Mother’s Day: a brief history

Some historians claim that the predecessor of the Mother’s Day holiday was a Greek spring festival dedicated to Rhea, the mother of many deities. During the 1600’s England celebrated a day called 'Mothering Sunday' on the fourth Sunday in Lent. On Mothering Sunday in England young women and men who were apprentices or servants returned home bringing their mothers small gifts and keepsakes or a “mothering cake”. As Christianity spread across Europe the celebration changed to honour the 'Mother Church', the spiritual power that gave them life and kept them out of harms way. Over time the church festival merged with the Mothering Sunday celebration. People began honouring their mothers as well as the church. Mother’s Day started in the United States nearly 150 years ago, when Anna Jarvis, an Appalachian homemaker, organized a day to raise awareness of poor health conditions in her community, a cause she felt would be best voiced by mothers.

She called it 'Mother’s Work Day'. Julia Ward Howe suggested the idea of Mother’s Day in 1872. Howe, who wrote the words to the 'Battle Hymn of the Republic', saw Mother’s Day as being dedicated to peace. Ms. Howe held organized Mother’s Day meetings in Boston every year. In 1905 when Anna Jarvis died, her daughter, also named Anne, began a campaign to memorialize the work of her mother. At one of the first services organized to celebrate Anna’s mother in 1908, at her church in West Virginia, Anna handed out her mother’s favourite flower, the white carnation. White carnations were chosen because they represented the sweetness, purity and endurance of a mother’s love. (Red carnations, in time, became the symbol of a living mother. White ones now signify that one’s mother has died.) Five years later, the House of Representatives adopted a resolution calling for officials of the Federal Government to wear a white carnation on Mother’s Day. Anna’s campaign was successful, as by 1911 Mother’s Day was celebrated in almost every State. President Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, made the official announcement proclaiming Mother’s Day as a national holiday that was to be celebrated every second Sunday in May.

At first, people observed Mother’s Day by attending church, writing letter to their mothers, and eventually, by sending flowers, gifts and cards. With the increasing commercialization of the Mother’s Day activities Anna Jarvis became enraged. In 1923 she filed a lawsuit to stop a Mother’s Day festival, and was even arrested for disturbing the peace. Jarvis told a reporter shortly before her death that she was sorry she had ever started Mother’s Day. Today because and despite of Anna Jarvis the world honors mothers on Mother’s Day.

About The Author:

Laura Elderton is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.flowers-gifts-cards.com. She has loved flowers for over 35 years, worked with them in the industry and enjoys designing and gift giving for all occasions.

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