Happy Father's Day!

HISTORY

Father's Day is a celebration of fathers inaugurated in the early twentieth century to complement of Mother's Day in celebrating fatherhood and male parenting. The first observance of Father's Day actually took place in Fairmont, West Virginia on July 5, 1908. It was organized by Mrs. Grace Golden Clayton, who wanted to celebrate the lives of the 210 fathers who had been lost in the Monongah Mining disaster several months earlier in Monongah, West Virginia, on December 6, 1907. It is possible that Clayton was influenced by the first celebration of Mother's Day that same year, just a few miles away. Clayton chose the Sunday nearest to the birthday of her recently deceased father. Unfortunately, the day was overshadowed by other events in the city, West Virginia did not officially register the holiday, and it was not celebrated again. Instead, credit for Father's Day went to Sonora Dodd from Spokane, who invented independently her own celebration of Father's Day just two years later, also influenced by Jarvis' Mother's Day. Clayton's celebration was forgotten until 1972, when one of the attendants to the celebration saw Nixon's proclamation of Father's Day, and worked to recover its legacy. The celebration is now held every year in the Central United Methodist Church, as the Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church, South, was torn down in 1922. Fairmont is now promoted as the "Home of the First Father's Day Service".

A bill to accord national recognition of the holiday was introduced in Congress in 1913. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson went to Spokane to speak in a Father's Day celebration and wanted to make it official, but Congress resisted, fearing that it would become commercialized. US President Calvin Coolidge recommended in 1924 that the day be observed by the nation, but stopped short of issuing a national proclamation. Two earlier attempts to formally recognize the holiday had been defeated by Congress. In 1957, Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith wrote a proposal accusing Congress of ignoring fathers for 40 years while honoring mothers, thus "singling out just one of our two parents". In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers, designating the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Six years later, the day was made a permanent national holiday when President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972. In addition to Father's Day, International Men's Day is celebrated in many countries on November 19 for men and boys who are fathers.

THAILAND

    

King's Birthday or Father's Day is celebrated on December 5, the birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the monarch of Thailand. King's birthday is a national holiday and is celebrated all over the country with great enthusiasm. The event is used by the loyal people of Thailand to express their reverence for their King.

His Majesty

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej or Rama IX, is the longest serving monarch in the history of Thailand. Constitutional head of the country, he ascended to throne on 9 June, 1946. Ninth King of the Chakri Dynasty, he was born on December 5, 1927, to Prince and Princess Mahidol of Songkhla.

The Celebrations 

The King's Birthday is an event used by his loyal subjects to express their heart-felt affection and reverence to him. All public structures and homes in Thai land are elaborately bedecked with flags and lights, predominantly of yellow color. Capital Bangkok, especially Grand Palace and Ratchadamnoen Avenue areas, exude pageantry, adorned with thousands of flowers.

Kururatrungsarit School

In celebration with the Father's Day, the school Kururatrungsarit prepared an activity in front of the school building, near in the Thai House this morning. It is celebrated before the King's birthday. We give offering to the king as a symbol of love and respect as a father of Thailand. Teachers and students are united as one in the celebration through spectacular event in a year for the fathers. Presented by Thai cultural dance and foreign teachers wears a beautiful cultural dresses as of their designated countries, as well as the artistic and unique costume of Thai, represent as a special day.

A day continue with the student who voluntarily clean-up the environment of Chombueng, from school, public market and other designated areas.

A fulfillment of the day made for fathers to be happy.

Created and edited by:

Ajarn Jaira & Ajarn Xyrus