How Mother’s Day Came To Be...
The modern holiday was first celebrated in 1907. Prior to this date, historically, mothers were often honored at church on a given Sunday, chosen by the church leaders. West Virginia was the first state to officially adopt the holiday. President Woodrow Wilson, on Saturday, May 9, 1914, made Mother’s Day a National holiday. Making the first official National Mother’s Day, May 10,1914. President Wilson also declared the second Sunday in May be the official holiday.
The invention of Mother’s Day was attributed to three women of the times. Ann Reeves Jarvis, Julia Ward Howe, and Ann’s daughter, Anna M. Jarvis.
Ann Reeves Jarvis was an Appalachian homemaker who taught Sunday School lessons, but was also a lifelong activist who worked to combat unsanitary living conditions, especially worrying about the infant mortality rate in Appalachia. During the Civil War, she encouraged women to help the soldiers with keeping their places and things as sanitary as possible, regardless of which side they were on. After the war, she proposed a Mother’s Friendship Day to promote peace between both sides.
Julia Ward Howe volunteered for the U.S. Sanitary Commission to make sure hospitals had the highest sanitary conditions possible at the time. The Commission was to benefit wounded soldiers regardless which side of the war they were on. In 1861 she authored the famous, “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” In 1870 she called for “Mother’s Day for Peace.” She believed that mother’s should gather together to prevent the cruelty of war. Howe’s version of a Mother’s Day was mostly observed in Boston and some other major cities for 30 years, until it died a short victory preceding World War One.
Anna Jarvis took up the reign to campaign for a special day for mothers, after her own mother died in 1905. Anna wished to honor all the hard work her mother had done in her life, and campaigned hard for a day to honor all mothers. She wanted the day to honor motherhood and the sacrifices made in the home. Anna bombarded public figures, and civic organizations with telegrams, letters, and discussions in person, even printing pamphlets at her own expense. Finally she reached through to the Mayor of Philadelphia, who set up a local Mother’s Day. From that success, she headed to Washington D.C. Anna petitioned for a National holiday. West Virginia, Alabama, and Texas were among the first states to pass a resolution to honor Mother’s Day the second Sunday in May. Woodrow Wilson signed the bill in 1914. He made Mother’s Day a legal National holiday, dedicated “to the best mother in the world, your mother!”
Anna Jarvis simply wanted to honor her mother for being the originator of the real Mother’s Day. She was sadden to see it turn commercialized with cards and flowers in her times. Just as we celebrate modern Mother’s Day with cards, gifts, flowers, special meals, etc; modern women celebrate the many roles of moms today. We know that almost all mothers do their best to raise and nurture their children with love and courage.
This year,
Mother’s Day falls on Sunday, May
12, 2024. Mother’s
Day is not a federal holiday that obligates businesses to close, so I hope that if your working on this day, you will be sure to honor your mother even if it’s just a phone call. Here are some ideas for this Mother’s Day.
Make her a homemade card, or even a set of notecards, cook her brunch or dinner. Plant a garden just for her. Put on a visual talent show, watch her favorite movie together (you make the popcorn!) Make mom a video or music playlist. Take her on a picnic, make her a homemade gift or a piece of art! Take her to an art gallery or a museum. Best of all if you live in Moreno Valley, come to browse Angel’s Attic in Eagle Nest and find mom the perfect gift. Many of our donated items are new and still have the tags on them. Perfect!