When is Father's Day 2025? Britons across UK set to celebrate with loved ones

When is Father's Day 2025? Britons across UK set to celebrate with loved ones

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Oliver Trapnell

By Oliver Trapnell


Published: 08/06/2025

- 16:15

Scholars have suggested the day may have pagan origins

Father's Day is just around the corner, with Britons across the UK set to celebrate with their loved ones.

Much like Mother's Day, Britain's day of celebration for paternity, is not locked to a specific date and instead falls on the third Sunday of June each year.


Historically, it is a day to honour fathers and father figures, such as grandfathers and fathers-in-law.

This June 15, many Britons will make a special effort to visit their fathers or to send them a card or gifts.

Unlike some national celebrations, Father's Day is not a public holiday in the UK, meaning most businesses will operate according to their regular Sunday trading hours.

Many Britons will mark the occasion by visiting their fathers or sending cards and gifts to show their appreciation.

The tradition of Father's Day was imported from the United States, where celebrations began in June 1910.

An American woman named Sonora Smart Dodd, inspired by Mother's Day festivities, conceived the idea of a special day to honour fathers and celebrate fatherhood.

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Father and son celebrating together

Father's Day is not a public holiday in the UK, meaning most businesses will operate according to their regular Sunday trading hours

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The British adoption of Father's Day followed the American custom, marking a contrast with Mother's Day, which developed along different historical paths in the two nations.

Whilst Mother's Day has distinct origins in the UK and US, Father's Day celebrations in Britain were directly influenced by the American tradition of dedicating the third Sunday in June to paternal recognition.

In 1966, US President Lyndon B. Johnson decided the third Sunday in June should be Father's Day.

Six years later, President Richard Nixon signed it into law.

The celebration may have deeper historical roots beyond its American origins with some scholars suggesting the concept of Father's Day could be linked to ancient pagan sun worship, as certain pagan traditions regard the Sun as the father of the universe.

The timing adds weight to this theory, as the summer solstice typically occurs close to Father's Day in June.

This proximity has led some to draw connections between the modern celebration and these ancient practices.

Whether rooted in paganism or purely a 20th-century American invention, the day has become firmly established in British culture as an opportunity to recognise paternal contributions to family life.

Father's Day 2025

Historically, it is a day to honour fathers and father figures, such as grandfathers and fathers-in-law

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Traditional Father's Day gifts include ties, socks, underwear, sweaters, slippers and other clothing items.

Tools for household maintenance or garden work, luxury food items and drinks are also popular choices.

Celebrations often involve special meals, either at home or in pubs and restaurants.

Traditional roast dinners with meat, stuffing, potatoes and vegetables remain a popular choice, frequently accompanied by pints of ale or lager.

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