My daughter just showed me the cute card she made for her dad to give to him tomorrow. She draws well, and the smiling penguin she created on the front of the card made me smile too.
But being a word person, I had to correct her message on the inside of the card. It's Father's Day–not Fathers Day. When her dad overheard us whispering about the apostrophe, he slyly chimed in, "Yes, it's a possessive."
He's right. The apostrophe in Father's Day indicates a singular possessive, the day belonging to each father. In many countries around the world, it is the third Sunday in June, but fathers in Australia and New Zealand have to wait until September.
Whether you are a father, mother, son, or daughter, I wish you a happy third Sunday in June.
Lynn
Syntax Training
