By George Farris
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – It’s not fair. On Mother’s Day, Mom will often get breakfast in bed, followed by gifts of jewelry, flowers and candy. Compare those to Father’s Day gifts. Dad can expect the usual set of miniature screwdrivers, a new “World’s Greatest Dad” T-shirt and a pair of socks. The bad news is, he doesn’t get those until he’s finished cutting the lawn.
According to Oberlo.com, consumers spent $22.4 billion for Father’s Day in 2024. And they spent $33.5 billion (50% more) for Mother’s Day. The average amount spent per person on Father’s Day was $189.81. On Mother’s Day we spent $254.04 per person.
Mother’s Day tends to involve more sentimental and higher-value gifts, while Father’s Day focuses on practical and experience-based gifts.
The top purchases for Mother’s Day included $7 billion spent on jewelry:, $5.9 billion on special outings, $3.5 billion on electronics, $3.2 billion on gift cards and $3 billion for clothing and accessories. Father’s Day saw $4.5 billion spent on special outings, $2.4 billion on electronics, $2.9 billion on gift cards, $3.5 billion for clothing and $1.6 billion on personal care items.
THE BIG QUESTION: Why do we spend more on Mom than Dad? Some may say, “We love our mothers more than our dads.” Ouch. That’s not true, is it? So let’s look at this logically. First, Mother’s Day had a head start. Father’s Day became a holiday 58 years after Mother’s Day.
Mother’s Day was officially established in the United States in 1914 by President Woodrow Wilson after a campaign by Anna Jarvis, who had organized the first Mother’s Day celebration in 1908. However, the idea of a day to honor mothers dates back further, with various regional celebrations and early attempts to establish a national holiday.
Father’s Day, as a nationwide United States holiday, officially started in 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed a proclamation designating the third Sunday of June. However, the idea for Father’s Day was proposed by Sonora Smart Dodd and the first celebrations were held in 1910 in Spokane, Wash.
It’s important to note that despite popular opinion, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day were NOT initially created for commercial purposes. The holidays have certainly been influenced and popularized by marketers and retailers. In fact, while these holidays were not invented by marketers, they have been significantly shaped and promoted by commercial interests over time.
Why do we spend more on Mom than Dad? Part of it is the messaging – and this we CAN blame on the marketers. Moms tend to be portrayed as really good people – sometimes even described as saints. I don’t know about others, but I would say that is an accurate description of my own mother.
On the flip side, Dad is usually presented as a bumbling, lovable old coot who likes to fix things around the house. Also, Dads have a natural talent for telling jokes. (Note: While some think “Dad” jokes are “bad” jokes, my jokes could be called “Rad” jokes.)
Bottom line: This year, let’s spend a little more on gifts for Dad.
George Farris is CEO of Farris Marketing and StrategiX Social.