Every third Sunday in June, Americans from across the country gather together to celebrate their dads. From new fathers who have just welcomed their first son or daughter to the family to grandfathers who have watched their sons and daughters build families of their own, dads of all ages are honoured on this special day. As the event approaches, read on to learn more about the history of Father's Day and discover how celebrations vary among the American public.

According to the University of Kansas Medical Center's Diversity Calendar, Father's Day was first celebrated in Spokane, Washington in 1910. The holiday was inspired by the May celebration of Mother's Day, which predated it by about a decade (although Mother's Day wasn't made an official holiday until 1914). Despite being celebrated informally for decades, Father's Day wasn't officially made a holiday until 1966.

Nowadays, Father's Day is widely observed in the United States. In the lead-up to the holiday, TV-ads advertise gifts for fathers, supermarkets layout special displays for Father's Day picnic, local community organisations promote special Father's Day celebrations and school kids work on art projects to give their dads on the special day. However, though the holiday would appear quite popular to the casual observer, a recent reward survey of people in the U.S. revealed that nearly 30% of respondents don't celebrate Father's Day.

Of those respondents that said they do celebrate Father's Day, the way in which they honour the occasion varies. Many respondents (20%) said they simply give their dad or father figure a call to say 'Happy Father's Day', while a slightly larger group (29%) actually meet up with him in person, either on their own or with other members of their immediate family.

While respondents of reward surveys were varied in the way that they celebrate Father's Day, a large portion of them (44%) were in agreement that Father's Day gifts do not need to be of monetary value. Still, around 13% of respondents said they spend $21-$30 on a gift, 5% said they spend $31-$40 on a gift, 8% said they spend $41-$50 on a gift and just under 8% splurged on a $51-$100 gift according to recent reward surveys.

So, it may have surprised you to discover that Father's Day has only officially been around since 1966. But even in that short time frame, the nation has clearly embraced it. Though the holiday isn't observed by everyone, and celebrations remain quite varied, it does seem to be a lasting tradition that you can probably expect to be around for many generations to come.

Fiona Roy writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.