This is when Father’s Day falls in 2021 in the UK - and best gift ideas

It’s never too early to start planning a celebration.

Father’s Day gives children the chance to recognise the contributions of their dads in the same way mums are celebrated on Mother’s Day each year.

Both occasions took on a very different look in 2020 amid the Covid pandemic, with lockdown restrictions still in place for Mother’s Day on 14 March 2021.

Yet, with Father’s Day taking place a little later in the year, could the celebration take on a more normal feel than last year? Here’s when it falls and its origins.

When is Father’s Day 2021?

In 2021, Father’s Day takes place on 20 June in the UK.

Under the government’s roadmap out of a third national lockdown, the date falls a day before it is hoped all limits on social interactions are lifted due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The third phase of relaxing restrictions - on 17 May - would allow for families to celebrate the occasion in groups of up to 30 people outside.

Inside, that number is reduced to six or two households, as indoor hospitality opens up once more meaning a nice pub lunch or dinner in a restaurant would be possible.

Outdoor venues will have opened by 20 June, under the phased approach, meaning a trip to the zoo, theme park or sports venue (restricted numbers) could be on the cards.

Why does the date of Father’s Day change?

Father’s Day always takes place on the third Sunday in June in the UK.

Its origins stem from the US in the early 20th Century after a West Virginia woman Grace Clayton lost her father in a mining accident.

The commemoration, coupled with the rise in popularity of Mother’s Day, prompted the daughter of an American Civil War veteran Sonora Dodd to take on the mantle.

She wanted to honour her own father on his birthday - 5 June - however the third Sunday in June was chosen to allow pastors to prepare sermons.

The first Father's Day was celebrated on 19 June 1910, in Spokane, Washington.

It took some time for the recognition of fathers to become a consistent occasion in the calendar, with public enthusiasm waning before presidential intervention.

After a long campaign to spread awareness of the celebration, US president Lyndon Johnson officially recognised the observance of Father’s Day in 1966.

His successor Richard Nixon signed Father’s Day into law as a national holiday in 1972.

What day do other countries celebrate Father’s Day?

Like the UK, many other countries observe the holiday on the same day as the US.

Yet there are countries who follow the Bible’s religious observance of the Feast of St Joseph, the father of Jesus Christ, which is held on 19 March each year.

This date is still observed by many Catholic countries such as Spain, where it is known as the ‘Dia del Padre’, and Italy, which celebrates the Festa del Papa.