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==Early History==
It is purported that the earliest celebration of a father dates to about 4,000 years ago, to ancient Babylon, where a boy, named Elmesu, created a type of card for his father out of clay that wished him good health and a long life. While this might not relate to any special day celebrating fathers, it could suggest occasions may have been selected, perhaps without a specific calendar date, where fathers would be given well wishes from their children.<ref>For more on the card from Elmesu, see: Colo, Alfred. (2012). <i>American Holidays</i>. Xlibris Corporation, pg. 50. </ref> In early Christian tradition, Saint Joseph, Jesus' father, was celebrated on March 19th (Figure 1). Some have speculated that the date was selected because it falls near March 20th, which is the equinox. The Sun may have been celebrated in parts of Europe around that time, prior to the arrival of Christianity, and a fatherly figure was equated with the sun. Joseph may have replaced the importance of the sun during the conversion of Europeans. However, this connection is not clear or agreed upon. In any case, the celebration of Joseph, both in European Catholic tradition, and that in the Middle East, such as through the Coptic and Orthodox churches, equated fatherhood with that of Joseph. Saint Joseph was celebrated for nurturing Jesus in his youth. Thus, fatherhood was seen as an important role to celebrate for its nourishment, spiritually and in sustenance, for children raised. The tradition of celebrating Saint Joseph was spread throughout areas Spanish explorers went, particularly the New World. Some countries today have now made the celebration of Father's Day on March 19th, where the date is seen as being inspired by Saint Joseph. The Coptic church celebrates Saint Joseph on July 20th; for Egyptian Christians, July 20th is still a significant day and often is associated with celebrating fathers and fatherhood. This might date from the 5th century and could be among the earliest recorded celebrations in relation to officially celebrating fatherhood.
In early Christian tradition, Saint Joseph, Jesus' father, was celebrated on March 19th (Figure 1). Some have speculated that the date was selected because it falls near March 20th, which is the equinox. The Sun may have been celebrated in parts of Europe around that time, prior to the arrival of Christianity, and a fatherly figure was equated with the sun. Joseph may have replaced the importance of the sun during the conversion of Europeans. However, this connection is not clear or agreed upon. In any case, the celebration of Joseph, both in European Catholic tradition, and that in the Middle East, such as through the Coptic and Orthodox churches, equated fatherhood with that of Joseph. Saint Joseph was celebrated for nurturing Jesus in his youth. Thus, fatherhood was seen as an important role to celebrate for its nourishment, spiritually and in sustenance, for children raised. The tradition of celebrating Saint Joseph was spread throughout areas Spanish explorers went, particularly the New World. Some countries today have now made the celebration of Father's Day on March 19th, where the date is seen as being inspired by Saint Joseph. The Coptic church celebrates Saint Joseph on July 20th; for Egyptian Christians, July 20th is still a significant day and often is associated with celebrating fathers and fatherhood. This might date from the 5th century and could be among the earliest recorded celebrations in relation to officially celebrating fatherhood.<ref>For more on Joseph and his feast day in relation to Father's Day, see: Raman, V. (2005). <i>Variety in Religion and Science: Daily Reflections</i>. iUniverse. New Yor., pg. 234. </ref>
[[File:Saint Joseph with the Infant Jesus by Guido Reni, c 1635.jpg|thumbnail|Figure 1. Saint Joseph was associated with fathers, where he was seen as an example of fatherhood in bringing up Jesus.]]
