Mother's Day - yearly celebration

Mother's Day is a yearly celebration in the United States that takes place on the second Sunday of May. This holiday honors mothers, motherhood, and the special bonds between mothers and their children, highlighting their valuable contributions to families and society. The holiday was created by Anna Jarvis, with the first celebration occurring on May 10, 1908, during a worship service at St. Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. Common ways to celebrate include giving cards and gifts, attending church services often featuring carnations, and enjoying family dinners. In the U.S., Mother's Day is part of a series of celebrations that also recognize other family members, such as Father's Day, Siblings Day, and Grandparents Day.

History

In the 19th century, women's peace organizations in the United States sought to create holidays and regular events promoting peace and opposing war. One early initiative involved mothers gathering to connect with others whose sons had fought or died on opposing sides during the American Civil War.

In 1868, Ann Jarvis, the mother of Anna Jarvis, formed a committee to create a "Mother's Friendship Day" aimed at reuniting families torn apart by the Civil War. Ann Jarvis had previously set up Mother's Day Work Clubs to enhance health and sanitation for both Union and Confederate soldiers during a typhoid outbreak. She envisioned turning these efforts into an annual tribute for mothers, but she passed away in 1905 before the celebration could be established. Her daughter, deeply inspired by her mother, continued to pursue this mission.

In the 1870s and 1880s, there were a few limited celebrations, but none gained traction beyond local communities. During this time, Protestant schools across the United States already hosted various events like Children's Day, Temperance Sunday, Roll Call Day, Decision Day, and Missionary Day. In New York City, Julia Ward Howe organized a "Mother's Day for Peace" anti-war event on June 2, 1872, which included an "Appeal to womanhood throughout the world," now recognized as the Mother's Day Proclamation. This observance continued in Boston for about a decade under Howe's guidance before fading away. The idea was for mothers globally to unite in the pursuit of world peace.

Years later, on May 13, 1877, Albion, Michigan, held its own Mother's Day observance linked to the temperance movement. According to local stories, pioneer Juliet Calhoun Blakeley took over a sermon from Rev. Myron Daughterty, who was upset after an anti-temperance group had forced his son and two other advocates to spend the night in a bar and get drunk. From the pulpit, Blakeley urged other mothers to join her cause. Her two sons, who were traveling salesmen, were so inspired that they promised to honor her each year and encouraged their business associates to do the same. As a result, in the early 1880s, the Methodist Episcopal Church in Albion designated the second Sunday in May to celebrate mothers' significant contributions.

In 1904, Frank E. Hering, a Notre Dame alumnus and administrator, called for a national day to honor mothers and motherhood. After witnessing Notre Dame students sending penny postcards to their mothers, Hering became a strong advocate for establishing a national Mother's Day.

Establishment of Mother's Day

Historical Marker at Market and N. Juniper Sts., Philadelphia, PA

President Wilson's Mother's Day Proclamation of May 9, 1914

Mother's Day, as we know it today, was created by Anna Jarvis with the support of Philadelphia businessman John Wanamaker after her mother, Ann Jarvis, passed away on May 9, 1905. Anna Jarvis did not reference Julia Ward Howe or the tradition of Mothering Sunday, nor did she connect it to Protestant school celebrations, insisting that the idea of Mother's Day was entirely her own.

On May 12, 1907, a small service took place at Andrew's Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia, where Anna's mother had taught Sunday school. The first official worship service occurred on May 10, 1908, in the same church, along with a larger event at Wanamaker's store in Philadelphia. By the following year, Mother's Day was being celebrated widely in New York.

Jarvis then worked to have Mother's Day recognized first as a national holiday in the U.S. and later as an international celebration. West Virginia officially recognized the holiday in 1910, and other states quickly followed suit.

On May 10, 1913, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution urging all federal officials, including the president, to wear a white carnation the next day in honor of Mother's Day. On May 8, 1914, Congress passed a law establishing the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day and requested a proclamation. The following day, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation declaring the first national Mother's Day, encouraging Americans to display the flag in memory of mothers whose sons had died in military service. In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved a stamp to commemorate the holiday.

In May 2008, the House of Representatives voted twice on a resolution honoring Mother's Day, with the first vote passing unanimously.