Father's Day

June 2, 2015

Written by Elise

Father's Day is on June 21st this year. At Western Nut, Father's Day is one of our busiest holidays, second only to Christmas, but when a day of celebration for fathers originally became a trend in America it was met with little support and widespread derision.

As far as history can tell us, days of celebration for fathers have existed for around 4,000 years, but the idea for a nationwide holiday in the U.S. was originally thought of in 1908 by a daughter and community grieving the recent loss of about 250 fathers in the worst coal mining accident in American history. The accident left over 1,000 widows and fatherless children. When the holiday started to become an unofficial national trend in the 1910s and 1920s, it had very little support. The general consensus was that the holiday was just another commercial grab for money and that it was too sentimental. However, when WWII began, it was argued that the holiday supported the troops and would help the country to stimulate the economy after the Depression. By the time the war ended, Father's Day was culturally entrenched as a national institution. In the following years, Congress failed twice to pass a bill making the day a national holiday. In 1972, Richard Nixon finally signed the bill into law and Father's Day officially became a national holiday in the United States, writing,

"[Fatherhood] is a rich patrimony, one for which adequate thanks can hardly be offered in a lifetime, let alone a single day. Still it has long been our national custom to observe each year one special Sunday in honor of America's fathers; and from this year forward, by a joint resolution of the Congress approved April 24, 1972, that custom carries the weight of law. This is fitting and good. Let each American make this Father's Day an occasion for renewal of the love and gratitude we bear to our fathers, increasing and enduring through all the years."

In 2012, the U.S. Census Bureau found there was an estimated 70.1 million fathers in the country. Spending for the holiday topped $12.5 billion last year. A nationally representative survey found that 40% of fathers say they most want quality family time for Father's Day. When asked what they least wanted, 36% said they least wanted a tie and an additional 33% least wanted a t-shirt reading "#1 Dad" or "World's Best Dad".

As far as Father's Day at Western Nut Company goes, we found for you our three best sellers in the month leading up to the holiday: pecan brittle, peanut brittle, and our gift #13. It makes sense that brittles would be high on the list--they're delicious. In fact, these two brittles are best-sellers year round. In 1961, Paul's Candy Company was established in Salt Lake City. After many years selling our nuts to them for their brittles, we bought Paul's in 2004. Since the recipe was first perfected in 1961, it has never been changed--all the way down to still being made by hand. It's likely that gift #13 joined the list because it offers the best of many worlds: peanuts, almonds, and cashews; as well as both sweet and salty flavors.

We hope you find the perfect gifts for the dads in your life this year, and that you get to spend some quality time with them. Happy Father's Day!