Sunday, June 19, 2011

A Grammatically Incorrect Hallmark Holiday.

I'm confused.  Today is the day we are supposed to celebrate our Dads and all the hard work, love and inspiration they instill in us.  It's a day we grill outside and heighten Hallmark sales. But we are supposed to be celebrating all dads, right? Not just one? 

All the cards I pick up, all the tweets I read, all the annoying "to the best Father in the entire world!" Facebook statuses say "Happy Father's Day." (If I'm being honest, most Facebook statuses eliminate the use of apostrophe altogether.) Sure, you're celebrating YOUR dad, but the day is dedicated to all 700,000,000 of them. My point? ... Shouldn't the greeting cards say "Happy Fathers' Day" to imply that the day belongs to more than one father? Maybe it would be more correct to eliminate the apostrophe and therefore any possession, so that the day is just labeled and not owned?

Options as I see them:
"Happy Fathers Day" = Happy day named for the plural form of Dad
"Happy Father's Day = Happy day that is yours only, Dad.
"Happy Fathers' Day" = Happy day that belongs to all the dads in the world. 

Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't really think so.  In order to make all fathers possessive of this third Sunday in June, the apostrophe should be after the 's' not before. Maybe I'll just avoid the phrase altogether and avert the possibility of incorrect grammar. 

I hope everyone enjoys today, whether you are celebrating it singularly or plurally. 

Happy Day, Dad! xoxoxox

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