Emojis have become an integral part of digital communication in the 21st century. From expressing emotions to conveying information, these small digital images allow us to communicate visually in quick and creative ways. With emoji use continuing to rise, many major calendar holidays now have their own representative emoji. But does Father’s Day – the special day for celebrating dads everywhere – have its own emoji yet? Let’s take a closer look.
The Origins and History of Father’s Day
Father’s Day has been celebrated for over a century after being founded in Spokane, Washington in 1910 by Sonora Smart Dodd. Dodd wanted to honor her father, a Civil War veteran and single parent who raised six children, with her own special holiday. The first Father’s Day was celebrated in Spokane on June 19, 1910. Over the next few decades, Father’s Day gained popularity and was recognized as a holiday by President Calvin Coolidge in 1924. President Lyndon Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers in 1966, designating the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. Six years later, President Richard Nixon signed it into law as a permanent national holiday in 1972.
Father’s Day is now celebrated across the United States and in many other countries around the world. It’s a day to recognize the contributions fathers and father figures make to their children’s lives. Father’s Day traditions often involve family gatherings, special meals or gifts for dads, and finding meaningful ways to say “thank you” to the fathers and fatherly mentors we appreciate.
The Rise of Emojis
Emojis first emerged in the late 1990s in Japanese mobile phone messaging. The word “emoji” comes from the Japanese words for picture (e) and character (moji). Emojis started gaining popularity outside of Japan when Apple released the iPhone in 2007, which supported emojis in its messaging system. Since then, emojis have exploded in popularity and become a worldwide cultural phenomenon.
Today, emojis are supported on nearly all digital devices and social media platforms. The Unicode Consortium approves new collections of emojis each year, adding more diversity and representation over time. There are now over 3,600 emojis ranging across categories like facial expressions, hand gestures, food, animals, flags and more. Emojis help add tone, color and fun to our digital communications. Studies show that emojis can help make conversations more efficient and reduce miscommunications.
Many major holidays now have representative emojis to help celebrate special occasions virtually. For example, Christmas has Santa Claus and a Christmas tree emoji. Halloween has a jack-o-lantern, ghost and vampire emoji. Valentine’s Day has a heart emoji. But what about Father’s Day?
Father’s Day Emojis
Unfortunately, as of September 2023, there is no designated Father’s Day emoji yet. While major holidays like Christmas and Halloween have received their own unique emojis, Father’s Day is still waiting for one.
However, there are a few emojis that can work to help celebrate dads on Father’s Day:
– Man emoji: The most literal father emoji, this can represent dads or father figures. 👨
– Older Man emoji: For dads with some more life experience under their belt. 👴
– Flexed Biceps emoji: Show off dad’s strength (literal or figurative). 💪
– Toolbox emoji: For the handiest of dads. 🧰
– Necktie emoji: To represent dad’s stylish side. 👔
– Trophy emoji: For the dad who is a true winner. 🏆
– Medal emoji: To highlight dad’s accomplishments. 🏅
So in summary – there is no single, dedicated Father’s Day emoji yet. But several existing emojis can be creatively used together to celebrate dads virtually. The man, older man, and flexed biceps emoji seem especially fitting to represent fathers.
The Process for Proposing and Approving New Emojis
So how are new emojis created in the first place? And what does it take to propose a new emoji to represent Father’s Day in the future?
The process starts with the Unicode Consortium, a non-profit organization that maintains emoji standards across platforms. Each year, Unicode reviews proposals for new emojis. Proposals can come from companies like Apple or Google, but any person or organization can submit.
To submit a proposal, you must provide facts to support the need for the emoji, such as frequency of use, search trends, or cultural significance. Proposals also include a detailed image showing how the emoji would look.
If Unicode selects an emoji proposal, it goes through a design and approval process that can take up to two years before the public release. The proposed emoji design is refined and must work across varying screen sizes and resolutions. Once finalized, the emoji is encoded into the Unicode standard that platforms like iOS and Android use as the basis for their emoji designs.
