What Was Popular Then Probably Isn’t Popular Now
Every year in the United States, people spend more than $15 billion to pay tribute and show love to Dad on Father’s Day, the third Sunday in June. Let’s face it…buying the right gift for Dad can be a challenge. That’s nothing new, though. Over the last 110 years, since the inaugural Father’s Day celebration in 1910, the types of gifts have changed dramatically. Let’s look at some of the historical trends.
Flowers Were the First Gift Commonly Given
It may seem like an odd present for a father, but consider the source. When the first Father’s Day was held, young women were encouraged to bring large baskets of roses to church. Red roses were pinned on the lapels of fathers in attendance, and white roses were pinned in remembrance of fathers who had died.
The Roaring Twenties—Pipe Tobacco and Socks
Though President Coolidge embraced the idea of Father’s Day in 1924, he did not issue a proclamation similar to the one Woodrow Wilson did for Mother’s Day in 1914. Long before we understood anything about the dangers of tobacco, we honored fathers by giving them their favorite pipe tobacco or a nice pair of black socks.
Father’s Day Grows in Prominence in the 1930s—Ties, Hats, Socks and Tobacco Are Popular
With the onset of the Great Depression, Americans had a renewed interest in paying homage to Dad. Activists for a national holiday enlisted the support of trade groups and manufacturers, and established the National Foundation for the Promotion of Father’s Day.
World War II—Support Continues to Grow
Many American fathers saw active combat duty during the Second World War and Father’s Day offered a way to honor them for that effort. Shortages caused by the war made certain gifts, such as candy and sodas (specifically ginger ale) a popular gift. The new gizmo many fathers received in the 40s? An electric razor.
The Fifties—Dad Becomes “King for a Day”
Fatherhood and masculinity were at an all-time high in the middle of the century. The range of gifts expanded tremendously, too. There were Father’s Day themed cigarettes and other tobacco products, shirts and ties, pajamas and slippers, after-shave and, mostly in affluent homes, a set of golf clubs.
The Sixties and Seventies—An Official Holiday at Last
President Lyndon B. Johnson issued a proclamation paying tribute to fathers in 1966, but it wasn’t until 1972 that President Richard Nixon signed a law creating Father’s Day as an official holiday. Ties, tools and barbeque equipment were the rage on Father’s Day.
Gifts Over the Past 40 Years
In the 1980s, primitive electronic devices started to become popular gifts, including calculators, handheld music players and radar detectors. Whiskey and other gourmet liquors also became popular.
Over the last 30 years, the trend has moved substantially to electronic devices. In 2023, the most popular items for Dad on his special day include cordless drills, iPads or other tablets, digital picture frames and video doorbells.
