Hollywood Father’s Day Celebrated With Online Celebrity Salutes To Dear Ol’ Dad

The 108th celebration of Father’s Day arrived today, and Hollywood figures (not to mention TV shows) were among those honoring dear old Dad with remembrances, brunch, electronics, ugly ties and some good scotch. A waggish Mark Hamill (who tweeted a pic of Darth Vader’s helmet), Incredibles 2 director Brad Bird and Gwyneth Paltrow (progressively nodding to both ex Chris Martin and current partner Brad Falchuk) were among those socializing about Dad.

The ersatz holiday began when a young woman in Spokane, Washington sat in church listening to a sermon on the far older Mother’s Day. Her father, Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, was a single parent who raised his six children on his own. So we all have Sonora Smart Dodd to thank for the commercial juggernaut in June.

Americans will spend $15.3 billion on Father’s Day, or an average of $133 per father, according to the National Retail Federation, which tracks shopping habits. That’s the second all-time highest amount, down slightly from last year. In contrast, Mother’s Day generates $23.1 billion in gifting, or $180 per person.

Here are a few of the celebrations of the day:

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