Father’s Day card messages 2023: best quotes, sayings, poems and ideas to make your dad feel special this year

These are the best messages to write in a card for dads, grandads and new dads

By Rochelle Barrand

17th Jun 2022, 11:34am

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Father’s Day is just days away in the UK, and that means there’s not long left to sort the perfect day for your dad. You may have already bought a wonderful Father’s Day gift, or planned a fun activity, but when it comes to the card you may be struggling to know what to write.

Now, we know that some cards come with a lovely verse written in them, but it’s always better to add a personalised message of your choice. But, what to write? Do you go with something sweet and try to put into words just how much dad means to you? Or do you want to go with something funny, since dad enjoys a good laugh?

No matter what you choose, there are hundreds of things you can write, but you may need some inspiration. So, here are some of the best quotes and sayings to write in your dad’s Father’s Day card.

What can I write in a Father’s Day card?

There are hundreds of great sayings and quotes you could write in your dad’s Father’s Day card - and some of them come from well-known names. Here are some of our favourites. They’re all sure to raise a smile, and make sure dad treasures your card long after Father’s Day has passed. We’ll leave it to you to decide whether or not to tell dad who said your quote of choice first.

Short and sweet

“A girl’s first true love is her father.” —Marisol Santiago
“A father’s smile has been known to light up a child’s entire day.” —Susan Gale
“When my father didn’t have my hand, he had my back.” —Linda Poindexter
“The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get.” —Tim Russert
“A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow.” —Unknown

Inspirational and endearing

“A father is neither an anchor to hold us back, nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose love shows us the way.” —Unknown
“When you need real understanding, when you need someone to care, when you need someone to guide you … A father’s always there.” —Thomas J. Langley
“A dad is someone who wants to catch you when you fall. Instead he picks you up, brushes you off and lets you try again.” —Unknown
“When you’re young, you think your dad is Superman. Then you grow up, and you realise he’s just a regular guy who wears a cape.” —Dave Attell
“Dads are like chocolate chip cookies; they may have chips or be totally nutty, but they are sweet and make the world a better place, especially for their children.” —Hillary Lytle

Here are some of the best quotes and sayings to write in your dad’s Father’s Day card.

Here are some of the best quotes and sayings to write in your dad’s Father’s Day card.

Funny

“A man knows when he is growing old because he begins to look like his father.” —Gabriel Garcia Marquez
“You can tell what was the best year of your father’s life, because they seem to freeze that clothing style and ride it out.” —Jerry Seinfeld
“Being a great father is like shaving. No matter how good you shaved today, you have to do it again tomorrow.” —Reed Markham

First Father’s Day

These messages are for the wives, girlfriends, partners or family members of men who are about to celebrate their first Father’s Day and want to write a lovely message on behalf of their new baby.

“[Fatherhood is] the greatest thing that could ever happen. You can’t explain it until it happens; it’s like telling somebody what water feels like before they’ve ever swam in it.” —Michael Bublé
“The reward of child rearing is spending the rest of your life proudly knowing this person you helped guide.” —Mike Sager
“A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child.” —Knights of Pythagoras
“The only thing better than having you for a husband is our children having you for a daddy.” —Unknown
“I always thought you’d make a great dad. Now, I know it.” —Unknown

For grandads

These messages are for grandads, because we know that dad’s dad is important too.

“Grandpas bring a little wisdom, happiness, warmth and love to every life they touch.” —Unknown
“The best dads get promoted to grandpa.” —Unknown
“We never know the love of a parent till we become parents ourselves.” —Henry Ward Beecher
“When you teach your son, you teach your son’s son.” —The Talmud
“A grandfather is someone with silver in his hair and gold in his heart.” —Unknown

Poems

Grateful To Have You As My Dad: I hope you know, I’m grateful, And my heart is truly glad, That today and every single day, I have you as my Dad.
Lucky Me and Mummy: Daddy I want to let you know, How lucky mummy and I are, Because when it comes to daddies, You really are a star.
Thanks For All You’ve Done: Happy Father’s Day, Thank you for all you have done, If there was an award for the best father ever, Then I’m sure you would have won, You’ve been my support, Through good time and bad, I feel lucky indeed, To have you as my dad.
One Day I’ll Be Big: One day I’ll be big like you, And strong and smart and brave, Dad you are a hero to me, Happy Father’s Day.

What Father’s Day cards can I buy?

If you still need to buy a Father’s Day card before you can write it, there are lots of options - and some can be sent straight to dad with your chosen message inside.

You can design a personalised card on websites such as Moonpig, Card Factory, Funky Pigeon and Not On the High Street.

You may like to make a homemade card.

When is Father’s Day?

Father’s Day always takes place on the third Sunday in June in the UK. That means that, in 2023, it will be on Sunday 18 June. The UK celebrates Father’s Day on the same day as the US.

In Spain, Italy and Portugal, Father’s Day is celebrated on 19 March, which is the Feast of St. Joseph who is the patron saint of fathers. In Germany, Father’s Day is celebrated on the same date as Ascension Day, which marks the moment that Jesus ascended to heaven in front of his disciples in Bethany, near Jerusalem. This supposedly took place in the 40 days after his resurrection on Easter Sunday, and so the date changes each year. Ascension Day falls on 26 May this year.

In Taiwan, Father’s Day is celebrated on 8 August as the Chinese word for eight is ‘ba’, while a word for father is ‘ba-ba’ - so the eighth day of the eighth month sounds similar to ‘daddy’. This was also the date for Father’s day in China, but it was later moved to the third Sunday in June. In Australia, Father’s Day is celebrated on the first Sunday in September. It is thought this is because when the Australian people decided to adapt the celebration they did not want to wait for the following June and instead chose to mark it as soon as possible.