THE HISTORY OF MOTHERS DAY
Good Morning, Happy Mother's Day Weekend
everyone. I want to wish all the MOMS and
DADS playing both roles a very Happy
Mothers Day.
I did some research on the origins of
Mothers Day for those of you that are
interested in how it was started. I hope
you enjoy it. I hope all the MOMS out there
have a very Happy Mother's Day..
Mother’s Day is a holiday honoring motherhood that is observed in different forms throughout the world. In the United States, Mother’s Day 2024 falls on Sunday, May 12. The American incarnation of Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. Jarvis would later denounce the holiday’s commercialization and spent the latter part of her life trying to remove it from the calendar. While dates and celebrations vary, Mother’s Day traditionally involves presenting moms with flowers, cards and other gifts.
What Is Mother’s Day?
Celebrations of mothers and motherhood can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele, but the clearest modern precedent for Mother’s Day is the early Christian festival known as “Mothering Sunday.”
Once a major tradition in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, this celebration fell on the fourth Sunday in Lent and was originally seen as a time when the faithful would return to their “mother church”—the main church in the vicinity of their home—for a special service.
Over time the Mothering Sunday tradition shifted into a more secular holiday, and children would present their mothers with flowers and other tokens of appreciation. This custom eventually faded in popularity before merging with the American Mother’s Day in the 1930s and 1940s.
Mother’s Day Origins in the United States
The origins of Mother’s Day as celebrated in the United States date back to the 19th century. In the years before the Civil War, Ann Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia helped start “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs" to teach local women how to properly care for their children.
These clubs later became a unifying force in a region of the country still divided over the Civil War. In 1868 Jarvis organized “Mothers’ Friendship Day,” at which mothers gathered with former Union and Confederate soldiers to promote reconciliation.
Another precursor to Mother’s Day came from the abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe. In 1870 Howe wrote the “Mother’s Day Proclamation,” a call to action that asked mothers to unite in promoting world peace. In 1873 Howe campaigned for a “Mother’s Peace Day” to be celebrated every June 2.
Anna Jarvis Turns Mother's Day Into a National Holiday
The official Mother’s Day holiday arose in the 1900s as a result of the efforts of Anna Jarvis, daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis. Following her mother’s 1905 death, Anna Jarvis conceived of Mother’s Day as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children.
After gaining financial backing from a Philadelphia department store owner named John Wanamaker, in May 1908 she organized the first official Mother’s Day celebration at a Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia. That same day also saw thousands of people attend a Mother’s Day event at one of Wanamaker’s retail stores in Philadelphia.
Following the success of her first Mother’s Day, Jarvis—who remained unmarried and childless her whole life—resolved to see her holiday added to the national calendar. Arguing that American holidays were biased toward male achievements, she started a massive letter writing campaign to newspapers and prominent politicians urging the adoption of a special day honoring motherhood.
By 1912 many states, towns and churches had adopted Mother’s Day as an annual holiday, and Jarvis had established the Mother’s Day International Association to help promote her cause. Her persistence paid off in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure officially establishing the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.
Jarvis Decries Commercialized Mother’s Day
Anna Jarvis had originally conceived of Mother’s Day as a day of personal celebration between mothers and families. Her version of the day involved wearing a white carnation as a badge and visiting one’s mother or attending church services. But once Mother’s Day became a national holiday, it was not long before florists, card companies and other merchants capitalized on its popularity.
While Jarvis had initially worked with the floral industry to help raise Mother’s Day’s profile, by 1920 she had become disgusted with how the holiday had been commercialized. She outwardly denounced the transformation and urged people to stop buying Mother’s Day flowers, cards and candies.
Jarvis eventually resorted to an open campaign against Mother’s Day profiteers, speaking out against confectioners, florists and even charities. She also launched countless lawsuits against groups that had used the name “Mother’s Day,” eventually spending most of her personal wealth in legal fees. By the time of her death in 1948 Jarvis had disowned the holiday altogether, and even actively lobbied the government to see it removed from the American calendar.
Mother’s Day Traditions and Celebrations Around the World
While versions of Mother’s Day are celebrated worldwide, traditions vary depending on the country. In Thailand, for example, Mother’s Day is always celebrated in August on the birthday of the current queen, Sirikit.
Another alternate observance of Mother’s Day can be found in Ethiopia, where families gather each fall to sing songs and eat a large feast as part of Antrosht, a multi-day celebration honoring motherhood.
In the United States, Mother’s Day continues to be celebrated by presenting mothers and other women with gifts and flowers, and it has become one of the biggest holidays for consumer spending. Families also celebrate by giving mothers a day off from activities like cooking or other household chores.
At times, Mother’s Day has also been a date for launching political or feminist causes. In 1968 Coretta Scott King, wife of Martin Luther King Jr., used Mother’s Day to host a march in support of underprivileged women and children. In the 1970s women’s groups also used the holiday as a time to highlight the need for equal rights and access to childcare.
40 comments
Happy Mothers Day my sweet friend!!
Thank you so much my dear friend
and I hope your Mom has a very
Happy Mother's Day too.
I hope your Friday is a great start to a
wonderful weekend..🙂
Your Mother's Day falls later than our Mother's day, though it seems Father's Day falls on the same day both sides of the Atlantic.
I didn't know that, thanks for sharing with me. I hope
all the Mother's where you are had a very Happy
Mother's Day.
I hope your Friday is a great start to a
wonderful weekend..🙂
Hello and Happy Mother's Day to you!
Good reading this morning for me enjoyed that.
Butch Love
Thanks so much I am glad you enjoyed
the History about Mothers Day. I hope
you had a great weekend too.
May your Monday be a great start to
your new week..
Great information. Have a great weekend and Happy Mothers Day.
Thanks so much I am glad you enjoyed
the information about Mothers Day.
May your Monday be a great start
to your new week..
It's important information about mothers day there thank you for sharing.... happy mother's day wonderful... we're in Egypt celebrating since 2 months
I though it was worth sharing, I hope I get
to do one for Fathers Day too.
May your Monday be a great start to
your new week..
@Tmptrzz good... because I'm not celebrating mom's day since years she's dying
@Alfedofernanz200 I am sorry about your Mother
and it wasn't much of a celebration here either.
I hope you enjoy your Tuesday..
Happy Mother’s Day
Thank you I hope you enjoyed your
weekend too.
May your Monday be a great start
to your new week..
Happy Mother's Day to you, too!
Thanks hun I hope you enjoyed a very
Happy Mothers Day too.
Thank you for starting the ten things
to know about all of us.
I hope your Monday is a great start
to your new week..
Happy Mother’s Day
Thank you so much, I hope your Friday
is a great start to a wonderful weekend..
@Tmptrzz you have a great weekend too
@Bigwilly3392c Thanks so much..I hope your
Monday is a great start to your new week..
Happy Mothers day my Dear , XOXO
Thank you so much, it's going to be
quiet like it always is.
I hope your Friday is a great start to a
wonderful weekend..🙂
My birthday, happy mother's day
Happy Birthday to you I hope all your
Birthday wishes come true.
Thanks so much and I hope your
Friday is a great start to a
wonderful weekend..🙂
Happy mother's day!!! 😘
Thanks so much I hope you enjoyed your
weekend too.
I hope your Monday is a great start to
your new week..
As much as i enjoy your sexy ladies photos ,this post is so the best. Should delve deeper into ancient history of mothers, you will be surprised what you unearth