When is Father’s Day 2023? Date and best gifts and cards for your dad

For more than a century, sons and daughters in the UK have come together to celebrate their dads, grandads and father figures on Father’s Day.

The annual event follows on from Mother’s Day and is seen as an opportunity to reward and acknowledge dad’s for all their hard work throughout the year.

The tradition takes place in a range of different countries across the world, but the date of the celebration varies each year and the occasion often takes place on different days in various parts of the globe.

But when is Father’s Day 2023 in the UK and when was the event first celebrated? Here is your complete guide to Father’s Day which also includes a list of the best gift ideas.

When is Father’s Day 2023?

Father’s Day in the UK is always celebrated on the third Sunday of June, meaning that the date changes slightly each year. Americans also follow this same pattern and both the UK and the U.S will celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday 18 June this year.

The celebration coincides with the Summer Solstice - the longest day of the year - meaning that father’s are really cashing in on the daylight hours.

Why do we celebrate Father’s Day?

In the UK and the US, people traditionally celebrate Father’s Day through gifts and cards, given to dads, grandads and father figures.

The day has been celebrated for over a century and it marks the birth month of the father of the founder of the holiday.

The tradition of Father’s Day dates back to 1909 when an American woman named Sonora Smart Dodd first came up with the idea. Dodd’s father was a Civil War veteran who raised her and her five siblings on his own after their mother died in childbirth.

Dodd is believed to have been listening to a sermon on Mother’s Day, which at the time was being established as a holiday, when she decided that a similar day should be formed to honour fathers.

Father’s Day was officially celebrated for the first time the following year on 19 June 1910 and the event has taken place on the third Sunday in June ever since.

When is Father’s Day celebrated around the world?

Father’s Day in the UK and the US always takes place on the third Sunday of June. However, in Spain, Italy and Portugal the celebration is held on 19 March each year to commemorate the Feast of St.Joseph who is the patron saint of all fathers.

Father’s Day in Germany is celebrated on Ascension Day to mark the moment that Jesus ascended to heaven in front of his disciples. Ascension Day is celebrated on the 40th day of Easter, 39 days after Easter Sunday.

This date also changes each year but this year’s celebration takes place in Germany on 18 May 2023.

Gift ideas for Father’s Day

The perfect Father’s Day gift is largely dependent on the interests of your parent or father figure. The likes of Moonpig, Card Factory and Funky Pigeon specialise in producing personalised cards so that you choose a humorous or memorable picture.

While websites such as Etsy, Not on the High Street and Getting Personal offer a range of fantastic personalised gifts including Mugs, Keyrings and T-Shirts.

Father’s Day also comes right at the heart of summer and it could be the perfect opportunity to buy an outdoor pizza oven or a waterproof hiking jacket. Other special presents could include tickets to a sports game, a music gig or a trip to the cinema to watch a film.