What is Father's Day? The UK date, where it came from and what to send

Father's Day in the UK is the third Sunday in June, so the date moves each year. It is not a bank holiday and it is not tied to a church calendar — unlike Mothering Sunday, which is fixed to Lent and lands in March.

That difference catches people out: Mother's Day in the UK is on a completely different date to the American one, but Father's Day happens to fall on the same day in the UK, US, Ireland and Canada. Australia and New Zealand mark it in September.

Here is where the day came from, what people usually do, and what to write if the card is the whole plan.

The dates

• UK: the third Sunday in June, every year.
• The US, Ireland and Canada share the same June date.
• Australia and New Zealand mark it on the first Sunday in September.
• Post by the Thursday before to be safe with first class.

Where the day came from

• The modern day began in the United States in the early 1900s, as a counterpart to Mother's Day.
• It was made a permanent national observance in the US in 1972.
• Britain picked it up mid-century, largely through retail rather than tradition.
• It has no religious roots here, which is why it sits on a Sunday but nothing else about it is fixed.

How people mark it

• A card, usually funny, is the one constant.
• A pub lunch or a fry-up at home rather than a big gift.
• Something for the shed, the garden or the barbecue.
• A phone call for the dads and grandads too far away to visit.
• Cards from the grandchildren, dog or cat included as signatories.

What to write in a Father's Day card

• Happy Father's Day. Thanks for the lifts, the lectures and the DIY that mostly worked.
• You've earned the good chair and the remote today. Happy Father's Day.
• Thanks for teaching me everything except how to fold a fitted sheet.
• Happy Father's Day, Dad. Still the first person I ring when something breaks.
• To the man whose jokes we all pretend not to like. Happy Father's Day.

Shop all Father's Day cards

Cards for grandad and step-dad

For the other dads in the family.

How to write it so it lands

• One joke and one sincere line is the winning combination for most dads.
• Sign it from the grandchildren by name — that's the bit that gets kept.
• Post by the Thursday before the third Sunday in June.

Where to shop next

• Father's Day card messages
• Buy Father's Day cards
• Father's Day gift ideas
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

When is Father's Day in the UK?

The third Sunday in June each year, so the date changes annually.

Is UK Father's Day the same date as the American one?

Yes. The UK, US, Ireland and Canada all mark it on the third Sunday in June, unlike Mother's Day, which differs.

Why is Father's Day a different date to Mother's Day in the UK?

Mothering Sunday is tied to the church calendar and falls in Lent, while Father's Day is a twentieth-century American import with no religious link.