When is Father's Day in 2024? What to know to celebrate Dad this year

Dads are pretty great. They're there when you need a shoulder to cry on, to help with math homework and to crack you up with their stupid-but-still-funny dad jokes.

That's why we celebrate fathers of every kind on the third Sunday in June.

However you plan to celebrate someone special on Father's Day this year — whether it be your dad, stepdad, husband, grandfather, uncle or anyone else — you're likely going to to need to know what day Father's Day falls on in 2024.

After all, you'll need a little lead time to pick out a unique Father's Day gift or plan a spectacular family outing to recognize your one-of-a-kind guy.

To help, we've got all the details on when Father's Day falls this year, as well as some interesting history and fun facts behind why we honor our favorite father figures annually in June.

In fact, you might be surprised to learn that Father’s Day was officially established after Mother’s Day was declared a holiday back in 1914 (sorry, Dad). Maybe more surprising is which U.S. president was responsible for making it happen.

Read on to find out the date of Father's Day this year along with everything else you need to know to let the dear ol’ dad in your life know that when it comes to fathers, there’s simply no one better than him.

When is Father’s Day 2024?

This year, Father's Day is on Sunday, June 16. So, if you haven't gotten around to making plans for him yet, there's no time like the present to plan brunch, a backyard barbecue or schedule a tee time for the two of you.

And, of course, don't forget to send him your most sincere and heartfelt Father's Day wishes in a greeting card or via text.

Is Father's Day on the same date every year?

While Father’s Day is celebrated annually on the third Sunday in June, it doesn’t always land on the exact same date like, say, Christmas or July 4.

In 2024, Father's Day falls on Sunday, June 16, but in 2023 it was celebrated on June 18. Father's Day will arrive a bit sooner than usual next year, falling on Sunday, June 15, 2025.

Why do we celebrate Father's Day?

The inspiration for a day dedicated to Dad dates back to the early 1900s. After a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd's mother died during childbirth, she and her siblings were raised by her father, a Civil War veteran named William Smart.

To express her gratitude for all her father did for her, Dodd initiated a day designated to “instill the same love and reverence for the father as is the mother's portion,” Dodd wrote about the day in a 1910 newspaper article.

At her urging, the very first Father's Day was celebrated on June 19 that same year. It's no coincidence Father's Day is celebrated in June, since Dodd chose the date based on the month of her father's birthday.

The history of Father's Day

While Dodd organized the first Father's Day more than a century ago, decades passed before it became an official holiday.

However, word of the recognition spread and before long, Father's Day was celebrated across the U.S. with the rose becoming its emblem. Wearing a colored rose represented a living father, while a white rose was symbolic of a father who had passed away.

Over the years, various presidents like Calvin Coolidge and Lyndon B. Johnson commemorated the day, but it wasn’t until President Richard Nixon signed a proclamation in 1972 that Father's Day became an official holiday on the calendar.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

How much do Americans spend on Father’s Day?

It may have taken some time to put Father's Day on the map, but now that it is, everyone goes all out to show the men in their life just how much they mean to them.

According to the National Retail Federation, Americans planned to spend a record-breaking $22.9 billion in 2023 on everything from books and clothes to electronics, tools and gift cards.

The average shopper is expected to dole out around $196 on Father's Day gifts in 2014, with the top three categories being greeting cards, clothes and special outings.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

• 28 Father’s Day card ideas to make for Dad on his big day
• 35 DIY Father’s Day gifts that prove it's always better to go homemade
• 88 Father's Day jokes that prove you inherited Dad's funny bone