of future generations. Rama never questioned his father. He gladly accepted the loss of the kingdom, forest life, and hardships.
In the Mahabharata, we learn how blind attachment to the children can destroy the family roots. Unable to discipline and restrain his son's arrogance and injustice, Dhṛtaraṣṭra repeatedly ignored wise counsel from Bhiṣma, Vidura, Droṇa, and even Lord Kṛṣṇa. His failure to discipline Duryodhana ultimately contributed to the devastating Kurukṣetra War.
Nowadays, fathers are encouraged to cultivate wisdom, compassion, courage, and humility, and to inspire children to honor their parents through righteous conduct. Such values strengthen families, sustain communities, and preserve the timeless ideals of Santana Dharma. In fact, the Manusmriti teaches that the debt owed to one's parents can never truly be repaid because they give life, nurture, guidance, and education.