It doesn’t seem fair.

On Mother’s Day, Mom will often get breakfast in bed, followed by gifts of jewelry, flowers, and candy.

Compare that to Father’s Day.  On “his” day, Dad can expect the usual set of miniature screwdrivers, a new “World’s Greatest Dad” T-Shirt and a pair of socks. And he doesn’t get those until he’s finished cutting the lawn.

I’m not complaining here — just observing.  Oberlo.com observed consumer spending for Father’s Day was $22.4 billion in 2024 vs $33.5 billion spent for Mother’s Day. That’s 50% more spent on moms over dads.

The average spent on Father’s Day was $189.81 while on Mother’s Day we spent $254.04 ($64.23 more). Part of the difference is Mother’s Day tends to involve more sentimental and higher-value gifts, while Father’s Day focuses on practical and experience-based gifts.

Here’s a breakout of the top gift purchases:

Mother’s Day 

• Jewelry — $7 billion
• Special Outings — $5.9 billion
• Electronics — $3.5 billion 
• Gift Cards — $3.2 billion
• Clothing/Accessories — $3 billion 

Father’s Day 

• Special Outings — $4.5 billion
• Electronics — $2.4 billion
• Gift Cards — $2.9 billion
• Clothing/Accessories — $3.5 billion
• Personal Care Items — $1.6 billion

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?  Maybe it has something to do with timing. Mother’s Day had a head start.

Mother’s Day was officially established in 1914 by President Woodrow Wilson after a campaign by Anna Jarvis, who had organized the first celebration in 1908. Father’s Day didn’t officially became holiday until 1972 — 58 years after Mother’s Day.

Despite popular belief, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day were NOT initially created for commercial purposes. They were not conspiracies started by candy and flower companies. Of course, they have been influenced and popularized by marketers and retailers. Both holidays have been significantly shaped and promoted by commercial interests over time.

MESSAGING MAY ALSO BE A FACTOR

One reason we spend more on Mom than Dad might be the messaging.

Moms tend to be portrayed as really good people — sometimes even described as saints. I don’t know how you feel, but I would say that’s an accurate description of my late mother.

On the flip side, Dad is usually presented as a bumbling, lovable old coot who likes to fix things around the house. Sort of the sitcom version of a dad.  Everybody just kind of puts up with him.

Dad’s could also be influencing that view with their predilection for telling what has become known as “Dad jokes.” Most Dad jokes are not really that funny and cause everyone in the room to groan and embarrass the kids if you are in public.

However,  even though I’m a father and a grandfather, my jokes would most likely be classified as “Rad” jokes instead of  Dad jokes.

Ask anyone — except my family.

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