So in theory, anyone could propose a Father’s Day emoji today at unicode.org/pending/proposals.html. It would need to gain support and make it through the rigorous approval process. But with Father’s Day’s cultural importance and over 100 years of history, a dedicated emoji seems like it would have a strong case.
Why Father’s Day Should Have Its Own Emoji
Father’s Day is a major cultural holiday centered on honoring paternal bonds and celebrating fatherhood. Here are some key reasons why Father’s Day deserves its own unique emoji:
– It’s been an official US holiday for over 50 years, with a history stretching back over 100 years. This cultural significance and longevity rivals holidays like Halloween and Valentine’s Day that already have emojis.
– Father’s Day is celebrated by millions of Americans each year, making it a popular holiday to connect over socially. A Father’s Day emoji would allow families and friends to celebrate dads in their digital communications.
– Digital communication has become central to our lives. Holiday-specific emojis help convey timely messages tied to calendar events we observe together as a culture. Father’s Day should be included in the set of major holidays we can celebrate through emojis.
– Gender equality should extend to holiday emojis. Mother’s Day already has its own emoji (a woman with a red heart), so Father’s Day deserves equal representation.
– Fatherhood takes many forms in the modern world – dads, grandpas, uncles, godfathers, father figures, etc. A Father’s Day emoji could honor and represent dads across all family structures.
– Father’s Day gifts, cards, and shopping are a major retail event each June, generating over $15 billion in spending annually. An emoji would allow brands and retailers to connect more authentically with consumers around Father’s Day.
Potential Designs for a Father’s Day Emoji
If approved in the future, what could a Father’s Day emoji look like? Here are some potential design ideas:
– A man holding a child’s hand or lifting a child up, representing paternal bonds
– A man smiling and offering a red heart, similar to the Mother’s Day emoji
– The father/dad emoji wearing a #1 foam finger or next to a trophy, highlighting accomplishments
– A man holding a mug or card that says “#1 Dad” on Father’s Day
– A man next to wrapped presents or gift bags for Father’s Day gifts
– The father/dad emoji against a blue (or light blue) background, since blue is a popular color for Father’s Day
– An older father emoji with a grey beard to represent grandfathers
– A father emoji surrounded by family emojis like woman, boy, girl to show the whole family
These symbolic designs would help convey Father’s Day sentiments in a fun, visual way. The paternal bonding images seem especially fitting for capturing the spirit of the holiday.
When Could We Expect to See a Father’s Day Emoji?
So when might Father’s Day finally get its due on the emoji keyboard? Here is a realistic timeline based on the Unicode approval process:
– **September 2023**: An organization submits a proposal for a Father’s Day emoji for 2024.
– **Early 2024**: The Father’s Day emoji proposal works through analysis and approval by the Unicode Emoji Subcommittee.
– **Mid-2024**: If approved, the Father’s Day emoji design is finalized and encoded into the Unicode 14.0 standard.
– **Late 2024**: The Father’s Day emoji is released to major platforms like iOS, Android, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
– **June 2025**: The new Father’s Day emoji can be used for the first time to celebrate dads!
Given the holiday’s popularity and longevity, a Father’s Day emoji seems overdue. With an intentional proposal process starting this year, next June could realistically be the debut for an official Father’s Day emoji. The time is right to give dads their emoji due!
Conclusion
In summary, while widely celebrated holidays like Mother’s Day already have representative emojis, Father’s Day is still waiting for its own. But the cultural significance of Father’s Day, its history as an official US holiday, and the ubiquity of emojis in modern communication all make a strong case for the need. Through Unicode’s detailed proposal and approval process, we could see a new Father’s Day emoji as soon as 2025. This would allow families everywhere to incorporate a fun and fitting new visual icon into their digital Father’s Day communications for years to come. The father figures in our lives deserve to be honored through the language of today – and a Father’s Day emoji seems long overdue.
